Mission Statement
The mission of The Friends of Minute Man National Park is to preserve the birthplace of the American Revolution and inspire visitors to learn the causes, events and continuing impact of the Revolutionary War and its principles of Liberty and Democracy.

Goals

• Preservation, Restoration and Rehabilitation:
  To preserve, restore and rehabilitate the cultural landscapes and historical structures in order to evoke the conditions that existed in 1775, so that visitors may better understand the experience of all the participants in the opening of the War of the American Revolution.
• Access
  To provide safe and convenient access to and within the Park to improve visitor understanding and broaden their experience and work with surrounding towns.
• Education
  To expand awareness and understanding of the origins of the American Revolution and the continuing literary, political and social revolutions which it inspired.
• Visitor Experience
  To build and maintain state-of-the-art Visitor Centers and other facilities to provide for the orientation, comfort, education and interpretation for visitors and others interested in the Revolution.
• Support
  Advocate and support the Park and its mission with local, state and national organizations and to provide financial, volunteer and political advocacy on behalf of the Park and its work.

Recent Projects: Meriam House

The broader historical significance of the Meriam House, located at the corner of Old Bedford Road and Lexington Road in Concord, stems from the events of April 1775. Paul Revere’s alarm had gathered Minute Men from surrounding communities in ever-greater numbers. The British expedition, which earlier far outnumbered resisting settlers in Lexington, was now itself outnumbered as it began its retreat from Concord back to Boston.

At Meriam’s Corner, where the house was already 70 years old in 1775, the sporadic fire grew intense, and continued as the British marched east along the Battle Road. The Park purchased the Corner and other places that figured in those pivotal events to preserve them for all Americans. Today, Meriam’s Corner marks the western end of the recreated Battle Road Trail.

Working with primary support from Meriam family descendents, the Friends have been supporting both exterior and interior rehabilitation of the Meriam House. During the past 2009-2010 winter season, these efforts will continued as period appropriate window treatment were custom-sewn for the house. In addition, downstairs floors were cleaned and the stairs refinished to preserve and protect their historic character for generations to come. Follow our blog for additional updates on the Meriam House project.

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