~~~~~(I've) Come to Look For America ~~~~~
This past May my wife and I (and our son Miles) took a 14 and a half hour driving journey eastward to the Colony of Massachusetts. What an amazing time we had! I'm still pinching myself that we actually went---simply history heaven...so for today's post---this week's post---I am presenting the next part in my vacation series, which will end up with a total of six when all is said and done. In fact, it will be on September 6th when you can look for my Mayflower II visit blog post - the anniversary date of the ship leaving to cross the Atlantic Ocean. And it will be in November when I post my Plymouth adventures, including the Pilgrim Hall Museum, and the Plimoth Patuxet Village. In this way, I am sort of enjoying my vacation that much longer.
Please check out the link HERE to our Freedom Trail tour in Boston, and HERE for a sort of "part one" for today's post, when we took the Battle Road tour from Lexington to Concord.
So, now, let's check out this awesome Concord Museum~~~
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After spending a beautiful sunshine-filled day touring the historic Battle Road - that five mile trail connecting historic sites from Lexington to Concord denoting the beginning of the American Revolution (click HERE) - we learned that the perfect way to end our day was to visit the Concord Museum. I have read nothing but good things about this museum, so it was on a must see list of mine.
As one who presents as Paul Revere - and collects Paul Revere items - I had high hopes this museum would be a top-level visit for us.
We were not one bit disappointed.
So in we walked through the entry doors, feet throbbing due to touring the Battle Road and exploring the North Bridge Battlefield. I could not wait to roam about the museum and see all its colonial/Revolutionary War history holdings.
However, there was one thing in particular I simply couldn't wait to see---to me, the "holy grail" of the Revolutionary War...a simple lantern~~~or is it?
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| "Similar lanterns might normally have helped pedestrians navigate Boston’s dark streets, but this particular example entered the annals of history when it was used as a signal on the night of April 18, 1775."
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But there is more to this lantern story than many know:
Back during the Revolutionary War period, little or no significance was placed on the lanterns used to send the momentous signals, as is often the case. For the preservation of the sole-survivor of the original pair, as seen in the pictures here, we have three people to thank. First is Robert Newman, sexton of Christ Church (Old North Church), who was a friend of Paul Revere's and one of two people who climbed the 154 stairs that took the lanterns to the ladder to climb even higher into the interior of the steeple, the tallest marker in Boston at the time, to set the signal. Newman had the great sense to save at least one of the lanterns, and in doing so I believe he may have had a sense of history preservation about him. I have not found what happened to the second lantern, though I heard the other may be in a private collection.
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| This is thee lantern! Can you imagine some little kid in the past holding it up and asking, "Grandfather, why do you have old things?" My grandchildren have asked me that same question about the "old things" I have. |
Okay, then, the second person to thank is Captain Daniel Brown of Concord. He obtained the lantern from Newman in 1782, and it's believed he recognized its historical importance. It remained in Brown's family until 1853, when it passed into the possession of Cummings E. Davis. Davis was a collector of old items - the kind of things most others didn't want to keep, in this case mostly colonial artifacts with local histories. We owe the continued existance of these remarkable objects to the foresight of the families who kept and preserved them and, a century later, to Cummings Davis. At a time when few saw value in everyday objects from history, Davis recognized the profound significance they held.
This collecting hobby of his led to Davis, over time, acquiring what is now considered to be the first great collection of early American artifacts, including this Old North Church lantern from the descendants of Daniel Brown.
The Davis collection became so large and attracted so much attention and interest that he began to devote all of his time maintaining and exhibiting it. His relentless collecting and the establishment of "Mr. Davis' Museum," as it became known, had the foundation for what is now the Concord Museum's exceptional collection. In 1886, because of age, illness, and expense, Davis willingly gave up ownership of this amazing collection of Colonial America to the newly formed Concord Antiquarian Society, whose purpose was to preserve and exhibit the artifacts, which continues to this day as the Concord Museum.
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| And there I am standing alongside of this lantern of lanterns. With my cool Paul Revere shirt~~~!! I have wanted to see the Paul Revere lantern in person for decades. I still get chills~~~~~I was really there! |
Let's jump ahead 200 years, to the beginnings of America's Bicentennial celebrations - 1975. The Limited Edition Collector's Society, with the approval and blessings of the Concord Antiquarian Society, arranged for the meticulous production of a limited number of certified, authentic copies of the Paul Revere/Old North Church Lantern.
