Reuben Brown House

The Reuben Brown House is a colonial style house located in Concord, Massachusetts and was built in 1725 with parts of the house dating back to 1667.Rueben Brown built the House in 1725 and included a harness shop, for Brown was a saddler for the town. Rueben Brown an original patriot, equipped the Continental soldiers who fought in the battles of Concord in 1775. Brown was a captain of the Minutemen forces and because of his sympathies was on the British blacklist as one suspect of concealing munitions. On the morning of April 19, 1775, the town was awoken by the town bell and a discharged gun to warn the townspeople the British were coming. Captain Brown, under the order of Major John Buttrick, galloped down Lexington road to report the news of the massacre in Lexington and the approach of the enemy. Captain Brown reported back to Major Buttrick as the Concord Minutemen prepared to face the British regulars. As the Redcoats marched into Concord they targeted Reuben Brown’s house first by looting his liveries and setting the barn on fire to prevent the minutemen from saddling up and retaliating. The fire was quickly extinguished and the barn and main house only suffered minor damage.

Their is speculation that the first American flag was displayed during the Concord fight was erected in Brown’s backyard. Also behind the house lies the historic ridge and stonewall used by the minutemen as they routed the British soldiers back to Boston.

After the war and into the 19th century the house still contained a saddle shop while the remainder of the house was rented to various families as living quarters.

The Reuben Brown House has accommodated many famous concordians such as Ralph Waldo Emerson who was a good friend of Reuben Brown. Emerson’s growing popularity during the early to mid 19th century lead to mobs of people flocking his house on a daily basis. Emerson became so frustrated and distracted by his fans he rented the library of Reuben Brown’s house were he worked for a span of ten years.

Henry David Thoreau writes in one of his journals about a giant yard sale at the Reuben Brown House held by Reuben’s son in the 1850s. Abolitionist John Brown once stayed as a guest in the house and supposedly the Alcott family did as well.

In 1886 Mr. Cummings E. Davis moved into the house with his unique collection of antiques and would exhibit his collection of local American furniture and other items for a price. During Mr. Cummings feeble years The Concord Antiquarian Society safeguarded his items and became possessor of the house. The Antiquarian Society utilized the house to display their collection of artifacts from American Revolution until 1930 when the Antiquarian Society moved their collection to the present Concord Museum in fear the Reuben Brown House might burn down and destroy there priceless artifacts.

Presumably the League of Women Voters had one of their first meetings in the house in the early 20th century.

In the 1930s and 1940s the house was opened to the public as a tavern under the name "The Old Mill Dam" The restaurant was open everyday of the year from noon till eight in the evening serving luncheon, tea, and dinner. Dinners were cooked over the historic brick oven for parties and holidays. The tavern was set to be in the revolution day and age.

E.B. White mentions the house in his 1939 essay collection titled "One Man’s Meat."

The house has been used as a private single family home since the 1950s and 1960s.

See also

*The Wayside
*Orchard House
*The Old Manse
*Wright's Tavern
*Ralph Waldo Emerson House

References

*Frederick R. Child Jr. "The Old Mill Dam, Concord Massachusetts" Brochure ca 1930
*Alice Giordano (2001)."Where the British Invaded", Boston Globe.