UNCOVER THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WITH THE NAHS

Mar 18

North Andover, Mass., March 18, 2025 – Did you know that North Andover, then part of Andover, was home to many heroes of the American Revolution? In 1775 they met and marched to Concord and Lexington from the old meeting house at North Parish after having trained for the previous few years at the mustering field at Kittredge Farm. These brave souls went on to fight in the Battle of Bunker Hill and beyond. Come discover the amazing stories brought to life at the North Andover Historical Society (NAHS) through REV250, a series of programs and exhibits dedicated to the American Revolution. Located at 800 Massachusetts Avenue, NAHS has an educational celebration packed with inspiring speakers, a captivating exhibit, and exciting activities to honor our town and its heroes.

The exhibit, Aspirations of Ordinary People, opens April 14 and is open every week, Tuesday through Saturday, 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. Programs will take place in the Worden Theater. Registration is required for the programs and can be found on our website: www.NorthAndoverHistoricalSociety.org. Speaker presentations are free for all NAHS members; guests are $10.

The Rise of the Merrimack Valley Minutemen
Tuesday, April 1
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m.

Alexander Cain, a well-respected and highly sought-after speaker on the military and social influences of 1775 Massachusetts, will speak of the response of the Merrimack Valley in 1774, as they prepared for conflict with England. Years prior, the Merrimack Valley shifted into a wartime stance, forming minute companies, stockpiling weapons, ammunition, and supplies, and setting up a defense network ready to mobilize if British forces advanced from Boston. He will explore the Merrimack Valley's reaction, focusing on Andover, to the British threat and will delve into the formation of the Massachusetts militia and the minute-man system just before the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Revolutionary War Graves in the First and Second Burial Grounds
Tuesday, April 8
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m.

Many of North Andover’s Revolutionary War heroes rest in the town’s First and Second Burial Grounds. Join us as David Blauvelt, NAHS Coordinator of Education, explores their stories — who they were, their battle experience, and what inspired them to take up arms for freedom.

Reconstructing the Voice of James Stevens: A North Andover Revolutionary
Tuesday, April 15
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m.

NAHS is honored to possess the handwritten diary of James Stevens. This treasure chronicles his time fighting for our country’s independence from the day he took up arms until the end of the war. Linguist and NAHS facilities manager, Antoine Trombino-Ponte, has poured over this diary and reconstructed the 1775 voice of James Stevens. His recordings will be available for all to hear in the Rev250 exhibit at the Stevens Center. Join us as he explains his process for reconstruction the voice.

The Osgoods - 250 Years Ago They Started a Revolution
Friday, April 18
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m.

Based on shared research about their families, cousins Rich Pitra and Kathleen Osgood will bring their research to North Andover on the eve of the 250th anniversary of our town’s involvement in the early days of the American Revolution. From the “shot heard round the world” on April 19, 1775 to September 3, 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the Osgoods fought in the revolution. Now, 250 years later, Katie and Rich will highlight the family who fought in the opening battles for American Independence, including the Fryes and Osgoods from Andover, the Osgoods and Prescotts from Lancaster, and the Hales from Hollis, New Hampshire. The presentation will follow their routes to Lexington and Concord, and on to the Siege of Boston and the Battle of Bunker Hill.

REV250 Bus Tour of the Andovers
Saturday, April 19
11:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.

The North Andover Historical Society (NAHS) and the Andover Center for History and Culture (ACHC) have come together to bring history to life with an exciting dual-town bus ride celebrating the American Revolution. Along the route, historians will share captivating, local stories of the American Revolution while guests view the historical sites from the comfort of a bus. Tours will begin and end at NAHS, located at 800 Massachusetts Avenue in North Andover. Tickets are $50 per person and must be purchased in advance.

In addition to these events, the Friends of the 1836 Meeting House will be conducting steeple tours and viewings of the Paul Revere Bell on the half hour from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on April 19. Restrictions apply, the tour is not for young children and requires walking up ladders. A video tour will be available for people who cannot climb the ladders.

Other exciting events and exhibits celebrating the American Revolution are planned. Visit the website to learn more: www.NorthAndoverhistoricalSociety.org.

About the North Andover Historical Society

Founded in 1913, the North Andover Historical Society is a 501(c)3 charitable non-profit organization. It has long held the Johnson Cottage as its historic base, fanning out across town with historic sites under its wing including the Parson Barnard House and Barn, the 1825 Hay Scales Exchange, the 1829 Brick Store, and the 1833 Hay Scales Building. Within the past two years, the renovated Stevens Center museum on the North Andover Common, has become the new hub of NAHS, housing: archives and collectables, rotating historic exhibits on the museum floor, a theater with seating for up to 70 people in what were once Omni Theater seats, a permanent display of green tech explaining the Net-Zero building, Diane’s Café, and meeting and social rooms (many of these spaces are available for rent). For more information, please visit www.NorthAndoverhistoricalSociety.org.