Built in 1747, Wright’s Tavern is nationally significant through its association with political and military events in 1774 and 1775, which illustrated a major change in the form of American opposition to colonial ties with England—from constitutional argument to organized and overt acts of rebellion. The first of these events was the meeting of representative assembly, Committees of the Provincial Congress, on the eve of American revolution. The second, armed resistance by colonial militia against British regulars, occurred when Wright’s Tavern was used as the headquarters of the Minute Men on the morning of April 19, 1775. Later that same day, it served as the headquarters of the British under Colonel Smith and Major Pitcairn.

Originally owned by Ephraim Jones, the tavern passed through multiple owners including Amos Wright, the landlord in 1775 for whom it is named. Its location, in the center of Concord, Massachusetts, between the meeting house and training ground, secured its importance as a center of political, social, and military history. At the time, the selectmen of the town received no salary. Instead, they met in the tavern and the town paid for their refreshments.

In the years following the Revolution, Wright’s Tavern served as a bakery, and was used by a liveryman, bookbinder, storekeeper, tinsmith, shoe dealer, and the maker of Potter’s hair balm. Though additions were made to the building, the architectural character of the original portion remained intact. In 1886, the tavern was purchased by two local citizens, Judge Hoar and Ruben Rice, and donated to the Society of the First Parish. They remain its owners today and continue to lease a portion of the space while exploring educational and interpretive elements for the building.

Wright’s Tavern became a National Historic Landmark in 1961.