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Spreading the Alarm

The Hartwell Tavern was also the home of the Hartwell family. Ephraim and Elizabeth Hartwell received thirty acres of land and the house from Ephraim’s father after their marriage. They ran a tavern out of their home for more than thirty years, beginning in 1756. By the end of the 1700s, they were among the wealthiest families in the town of Lincoln. On April 19, 1775, a column of British soldiers marched past the tavern on their way to Concord. It was near the Hartwell Tavern that Paul Revere was captured while spreading news of the British expedition. One of Revere’s companions managed to escape and alerted the Hartwell family, who spread the word to their neighbors.

Three of Ephraim and Elizabeth’s sons took part in the fighting as members of the Lincoln minute men, while the rest of the family traveled to a more distant location for safety. When they returned, there were dead and wounded men laying along the road and on their property. The Hartwell family helped to collect five dead British soldiers who were buried in the town’s cemetery. The building continued to serve as a private residence until 1967, when it was acquired by the National Park Service. Much of the original eighteenth-century structure has been preserved. Nearby, visitors can explore Minute Man National Historical Park, which includes the North Bridge, the Minute Man Statue, and the Battle Road Trail. These sites offer a deeper appreciation of the early battles of the American Revolution.