Minute Man National Historical Park has a new exhibit on Parker's Revenge/NPS, P.Lupsiewicz

On April 19, 1775, despite heavy casualties just hours before, Lexington’s Captain John Parker made the courageous decision to rally his troops and pursue the British on their march back from Concord to Boston. More than 240 years later, after extensive archaeological research over the last three years, Minute Man National Historical Park has erected an exhibit celebrating the little known but noteworthy battle called “Parker’s Revenge.”

The exhibit, located in the Minute Man Visitor Center on Route 2A in Concord, Massachusetts, details the battle story, displays musket balls and other artifacts discovered, and has an interactive feature that enables park visitors to calibrate musket balls and determine their origin, as either British or Lexington militia.

“It is very gratifying to not only learn so much more about this battle, but also be able to retell its heroic story to current and future generations of park visitors. We are so thankful that the Friends of Minute Man National Park have been such great partners enabling the park to undertake this important project,” said BJ Dunn, Minute Man National Historical Park's superintendent.

“What we learned with the Parker’s Revenge project is that history is not static, we can use technology to reveal new discoveries,” said Leslie Obleschuk, the park's chief of interpretation and education, who oversaw the development and design of the exhibit.

An additional focus of the Parker’s Revenge project has been a rehabilitation of the actual battlefield. This effort has entailed debris removal, restoration of historic meadows and orchards, improvement of the sightlines between the British and Lexington militia positions, and development of an interpretive trail. Park visitors can now stand in the exact positions of both combatants and view an interpretive wayside that explains how the battle ensued. To access the British position, visitors walk over a short boardwalk that protects an active wetland.

“We are deeply indebted to the citizens of Lexington for their ongoing support for the Parker’s Revenge project,” said Bob Morris, president of the Friends of Minute Man National Park. “Most of the exhibit’s cost was funded by a grant from Lexington’s Community Preservation Act. In addition, the Lexington Community Endowment helped fund the boardwalk and the Lexington Minute Men have been an integral part of this initiative from the start.”
 
The Parker’s Revenge project is a collaborative venture between Minute Man National Historical Park, the Friends of Minute Man National Park, and the National Park Service Regional Archaeology Program.