Lechmere Point

Lechmere Point holds enormous significance not only for Cambridge but also for The United States of America. The landing site of British troops on April 19, 1775 on their way to Lexington and Concord was at Lechmere Point. In essence, Lechmere Point represents one of the places where the American Revolution began.

On April 18, 1775 Patriots of Boston, including Paul Revere and Dr. Joseph Warren, noticed the movement of British troops and ships. The movement of ships and troops were part of the British plan to seize gunpowder and arrest Patriots Sam Adams and John Hancock. Upon seeing the movement of British troops and ships, Dr. Warren asked Paul Revere and William Dawes to warn the surrounding towns that the British were coming. William Dawes took The Great Bridge, the only bridge connecting Boston and Cambridge, to warn Cambridge and the surrounding towns.

Once Dawes was in Cambridge he warned the city that the British were coming and advised them to destroy the Great Bridge, the only bridge that connected Cambridge to Boston, in case the British decided to go that way. However, the British chose to cross the Charles by boat and by midnight had finally arrived in Cambridge at Lechmere Point. It took the troops almost two hours to cross the Charles River because of a shortage of boats. After two hours of crossing, the British troops made their way from Lechmere, through Cambridge to Lexington and Concord.

After the Battle of Lexington and Concord thousands of militiamen, from all over New England, marched to Cambridge to participate in the American Revolution and were forced to defend Cambridge at Lechmere Point several times.

According to General Health’s diary there were several engagements between the British and American troops at Lechmere Point. On November 9, 1775 British troops landed at Lechmere Point. Several hundred American troops marched to Lechmere Point to face the British. Upon seeing the eager American troops the British troops retreated to their boats. Heath’s diary states that three or four Americans were wounded and one killed as a result. 

Lechmere Point was also the site of another engagement between British and American troops between December 12-17, 1775. General Heath wrote that American troops were building a fortification near Lechmere Point and within a half-mile of British ships. By December 17th 300 American troops, under the command of General Putnam, had made it to the top of the hill. British ships began firing upon the American troops and one soldier was wounded. The following day the American troops were able to finish their work under heavy fire from the British ships offshore.  

General Health states that heavy cannons were mounted at Lechmere Point on February 25, 1776.  American troops began firing the cannons into Boston on March 2nd and continued until the 4th. Health wrote that “There was an almost incessant roar of cannon and mortars during the night on both sides."

 

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