Friends of Minute Man Raise $260,000 for Battlefield Preservation Project
The Friends of Minute Man and Minute Man National Historical Park are excited to announce the Elm Brook Hill Battlefield Preservation Project.
The Elm Brook Hill area of the park, previously referred to as the Bloody Angle battlefield, is located in the Town of Lincoln within the park boundaries. It was the site of heavy fighting between British soldiers and colonial militia on the afternoon of April 19, 1775, known as the Battle of Lexington and Concord – the first battle of the American Revolution. Roughly 30 British regulars were wounded or killed at the Elm Brook Hill battlefield on that day.
As we look ahead to the battle’s 250th anniversary in 2025, the site is undergoing a rigorous archeological investigation to tell the story of the men who fought and died that day. The preservation project will last several years, including archaeology, interpretation, exhibit development, and landscape rehabilitation.
Archaeologists from all over the country gathered this summer to perform metallic and aerial surveys at Elm Brook Hill. Excitement swept through the team as musket balls and other battle-related artifacts were located. Each item’s location is documented using GPS, carefully removed from the ground, and cataloged by the park curator. Every artifact helps tell the story of the battle and provides new information to the park and scholars.
Detailed analysis of the lead musket balls, geophysical surveys, and research will be performed in 2025. The archaeological investigation will culminate in an official National Park Service report guiding the project’s next phases. We look forward to sharing the findings as they become available and will keep you updated on the project.
The project is a collaboration between Minute Man National Historical Park, the Friends of Minute Man, the National Park Service Northeast Regional Archeology Office, American Veterans Archaeological Recovery, the Northeast Archeological Resources Program, the Northeast Museum Services Center, and Advanced Metal Detection for the Archaeologist.
The Friends of Minute Man National Park provided significant funding for the archeological investigation and raised over $260,000 for the project through generous donations from private individuals, the town of Lincoln Community Preservation Act Fund, Ogden Codman Trust, Americana Corner, National Trust Preservation Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, American Battlefield Trust, the Foundation for MetroWest, the Friends of Minute Man board members, and private individuals. Vendors included Marquis Tree, who removed vegetation from the site, and Aloft/Element Hotels, who housed the national team of archaeologists. Thank you to our partners, donors, and vendors for supporting this significant project.
To learn more about the history of Elm Brook Hill, please visit the park website.
Written by Kathleen Fahey, Executive Director, Friends of Minute Man National Park.
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Image above, inset: A musket ball from April 19, 1775 just after removal from the archaeological site. Image above: Archaeologists at Elm Brook Hill this summer with the tools of their trade: metal detectors and metal-detecting headphones, gloves, shovels, and flags to denote areas of interest or fragile natural resources not to be disturbed. Long pants in the August heat are important to protect against poison ivy exposure. Pictured from left to right are Joel Bohy, Advanced Metal Detecting for the Archaeologist (AMDA) Instructor and 18th-century arms and ballistics researcher, Mary Jane Balicki, Advanced Metal Detecting for the Archaeologist (AMDA) Instructor, and Lisabeth Palmer, volunteer.
Images below: left to right, clockwise: National Park Service (NPS) archaeologists Joel Dukes and Meg Watters with Kathleen Fahey, Director of the Friends of Minute Man, standing between them. American Veterans Archaeological Recovery (AVAR) participants found working on the project rewarding and healing. Battle-related artifacts are documented, numbered, and placed in archival bags. Douglas Scott, retired NPS archaeologist and AMDA Instructor. Joseph Balicki, AMDA Instructor, investigating a wooded area. The crew of NPS staff , AVAR staff and participants, and AMDA staff.
*The recent archaeological investigation of Elm Brook Hill was conducted by trained professionals using scientific techniques to preserve and document the findings within their archaeological context. Metal detecting, relic hunting, and other forms of looting are strictly prohibited on NPS land. The NPS reminds visitors that violating the Archaeological Resources Protection Act can result in felony charges, including up to five years in prison and fines of more than $100,000. To learn more about ARPA and the ethics of protecting resources in Minute Man National Historical Park, visit https://www.nps.gov/mima/don-t-touch-it-protecting-archaeological-resources-in-minute-man-nhp.htm