Planners Gearing Up For American Revolution Anniversary

It's been almost a quarter of a millennium since Massachusetts and a dozen other colonies formally declared their independence from the British Empire, and as the historical celebrations ramp up, planners are searching for answers about funding, transportation and public safety.

Lawmakers and former Gov. Charlie Baker created the 250th American Revolution Anniversary Commission in a fiscal year 2022 state budget rider, tasking it with crafting a "comprehensive plan for promoting and celebrating" the milestone.

Key dates are fast approaching. Next year will mark the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the April 19, 1775 skirmishes widely considered to be the first two major military engagements of the war. The quarter-millennium mark for the Declaration of Independence will follow a year later.  [And Franklin's history as a town began Mar 2, 1778, an event that will invite commemoration in March of 2028.]

The state's tourism office, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and other local groups are on their way to scheduling a series of events to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

State officials are establishing a new website, www.250.ma, to host information about the semiquincentennial. They plan to focus in the coming weeks and months on crafting a "field guide," building out campaigns and developing a marketing and communications strategy.

With those processes underway, members of the special commission tasked with preparing for the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution said Monday they want to address local concerns about keeping events safe and accessible, especially in communities like Concord and Lexington expected to see major demand.

Sen. Mike Barrett, who represents both towns, said local leaders expect to need "a significant amount of police overtime," especially amid public safety concerns "given the nature of the age in which we're all living."

He also called for work to plan transportation to and from historic sites, ideally via mass transit, "so that certain communities aren't inundated with individual cars."

"I know that's a lot to put on you all, and you've got all kinds of fish to fry and an entire commonwealth to think about, but we are hearing real anxiety about public safety and transportation management," Barrett, a Lexington Democrat, said at the commission's meeting Monday.

Kate Fox, the executive director of the Mass. Office of Travel and Tourism, responded that her team is working to address concerns Barrett relayed "as soon as we can."

Another senator, Ed Kennedy of Lowell, pushed Fox to move quickly on communicating to cities and towns about whether they will be able to tap into money appropriated for 250th anniversary events or if all funding will be spent by the state.

Fox said she is still working to get an answer, and that MOTT aims to launch a grant program "in the spring, which, it is spring, so soon" to steer money to communities and organizations for marketing and programming.

"I've got a lot of communities asking me about whether or not there's going to be money available, and I would think that Lexington and Concord in particular -- they're not in my district -- would be asking or interested in what money would be available to them, so the sooner we can get an answer to that, the better," Kennedy replied. "That's the same answer we got in December, actually, that we'd know by now, and that was supposed to be for a February meeting. It's April now."

Rep. Mindy Domb added that many communities are preparing for Town Meetings, when local voters will make key financial decisions for the year ahead.

"The towns are really debating what do they need to go forward with and what can they wait [for]," Domb, an Amherst Democrat, said.

In Lexington, the town's own Semiquincentennial Commission plans to launch its celebrations next week. Representatives from France and the United Kingdom will join Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll to unveil a giant calendar counting down the 365 remaining days until the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington, which predated the fighting in Concord by a few hours.

After that, reenactors and historians plan to deliver "presentations on varieties of British tea, the long-time affinity for tea and its connection to the American Revolution," according to an advisory.

Concord plans its own "Patriots of Color Walking Tour" on April 19.

Jonathan Lane, coordinator of the Revolution 250 nonprofit, said the events planned next week are "just the windup for next year, of course, Patriots Day 2025."

Talks are underway about commemorating other historical battles in the war, Lane said, including the May 27, 1775 Battle of Chelsea Creek and the June 17, 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill.