The Belfry
About
The Belfry, also called the Old Belfry, is a historic bell tower on Belfry Hill in Lexington, closely tied to the opening of the American Revolution. The original was built in 1762, and its bell called townspeople to worship, warned of danger and tolled for deaths. Early on April 19, 1775, it rang to summon the local militia to the Common ahead of the arrival of British soldiers.
After a scout reported to Captain John Parker that the British were coming, the bell rang a second time, gathering the 77 Minutemen. The original structure had been moved to the Battle Green in 1768, and it was destroyed by a hurricane in 1909. The following year, the Lexington Historical Society built an exact reproduction on the original site on Belfry Hill, and that replica is the structure that stands there now.
What to Know
- The structure can be viewed year-round.
- The replica’s bell rings every Patriots’ Day morning.
- The original bell is housed at the Hancock-Clarke House.
- The site is part of Lexington’s cultural district.
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