John Buttrick House at Minute Man National Historical Park
The home of Major John Buttrick, the man who led the march against the British at the North Bridge and ordered his men to fire after being fired upon, is located in the North Bridge Unit of Minute Man National Historical Park on Liberty Street across from the North Bridge Visitor Center. It is one of eleven houses within the park that existed when the Battles of Lexington and Concord took place on April 19, 1775. In fact, the house played a part in the fighting at the North Bridge, for it was here that the two Patriot militiamen who were killed in the skirmish, Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer, were brought after British troops had left the area.
The Buttrick Family owned the land on the hill to the north of the bridge since 1637, a few years after Concord itself was founded. The John Buttrick House was built by Major Buttrick’s father, Jonathan, for his (father’s) parents sometime between 1710 and 1717. When the parents died, the house went to Jonathan’s brother, Samuel, then eventually to Jonathan when Samuel died. Major Buttrick inherited it from his father. As it stands today, the house has been enlarged three times since its original construction.
The Buttrick House was purchased by the National Park Service in 1962 with the intention of using it as the park superintendent’s house. It is still used for staff housing and is not open to the public.
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Last updated on September 5, 2023
