In my previous blog, I wrote about the surprising things you can learn when doing on-site research, and I considered making a list at the end of places I think are well-worth a visit, but then I realized I had more to say (surprise, surprise) than would fit in a simple list. So, in this blog, I am going to give you my top recommendations for American Revolution related sites to visit. Obviously, if I haven’t been there, I can’t recommend them—sorry, Valley Forge—but hopefully I can update this list in the future.
I am going to steer clear of some of the obvious ones—Colonial Williamsburg (love!), Mount Vernon (great!), Monticello (you should go!)—and I will not repeat places I talked about in my 250th of Lexington and Concord blogs (but you should certainly go to those places!!). Instead, I will focus on places you might not think to add to your itinerary if you are planning a vacation to one of these areas. We’ll work our way down the east coast.
Portland, ME
My guess is Portland, Maine doesn’t top your list of American Revolution sites to visit, but it does have strong ties to the Revolution and is a great city. In October 1775, Portland (then called Falmouth) was burned by the British Navy, and one of her sons, Edward Preble, would later become commander of the USS Constitution.
As I mentioned in my previous blog, Eastern Cemetery is in Portland, and is well worth a visit. The group Spirits Alive preserves the burial ground and runs tours. Through their tour, you not only learn about the burial ground but the history of Portland. Another great Revolutionary-related site is the Tate House, which is a little bit out of town but can easily be reached by public transportation. George Tate was a masting agent for the crown, which meant part of his job was finding trees that could be turned into ships’ masts for the Royal Navy. They offer a great tour, too. My final recommendation in Portland is the Wadsworth Longfellow house. This was the home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s grandfather, Peleg, who served in the American Revolution and Longfellow’s uncle—for whom he is named—died during the first Barbary War. This house is right next door to the historical society, which is excellent if you are researching.
There are a ton of other things to do in Portland, and I would recommend looking into a ghost tour (I always check out available ghost tours).
Marblehead, MA
If you are traveling to the Boston area, go a little further north and spend a day in Marblehead. When researching a completely different project, I spent several days in Marblehead and absolutely loved it. Their historical society is great (and very helpful if you are researching), and they run the Jeremiah Lee House. Lee was an active participant in the lead-up to the Revolution, but died suddenly just as the war was starting.
Just walking through the streets of Marblehead you get a sense of the history because many of the houses bear plaques detailing who built and/or lived in the house during Colonial and Revolutionary times. Marblehead is also the home of the original “Spirit of ‘76” painting, and “fights” with nearby Beverely over which of the two cities is the birthplace of the American Navy (going back to a fleet General Washington commanded during the Siege of Boston). There is Fort Sewall, with great views of the harbor, Old Burial Hill Cemetery, and it is the home of Glover’s Marblehead Regiment (14th Continental). I really can’t say enough good things about Marblehead, and if you can go during the third weekend of July when the regiment has its annual weekend encampment, even better!
Boston, MA
I know I said I was going to leave the obvious places out of this list, but I think there are a couple places in Boston that it would be easy to overlook. Old North church is not easily overlooked, but I want to include it because you may not know that you can do a bell chamber tour and a crypt tour! Right next to Old North is The Printing Office of Edes and Gill and Captain Jackson’s Historic Chocolate shop. I don’t need to explain why you should stop for chocolate—which does demonstrations about how colonial Boston used and consumed chocolate—and the printshop does great demonstrations and explanations of the printing process and its importance in Revolutionary Boston.
While in Boston, don’t miss the Granary Burial Gound and Copp’s Hill Burial Ground. I also recommend looking into a ghost tour (of course).
Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters – Cambridge MA
Another place to make sure you stop in the Boston area is the Longfellow House which served as General Washington’s headquarters from July 1775-March 1776. This site is run by the National Parks Service (huzzah for National Parks!!), and they offer a great tour of the house which covers the pre-Revolutionary period, Washington’s occupation, and when poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow owned and lived in the house. They also do a great walking tour down “Tory Row” to the center of historic Cambridge.
Adams National Historic Park, Quincy, MA
My last Boston-adjacent recommendation is the Adams National Historic Park, another site—really set of sites—run by the National Park Service (Huzzah!!). This site includes two houses—John Adams and John Quincy Adams birthplace and the house at Peace fields. You can also take a tour at United First Parish Church where John and Abigail Adams and John Quincy and Lousia Catherine Adams are buried. The tours are great—I learned so much about the Adams’ and their legacy. Start at the Visitor’s Center and join one of the very knowledgeable guides!
Fort Ticonderoga, Ticonderoga, NY; Crown Point, NY, and Mount Independence, VT
As you might have picked up from previous blogs, Fort Ticonderoga is one of my favorite historic sites to visit. They do excellent programing and have a huge focus on education—not to mention the beautiful scenery and opportunities for outdoor recreation. The fort is rebuilt as it was left to fall into ruin after the Revolutionary era—but don’t let the dissuade you from visiting. Their historical interpreters are excellent, they do a boat cruise, daily talk at Mount Defiance, daily weapons demonstrations, evening programing, . . .
Just across the lake from Fort Ti in Vermont is Mount Independence, which during the summer of 1776 became part of the Fort Ticonderoga complex as the Continental Army and militias based on Lake Champlain expanded their defenses. Although virtually nothing of the original structures remain, they have a great visitor’s center and various trails through the site where you can reimagine how it might have been—and have great views of Fort Ti and Lake Champlain.
Back on the New York side and about ten miles north of Fort Ti is Crown Point—which is both a town and the name associated with Fort Amherst (British) and Fort Saint-Frederic (French). Although both of these forts are in ruins, it is a great site to walk around and they have a nice little visitor’s center. From Crown Point you can walk (or drive) across the lake to Vermont and Chimney Point. During the retreat from Canada, this area was used to “house” the numerous ill soldiers.
There are numerous opportunities for hiking, boating, fishing, and exploring the towns and cities along the lake. If you are looking for live theater in the area, check out the Depot Theatre in Westport. I have been told the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is excellent—although I haven’t made it there yet, it is on the list for my next visit!
Saratoga Battlefield, Saratoga, NY
Perhaps this is a major stop for people, but I wanted to include it for anyone visiting the Albany, NY area. There are numerous forts along both the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers that would be worth a visit as well (including Fort Stanwix in Rome, NY), but since Saratoga is the battlefield on which the fate of the Revolution turned, I had to include it. In my last blog, I talked about getting a sense of place, of the terrain, and that was a definite benefit of visiting Saratoga for me.
Philadelphia, PA
I know, another obvious city, but an easy to miss place in Philadelphia is the Franklin Court Printing Office. They do printing demonstrations and talk about how printing played a role in Revolution.
Yorktown (and Jamestown), VA
If you are looking to visit another important battlefield, Yorktown is a must. It is a large battlefield, so be prepared for that, and they have a great Visitor’s Center.
Although it is not American Revolution, Jamestown is close by (you can do the Historic Triangle ticket which gives you admission to Yorktown, Jamestown, and Colonial Williamsburg for 7 days). I want to include the Jamestown site because of its hands-on opportunities. It was here that I signed on to the Continental Army and was able to shoot a musket. They also have replicas of the ships that would have carried the English settlers, a replica Powhatan village, and an active archeological site.