Garden preservation, goat on the loose, crab apple trees, and more!

Friends of Minute Man National Park

Preserving the Birthplace of the American Revolution

Buttrick Gardens Preservation

May is preservation month and we are delighted to announce that the Buttrick Gardens hardscape preservation project has begun! With the support of the Town of Concord Community Preservation Act funds, the Friends of Minute Man has engaged Nobles Stone Masonry to rehabilitate the hardscape of the Buttrick House gardens and prepare it for a new generation of visitors.

The first step of the project is to reset the historic brick pathways along the perennial beds in the formal garden. Stan Nobles of Nobles Stone Masonry carefully removed the brick pathway and is preparing the area for the bricks to be re-installed. Stan and his team methodically removed the bricks row by row, accounted for the original position of each brick, and will put them back in the same order they were removed.

The bricks settled and moved apart over time resulting in an uneven walking surface as well as allowing organic matter to settle between each brick. The bricks will be reset according to their original design with an even surface and tighter joints that will discourage weeds from growing between the bricks.

This portion of the project will be finished in time for the historic irises to bloom in late May. Up next is the rehabilitation of the cobblestone and bluestone pathways over the summer. We’ll keep you updated as the project progresses through the summer and fall!

Click on the button below to learn more about the Buttrick Gardens

Buttrick Gardens

Spencer's Adventures

Spencer the Nigerian Dwarf escaped from his nearby home in Concord and spent ten days on the run across multiple local towns. His adventures brought him to Minute Man National Historical Park and he is seen here at the basement door of the North Bridge Visitor Center. He appreciated our offerings of corn, but evaded staff attempts at a rescue. He is safe at home now but we don't mind if he comes to visit as goats are known for eating invasive species such as poison ivy.

Photo by Liam Beguhn, NPS volunteer.

Read More about Spencer

Crab Apple Trees in Bloom

The crab apple trees at Minute Man Visitor Center in Lexington are in full bloom! Not only are they lovely to look at, the crab apple trees tell a story that is rooted in the North American landscape from which they spring.

The only apple trees native to the United States, they produce a small, hard, sour fruit that Native Americans appreciated and appropriated, and that, for newly arrived colonists from England, proved especially good in jellies and cider.

Over time, settlers from England brought their favorite customs and fruit trees with them, supplanting but never eradicating crab apple trees. Today, they remain part of the landscape and the story here at Minute Man National Historical Park.

Article and photos by Neil Lynch, Community Ambassador for Freedom's Way National Heritage Area and Friends of Minute Man National Park.

Community Ambassador

Freedom's Way National Heritage Area and the Friends of Minute Man National Park have a Community Ambassador! Neil Lynch is welcoming visitors to Minute Man Visitor Center in Lexington and introducing them to the role that the Friends and Freedom' Way play in supporting Minute Man National Historical Park. He is also highlighting the attractions and events each has to offer, such as Freedom's Way Hidden Treasures program and the preservation of the Buttrick Gardens, sponsored by the Friends.

The retired Concord-Carlisle High School teacher and long-time seasonal ranger at Minute Man is no stranger to the area or the stories rooted in it. He's also a member of the Friends, who are partnering with Freedom's Way to showcase the region. "It's been a welcome opportunity to expand on what there is to offer here in the park, introduce folks to the wider heritage area, and highlight the support the Friends of Minute Man National Park provides on behalf of both organizations," Neil says.

Neil is on duty and greeting visitors Thursdays through Sundays through the end of May. Stop by, say hello, and learn a little more about this amazing region and the Friends who support it!"

The Friends of Minute Man National Park are now on Instagram! Follow us to view photos of the Park, or use "friendsofminuteman" to tag us on your photos!

Beyond Battle Road

Items of interest outside the Park

REV250 Podcast: Phillis Wheatley

Check out the latest podcast from REV250. Vincent Carretta, Professor emeritus of the University of Maryland, and author of Phillis Wheatley: Biography of a Genius in Bondage talks about Wheatley's life, career, and influence. Click here to listen.

Freedom's Way Hidden Treasures

A region-wide celebration of the natural, cultural, and historic “treasures” located within the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area, Hidden Treasures features a unique variety of regional treasures to explore during a full month of creative and community-organized activities. Click here to browse free activities by town.

Thank you to our newsletter sponsors!

Friends of Minute Man National Park

North Bridge Visitor's Center

174 Liberty Street

Concord, MA 01742

P: 978-318-7822

info@friendsofminuteman.org

www.friendsofminuteman.org

Make a Gift

The Friends of Minute Man National Park is an independent, member-based

non-profit 501(c)(3) organization supporting the Park's mission of

preserving and protecting the historic sites, structures, properties, and landscapes associated with the opening battles of the American Revolution.

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