We are proud to announce that the Buttrick Gardens hardscape preservation project received a Historic Preservation Award from the Concord Historical Commission. The award recognizes the careful preservation of the brick, bluestone, and cobblestone walkways in the historic gardens. The project was a collaboration between the Friends of Minute Man and Minute Man National Historical Park with generous funding from the Town of Concord Community Preservation Fund.
The extensive historic gardens date to 1911 and are located next to the North Bridge Visitor Center at Minute Man National Historical Park. Enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year, the gardens overlook the North Bridge – the site of one of the opening battles of the American Revolution on April 19, 1775. The garden hardscape preservation project was completed in the summer of 2021 and included resetting and leveling brick and bluestone walkways; adding a new, safer stairway and handrail to the sunken garden; and replacing missing cobblestones in the pathway leading to the Concord River.
Margie Brown, Minute Man’s Natural & Cultural Resource Manager, worked closely with Nobles Stone Masonry to ensure the preservation work reflected the original design of the gardens. The project was funded by a $100,000 grant to the Friends of Minute Man National Park from the Town of Concord Community Preservation Fund.
Image above: Newly restored brick pathway at the Buttrick Gardens; Kathleen D. Fahey, Executive Director of the Friends of Minute Man National Park, accepting the Concord Historical Commission Historic Preservation Award in spring 2023.
Written by Kathleen D. Fahey, Executive Director, Friends of Minute Man National Park.
Click here to learn more about the Buttrick Gardens, the preservation project, and donate today!