The Captain John Heald House on West Street in Carlisle tells a subtle but poignant story about the changing of colonial sentiment toward the British government.

This 1771 tavern, once known as the “Red Lion,” greeted travelers with a sign featuring a lion wearing a crown as a nod to the Heald family’s British allegiances. But as relations between the colonies and the British government soured, many of the Heald men joined the Patriot cause. Homeowner John Heald was a captain in the Concord militia while his father served as a lieutenant in Acton.

At some point either before or during the American Revolution, the Red Lion was painted over and replaced with an image of a green elm tree. The tavern was henceforth known as the Heald Tavern and remained in the family until 1929. Today it is a very well preserved private residence.

Image courtesy of MACRIS