Wright's Tavern was built in 1747 by Ephraim Jones, who operated it until 1751. At the dawn of the American Revolution in April 1775, it was managed by Amos Wright, whose name it has borne ever since. On April 19, the day of the Battle of Lexington and Concord, when the courthouse bell announced the approach of Major Pitcairn's British troops, the Concord Minutemen assembled at Wright's Tavern. Later, after Pitcairn's arrival in the Concord square, British officers refreshed themselves in the tavern.[3]
The tavern also has earlier links to the Massachusetts Provincial Congress which met next door in October 1774, in the First Parish Church. With John Hancock as president and Benjamin Lincoln as secretary, the Congress consisted of 300 delegates from Massachusetts towns who passed measures ending tax payments to the Crown and organizing a militia force to defy King George III by arms if necessary. Wright's Tavern was used as a meeting place for committees of the Congress during the 5-day session.
Wright's Tavern ca. 1895–1905. Archive of Photographic Documentation of Early Massachusetts Architecture, Boston Public Library.
Since the Revolution the building has been put to many uses. Today the tavern is still in good condition with red clapboards and a double-hipped (monitor) roof above its two main stories. It is being restored to its 1775 condition as a museum and scheduled to open in 2024.[4]
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