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Here is the original 1975 / 76 advertisement from the Saturday Evening post. It was also in Life, Time, and Newsweek. I wanted the lantern so bad!! Sadly, for this teenager (at the time), the price was way beyond my means. |
According to the Limited Edition Collector's Society, there are only two aspects of the lantern in which the reproductions are not absolutely faithful to the original:
First, these replications were not individually hand-made by a craftsman, for this would have raised the price significantly higher than what was charged in 1975.
Second, metals such as sterling silver and pewter were used in the 1970s instead of the impure sheet iron in which the originals were made. Again, this was due to cost as well as the fact that the old metals would rust over time, as has the original.
These Bicentennial lanterns were meant to be high-quality heirlooms...keepsakes.
And, after searching all over the internet for quite sometime, I was able to find one of these replicas that are now halfway to be considerd antiques themselves! (In the United States, an item is generally considered an antique if it is 100 years old or older. This is the most widely accepted definition among antique dealers and collectors).
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My replicated Old North Church Lantern from 1975 with a candle burning…
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And here is my replicated "Old North Church Lantern" made and sold by the Concord Antiquarian Society back in 1975 to commemorate America's bicentennial. The society has the one remaining of the two lanterns that shined on that fateful night back in 1775.
Back in late 2014 while combing the 'net, I would find the lanterns here and there, though not very often, and they would usually be priced way out of my reach. As cool as they were - and how badly I wanted one - I simply could not justify spending such a price.
So I kept searching...searching...searching...until I happened across one on Craig's List (I never go on Craig's List! Why did I go on it on this particular day? Maybe it was meant to be...)
I contacted the person selling it and he told me that he was now in his 80's and since his children were uninterested he thought he'd sell it off and make a little money.
The price was pretty darn cheap when compared to others I've seen, and I became excited. Maybe, finally, I might own one of these awesome replica lanterns I've wanted for all these years! The seller also mentioned that a couple clips that held the glass were broken off and two panes of glass were missing as well. Because of this he gave me a better deal.
I asked him why he was willing to part with the lantern after 40 years, and he wrote back with, "My last birthday brought me to 83 and the realization that it's time to find new homes for some of my life's impulsive acquisitions. My children's interests lie elsewhere, negating them as the willful beneficiaries."
Lucky for me, I suppose, but also kind of sad in a way. I certainly wish I had more of my own father's "impulsive acquisitions."
But, to me, it was their loss, and now it is my unbelievable gain, and for that I'm thankful. Very much so, for I remembered the advertisements and thinking back then how great it would be to have something like this.
And I often bring this replicated lantern with me when I speak as Paul Revere.
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| I did my own 250th memorial on the night of April 18, 2025: on the left is the Concord replication, while the lantern on the right is somewhat close. But in honor of what occured 250 years ago that night, at the same hour (10:00), I lit two lanterns in my son's upstairs bedroom window in commemoration. So...it is officially a part of the Bicentennial and the Sestercentennial! |
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| But this is the real deal---and my wife captured me "inside" the lantern! |
So, yes, it's true that my main reason to visit the Concord Museum was to see the original lantern that "shewn" in the Old North Church steeple on April 18, 1775.
Such a thrill for me!
Little did I know, however, how wonderful a museum this actually was!
I took plenty of pictures, most of which you are about to see. I did not put them in the order taken as we moved through the museum---there's a method to my madness - -
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| The Concord Minute Man of 1775. And what a history this miniature statue has to tell: |
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| This tells of the statue |
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| The Concord Minute Man of 1775. |
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| Information about the powder horm. |
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| There is a connection to this powder horn and the one the statue of the Minute Man has in the previous photo. |
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| Again, with such large print, you can read this for the information~ |
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| Original 18th century powder horns. |
This placard tells the next story:
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| Plow - ing through history~ |
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| Farmers constituted a very significant portion of the soldiers in the Patriot forces: |
Much material (guns and powder and the like) had been sent to Sudbury, Stow, and other places. What remained was hidden with high cunning. At the last minute, Colonel Barrett's sons plowed a field on his farm, planted weapons in the fresh furrows, and covered them over again. The British soldiers passed by without a second thought, little suspecting the crop that has been sown there. British Ensign De Berniere wrote in frustration, "We did not find so much as we expected." In fact, they found scarcely anything at all.
