The paternal relationship between George Washington and Alexander Hamilton captivated the nation in the musical Hamilton, but the true story of the tumultuous duo goes much further. Washington and Hamilton: The Alliance that Forged America by Stephen K. Knott and Tony Williams shows two opposing forces, one stoic, the other ambitious, represented the complexities of […]
Before Lexington was Lexington, Indigenous communities have lived in this area for thousands of years. Today, we celebrate them with a free open house at the Lexington Depot to learn more about Native American culture. 9:00 - 10:00 AM, join science educator Fran Ludwig for a guided walk of the Lexington Paint Mine, a nature […]
Stereotypes about the British military during the American Revolution are countless, and often contradictory. Did England possess the most professional fighting force in the world, or did they bumble through New England, clinging tightly to outdated tactics while shrewd farmers rewrote the rules around them? Historian Andrew O’Shaughnessy untangles this web by following several prominent […]
Drop in to meet Historical Society guide and musician Darlene Wigton as she demonstrates 18th century guitar music. You can even learn a song and join in! Included with museum admission.
Visit over three centuries of Lexington's past on a walking tour of the historic Old Burying Ground. Beautiful gravestone artwork - from skulls and crossbones to willow trees and urns - reveal how our ancestors grappled with the concept of death. Discover how mortuary art has changed over time, and meet some of Lexington's most […]
Local artist Kit Collins has been hard at work all summer beautifying the columns behind the Depot into a colorful mural of Lexington’s history past and present. Join LHM and the town for a ribbon cutting and special discussion with the artist to discover the stories represented in the art! Free!
Best known for his iconic painting Washington Crossing the Delaware, German-American artist Emanuel Leutze also painted other scenes of the American Revolution. One of these, The News of Lexington (1852), portrays local townsfolk receiving word of the battle that launched the Revolution. Recently conserved with support from the Wyeth Foundation of American Art, the painting […]
When most people—especially in Lexington—hear the name Henry Wadsworth Longfellow today, they probably think of his 1860 poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride.” But what about the man behind the famous verses? In his personal life, Longfellow was surrounded by people we would today consider members of the LGBTQ+ community, including friends, siblings, children, and grandchildren. For […]
One of the most iconic duos in Revolutionary history, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson famously worked together through the Continental Congress before feuding for decades. Later, they miraculously rekindled a fierce friendship before dying on the same day, 50 years to the day of the Declaration of Independence’s signing. Their relationship allows us a unique […]
How does it happen that Americans are still staging rituals of adulation for Lafayette, cheering him on Broadway, 190 years after his death? It's entirely fitting, as it turns out, because if anyone is suitable for immortality, it's the Marquis. Come explore why the man may well have been even greater than his myth, with […]
In 2020, 16.82% of Lexington's population was Chinese, which is proportionally the second-highest Chinese population of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. Yet just 40 years ago, Lexington had only 392 Chinese residents - and in 1890, two. This presentation, featuring research by Lexington High School student Sophia Zhang and live Q&A with local […]
This dramatic presentation, created by Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area, aims to find out how our local towns read and reacted to the Declaration of Independence. Across the colonies, and particularly in Massachusetts, towns debated what freedom meant to them, and grappled with the grievances aired in the official Declaration. What did the words in […]
