BOXBOROUGH

by Walter W. Schaffer

At the time of the events leading up to April 19, 1775, the town of Boxborough did not exist. What is now Boxborough was then the outlying districts of Harvard, Stow and Littleton. Rules set down by the Massachusetts Bay Colony stated that each town must have a minister and a meeting house. Town and religion being inseparable, the meeting house was not only the place of worship but also the seat of town government.

The farmers of this area found it difficult to get to worship services (a requirement) and other meetings in anyone of the three towns, and formed a "Sartain Society" in 1774 “ in order to erect a meetinghouse for the publick worship of God.” In January, 1775, they chose a moderator, Henry Cooledge, and a Committee, Bennet Wood of Littleton and Joseph Stone of Stow, to purchase the old Harvard meeting house, which was rebuilt on top of the hill where Middle Road and Hill Road meet. Silas Wetherbee gave three acres of land for the 'meatting house lot."

After many petitions to the General Court, the Boxborough District was formally accepted on February 25, 1783, in a proclamation signed by John Hancock, Governor, and Samuel Adams, President of the Senate.

The people of Boxborough District were well aware of the events preceding the march of British troops to Lexington and Concord. Many of them had seen service in the French and Indian wars and joined companies for military drills in Harvard, Littleton and Stow. They paid their taxes to Mr. Henry Gardner of Stow, Treasurer of the Provincial Congress, and subscribed to the general belief of the colonists that they should fight for their freedom rather than suffer oppression.

On the morning of April 19, 1775, the Boxborough men met at their predesignated assembly point, the Boaz Brown house on Hill Road. There they had a drink of punch before joining their respective companies.