Old North
Bridge, Concord, Mass.The scenic and serene grounds at the Old North Bridge
contrast with its violent past where local Minutemen experienced its
first American Revolutionary War victory by forcing the British to
retreat back to Boston on April 19, 1775.
The Old North Bridge location, famous for the "shot heard around the
world," today seems more like a peaceful walker's oasis with the placid
Concord River, fields of flowers and big old trees along a quiet country path leading to "secret gardens" and the
stately visitor center known as the Buttrick Mansion (currently closed due to the pandemic).
Peaceful setting near the Old North Bridge.
Scenic spot near the Old North Bridge.
As part of the
U.S. National Park Service's Minute Man National Historical Park
network of historical attractions around Concord and Lexington, the Old
North Bridge makes for a special visit -- full of rural personality and
historical significance.
Distant view of the bridge.
We consider this location one of New England's
finest attractions, in part due to something that can't ever be written
into words. You just have to be there to catch the incredible feeling
of this famed area.
The quarter mile walk starts with a path leading to the reconstructed
Old North Bridge, which seems infinitely more stable and safe than its
rickety-old predecessor, "The Bridge." Before crossing the bridge, we
encourage you to note the grave of two British Soldiers who died during
the North Bridge fight, with a passage from James Russell Lowell's 1849
poem, Lines:
They came three thousand miles and died,
To keep the past upon its throne.
Unheard beyond the ocean tide,
Their English mother made her moan
Monument at The North Bridge.
The famous 1836 Monument, commemorating the Battle here in 1775,
majestically resides before the bridge. Crossing the bridge (affording
beautiful views of the Concord River) is Daniel Chester French's
Minuteman Statue that includes a stanza from Ralph Waldo Emerson's
legendary Concord Hymn:
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard 'round the world.
Minuteman Statue.
The neat gravel path --with some old, dignified beech trees along the
way -- leads to the Buttrick Estate "Secret Gardens." This intricately
laid our network of paved stones and steps offers beautifully terraced
gardens and more views of the Concord River, making it the perfect
retreat after a busy day. The irises,
peonies, columbine, rhododendron and many more plants highlight this special place.
Gardens overlooking the Concord River.
Vibrant plant life.
Flowers, Buttrick Mansion.
The Old Manse.
Family of Geese at the Concord River near the bridge.
Morning on a path leading to the bridge.The Old North Bridge is located on Monument St. in Concord
MA. Tel. (978) 369-6993. Log onto the Minuteman National Historical Park web site for
more information.
Another look at the Old North Bridge
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