250th Anniversary of the American Revolution
UNCOVER THE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION WITH THE NAHS
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. | PRESS RELEASE
Funded, in part, by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism and the North of Boston CVB, and Essex National Heritage.
Show your North Andover pride
with a Revolutionary Yard Sign!
The North Andover Historical Society had these beautiful yard signs, designed by NAHS volunteer Tyler Mortenson and produced by Dawn’s Sign Tech, available for purchase as a mini fundraiser to support our programming, exhibit and other initiatives connected to the 250th Anniversary of the Revolution.
There are three signs available for purchase, two celebrating our town’s involvement in the Lexington Alarm of April 19th, 1775, (including a sign for historic houses that were standing in 1775) and a red, white and blue sign celebrating North Andover and the 250th anniversary of the Revolution. Purchase a sign and show your pride for this special celebration of our local heroes for their actions in 1776 and 1776!
The signs are available for purchase at the 1646 bookstore at the Stevens Center on the common, or right here on our website in our virtual bookstore. Each sign costs $30 plus tax.
THE ASPIRATIONS OF ORDINARY PEOPLE EXHIBIT
The Andover revolutionaries understood that creating a truly free society would take many generations. Their records and artifacts, preserved at the North Andover Historical Society, are here to remind us that history matters. They depict stories of battles won, hardships endured, hometown and battleground heroes, and the start of a long fight for liberty, equality and justice. Their ideals and aspirations are the standards by which we measure our progress today.
The exhibit, Aspirations of Ordinary People, opens April 14 and is open every week, Tuesday through Saturday, 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.
(Left) NAHS archivist and curator, Robin Siegel, and her intern, Lily, put the final touches on the exhibit, The Aspirations of Ordinary People, a part of the REV250 exhibit.
(Center) A banner used in the 100th celebration of the American Revolution in North Andover.
(Right) This REV250 exhibit displays an arithmetic book from an old school in Andover, educating students on converting English currency to colonial currency. This is a display of a conscious attempt to break from British currency.
They Knew their Place in Time
These are stories of the American Revolution,
from a local perspective.
April 15, 2025 – December 31, 2026
American Revolution Speaker Program
April 1: Local Historian Alex Cain
The Rise of the Merrimack Valley Minute Men
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.
April 8: David Blauvelt (NAHS)
Revolutionary war graves in the First and Second Burial Grounds
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.
April 15: Antoine Trombino-Ponte (NAHS)
Reconstructing the Voice of James Stevens: A North Andover Revolutionary
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.
April 18: Katie Osgood
The Osgoods: 250 Years Ago They Started a Revolution
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.
April 22: Jonathan Lane
Vox Populi - Towns of Massachusetts and the American Revolution
In the two and a half centuries since American Independence was declared and secured, little attention has been spent looking into the roles of communities other than those who participated in significant events or were centers of population. Boston, Lexington, Concord, & Bunker Hill play an outsized role in the public memory of the American Revolution. In this talk we will examine the hearts and minds of the people and communities across Massachusetts to understand why they would risk their lives, liberties and fortunes for a new nation.
April 29: Scott Dianis | TICKETS
Old Andover’s History and the American Revolution
Scott W. Dianis is a longtime resident of Andover with a keen interest in local history, particularly in the stories that help explain the town’s early development and evolution. He recently published an updated edition of Sarah Bailey’s “Historical Sketches of Andover”, detailing the town’s history from founding to the early 19th century.
Programs will take place in the Worden Theater 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m.
Registration is required for the programs. Speaker presentations are free for all NAHS members; guests are $10.
PRESS RELEASE