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| The plow and the shovel worked together to hide weapons |
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| Information about this shovel. Also, in a museum book I purchased, it stated this shovel is "pre-Revolutionary times from Middlesex County Agricultural Society." |
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| Information about the fowling piece |
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| The Fowling piece |
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| Such a great object to have - see the door below: |
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| This very door---though I wish I could catch a better picture minus the glare. |
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| This musket belonged to a British officer who was present at Lexington Common on the morning of April 19, 1775. Later that day, the officer abandoned his musket during the arduous march back to Boston. The musket was made in London between 1760 and 1770. |
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| See the following picture: |
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| Here is the actual dispatch case! |
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| This is the diagonal brace from the North Bridge. |
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| This just about explains it all. |
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| There are actually three original North Bridge braces in the museum, but I only saw this one. |
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| A diorama display of the Battle at the North Bridge. |
Remember the ladies.
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| This dress is from the 1770s. I snapped this picture for my female friends. |
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| Dress information written at the bottom of the stand. |
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| It was written that this dress had been passed down generation to generation. |
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| The one on the left is a linen and wool embroidered pocket from "18th century" The one in the center is simply called a pocket made of cotton and twill from "1725 to 1775" The one on the right is a stamped linen pocket from from "about 1770" |
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| Deeper information about the ladies pockets. |
These novel, refined, and desirable products are among those that Americans chose to renounce in boycotting British trade."
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| The following information about the items in the above photograph came directly from the placard at the Concord Museum~~~~~ Top Row: ~Plate-England-1750 to 1760 tin-glazed earthenware ~Plate-China-1725 to 1740 porcelain ~Tortoise-Shell Plate-Staffordshire, England-1760 to 1780 press-molded earthenware with sponge-glazed decoration Middle Row: ~Plate-London or Bristol, England-1750 to 1760 tin-glazed earthenware ~Tortoise-Shell Plate-Staffordshire, England-1760 to 1770 press-molded earthenware with sponge-glazed decoration ~Plate-China-1755 to 1770 Porcelain with overglaze enamel decoration ~Dish-Possibly Bristol, England circa 1750 tin-glazed earthenware with overglaze decoration in white Bottom Row: ~Wine or cordial glass England 1760 to 1770 brown lead glass with opaque enamel double spral stem and engraving ~Wine glass England 1760 to 1770 blown lead glass ~Melonware tea canister Staffordshire, England about 1765 press-moulded earthenware with green and orange glaze - tinned sheet iron ~Cauliflower coffee pot Staffordshire, England 1765 to 1775 press moulded earthenware with lead glaze ~Teapot Staffordshire, England-1760 to 1770 flazed earthenware with sprigged decoration and gilding ~Teapot Staffordshire, England-1760 to 1770 salt-glazed stoneware with overglaze enamel decoration ~Teapot Staffordshire, England-1760 to 1770 salt-glazed stoneware with overglaze enamel decoration |
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| The following information about the items in the above photograph came directly from the placard at the Concord Museum~~~~~ "These objects were made after the American Revolution in the shop of Paul Revere, but they were likely the work of the journeymen and apprentices who helped Revere produce over 5,000 objects. One of the most famous Sons of Liberty, Revere went on to become a prominent industrialist during the early Federal period, establishing a copper rolling mill and foundryin Canton and garnering significant contracts with the United States Navy." |
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| The following information about the items in the above photograph came directly from the placard at the Concord Museum~~~~~ Tea Kettle & Brazier - England 1840-1870 John Revere, grandson of Paul Revere, gave this gave this tea kettle to Cummings Davis on April 19, 1875 with the (according to the placard) doubtful information that it had been made by his grandfather, Paul Revere. |
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| The following information about the items in the above photograph came directly from the placard at the Concord Museum~~~~~ Pair of Fire Buckets Probably Boston about 1816 Leather, Paint Concord's industrial Mill Dam was spared the catastrophic fires that plagued many New England communities in the 19th century. These buckets belonged to Dire Society member Nathan Brooks. |
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| See the actual spoons below: |
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| Three wooden spoons used by soldiers st camp in Cambridge 1775. |
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| Chest of Drawers High Chest Chest on Chest Information for each are in the three placard photos below: |
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| On the left |
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| In the center |
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| On the right |
There was also some good information for the more novice of visitors to help them get more of a feel for the times:
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| I found this placard about Loyalists to be of great interest. |
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| Daily Life in the 1770s. |
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| From the left: looking glass (1700-1740), dressing box (1690 to 1710), carpet (1690 to 1700), small oval gateleg table (1715 to 1740), side chairs (1690 to 1725). |
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| On the table: Chafting dish (1680 to 1720), charger (1777 to 1783), spoon (1680 to 1720), and to the left of the table is a child's chair (early 18th century).
