Destination List > Old North Bridge

Old North Bridge

Kid Rating:

The history...

Old North Bridge is located in Concord, Massachusetts. This bridge served an important role at the Battle of Concord, which was the first battle of the American Revolutionary War. Although the original bridge is gone, a wooden replica was constructed to replace it in 2005. The bridge and a nearby park make up what is called Minute Man National Historical Park, which is a popular place for tourists to go and visit while they are in Boston.

The first day of the American Revolutionary War was on April 19th of 1775. Starting with the Battle of Lexington and leading into the Battle of Concord, the Old North Bridge was where "the shot heard 'round the world" happened, when American soldiers fired against British soldiers in hopes they would retreat, which they did. The British soldiers and American soldiers proceeded to face each other down across the North Bridge. This action was seen as the first steps towards Independence during war time.

The original bridge was taken down in 1973 by the town of Concord because it was no longer usable. A bridge was constructed a few hundred yards away and was dismantled and rebuilt several times over, until 2005 when a replica of the original Old North Bridge was built in its original location. In 1911, a grandson of Major John Buttrick, who led the colonial forces to Old North Bridge during the Revolutionary War, built a mansion overlooking the site of the bridge. Today, that mansion is owned by the National Park Service and features beautiful gardens.