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Show loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ! LEXINGTON ANDf ! ITS COMMON ! o' , o The village ot Lexington lies about ten miles northwest ot Uoston The first settlement was made there- In 1010 mar the slto of what afterwards became known as tho Iluckman Tavern Tav-ern There still remain in the vlllaga several well-preservcel housts which were standing at tha time of tho battle bat-tle of Lexington 12C years ngo. They havo been well cared for nnd have undergone un-dergone llttlo change They add much to tho historic interest of tha placo and aro annually visited by thousands of tourists The IoloI historical society has placed tablets on theui enumerating enumerat-ing the dates and facts of especial Interest In-terest Lexington Common Is In the form of a triangle and stands nearly In tho center of tho village At the time of tho fight on April 19, 1775, It was an open space and used as a drill ground tor the rollltlo. Today It Is n beautiful park. At the southern end ot the triangle tri-angle Is what Is known as the Pulpit monument. In tho form of a granite pedestal surmounted by an open Illblo This monument stands on tho slto of tho first threo churches built by tho colonists Just behind It. proporly protcctod, Is n thrifty elm which was set out by Ocn Orant 25 years ago on tha centennial anniversary of tho battle. Near tho northwest corner f tho Common Is tho Mlnute-men monument, mon-ument, ut the foot of which aro burled thpso Jrllted lu tho battlo It Is quaintly quaint-ly Inscribed and bears ths names of those whose last resting place It marks In 1821 Ijtfayetto was given public reception In front of this monument, and fourteen survivors of Cspt, Parker's men shook bands with him. Near tho northeast corner of ths Common Is a huge boulder mark ing the place where Parker's men wcro drawn up Ungrnved on the boulder is ii musket and Capt. Parker's command com-mand to his men, The original church on tho Common had no steeple and a belfry was erected erect-ed near by lu 1701 a new belfry was erected on Ilelfry hill, Just to tho west TAnLCuuiuon From this belfry rsng out the alarm on that memorable morning 12S years ago. Tho belfry remained on ths bill until 1791. then "- M3XINCTON IICI.FRY. (From which rang out the alarm on the night of April 18, 1776, warning the Americans that the iirltlsh sol- dlers were on their way from Dos- ton.) It wss removed to tho Common and Its bell was used to summon 1 o- pie to worship, to toll for their funerals, funer-als, and to tell them at 9 o'clock each night that It was tlmo to rake up tho fires and go tu bed In 1787 It was bought ! n son of Capt John Parker and removed to his homestead, remaining re-maining there for nearly a century, lurn It was purchased by the Iex-Inston Iex-Inston lilstorli.il society, restored to Its original appearance and replace! on Ilelfry bill. Threo buildings at great historical ("""KJ? V,rt5f,SPi SsnBsBttWWBPMIH THU HANCOCK-CLARK HOUSU, LEXINGTON. MAU3. Interest stand one opposite each of ths three sides nf tho Common To ths east Is tho Merrlam Houso, known at ths time as the Iluckman Tavern, tbs rendezvous of tho mlnute-men It was fired on by the Iirltlsh regulars and the bullet holes csn still bo seen. To the west ot tbo Common Is tho Monroe house, built In 1728. A bullet passed through the glass aver the door and Imbedded Itself In a bureau. The bureau, bullet and all, Is In tho possession of one nf Monroe's descend' ants at Chlconee, Mass At Hie north ot the Common Is ths Harrington hnuse,nt tho door of whtcai the origins! owner died with bis held In his wlfo's lap the morning of April 19, 1775. Only 100 rods northeast of the Common Com-mon Is the famous Hancock-Clark houso. Tha original part of the house, which Is now the rear L, as shown In (he Illustration, was e reeled In 1C98 by Rev. John Hancoik Ills son built ths two-story front In 1731 Aftor Rev. John Hancock's death It pissed Into ' tho hands of Rev Jonas Clark, who hid married Hiniok's granddaughter granddaugh-ter The ministry of John Hancock and Jonas Clark extended uver n period pe-riod of 10S years, Young John Han-cork Han-cork and Samuel Adams were biding with Rev. Jonas Clark In this house when warned to flee by Paul Revere. HH -A M I), HAS |