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| Broom (2021 reproduction), andirons (1700 to 1725), the great cane chair (1690 to 1700), couch (around 1680), and the joined cupboard (1670 to 1700). |
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| Here is a closer look at the looking glass, dressing box, carpet, small oval gateleg table, and a side chair. |
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"Key to the Period Room"
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| Sadly, there were no numbers to coincide with the items on the placard. |
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| Going by what I've seen at the historical colonial/early Federal homes that I've been in, whether Colonial Williamsburg or at Greenfield Village, I can say with complete confidence we are looking at a display of 18th century items. |
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| I've sort of done something similar in my own home HERE (though I have a bit of mid-to-late Victorian in my collection as well). |
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See the placard below here for information on this chair:
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| Paul Revere wasn't the only silversmith~ |
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| Top Row: strainer (1775 to 1795), porringer (1775 to 1795), Middle Row: flagon (1792), cann (1775 to 1795), creampot (1785 to 1795), pair of salts (1775 to 1795), footed cup (1792) Bottom row: teaspoons (1785 to 1795), tablespoon (about 1775), shoe buckles (1785 to 1795) |
Thomas Dugan (1747-1827) was born almost thirty years before the start of the American Revolution and was enslaved in Virginia. We do not know how he came to be free, but he arrived in Concord by about 1791 and lived as a free man for the rest of his life. While the beginning of his life is undocumented, by carefully studying his probate inventory, we can catch a glimpse into his life in Concord.
Dugan is referred to as a yeoman on the inventory of his estate; a yeoman is a property-owning farmer. The value of his property indicates that Dugan was a good farmer; he was a land owner—fewer than half of his Concord contemporaries, white or black, could say the same—and he died without any debts, rare at the time when surviving on credit was normal. Long after he died he was recalled as an expert grafter of apple trees, one who “did much to advance the farming interests in Concord; he was industrious and a peace maker.”From the Concord Museum website (HERE)
So the following information and photograph should give you a deeper understanding of the farming life of Thomas Dugan as he lived in Concord in the earlier part of the 1800s:
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| The early 19th century items here once belonging to Thomas Dugan are not really in any order, but I will try to give an idea of what it is and where in the photo it is located: fireplace shovel & tongs are leaning on the right, bottom center left we have andirons (also known as "dogs"), there is a wooden butter churn in the center, in front of the churn is a milk pan, drop-leaf table is center-right, the dung fork is near bottom right - the long-forked implement. Sadly, I have no dates/year for any of the items here. |
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| Our "snow shoes" today come in the form of boots! |
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| "Henry Thoreau bought these intricately woven snowshoes on a trip to Maine in 1853 for the relatively high price of $5, about five days’ work for a laborer. Thoreau may have hoped they would grant better access to Concord’s woods and fields in the winter but after only a few experiments set them aside." I'm glad there were many such items that were stored in garrets (attics), for now we have life as once lived. So what's in your garret? |
I'm not sure if either of the following two items belonged to any particular vignette inside the museum, but I liked them so I captured a photo of them.
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| I collect candle holders and candle wall sconces. I've not seen one like this so perhaps I will be on the look out for a replicated one. |
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| I just liked the look of this window, for it was reminiscent of what I saw at the Paul Revere House the day before. |
This was quite the museum - - in all honestly, I thought I'd see a few Revolutionary War things and that would be it. But, nope - - as you can see, it's much than that!
Our vacation to Massachusetts in May of 2025 was a trip of a lifetime. Even if we return one day, which we plan to (God willing), nothing will beat this first visit. We were wide-eyed, filled with wonder, as if we were kids awakening on Christmas morning.
Coming up in September of this year I will have another Massachusetts posting - then two more in November, all loaded with photos of our trip---one about our visit to the Mayflower II, the replication of the ship the pilgrims came over on back in 1620 (to be posted in September), the second one, posted in November, with our visit to the Pilgrim Hall Museum (so many awesome original Pilgrim artifacts), and the third one, also in November, will be on our visit to the outdoor open-air Plimoth Patauxet Village. All three will be published/posted in the leading up to and coinciding with Thanksgiving.
As for the Concord Museum featured in today's post: this was one terrific museum!
Until next time, see you in time.
If you enjoyed this Concord Museum visit, you might enjoy something that Henry Ford collected many decades ago, and now the more recent curators of The henry Ford Museum have on display---perhaps the finest collection of Colonial and early Federal history put together outside of the original 13 colonies (called "With Liberty and Justice For All"): click HERE
To read a posting I wrote called "April 18th & 19th, 1775 - The Battle of Lexington & Concord: As Seen Through the Eyes of Those Who Were There" ---- click HERE
Vacation
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