Hancock-Clarke House
 Hancock-Clarke House 36 Hancock St. Open weekends April - Memorial Day and daily Memorial Day - October; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m |
Open weekends April - Memorial Day. Daily Memorial Day - October
10am-4pm Guided tours hourly
The Hancock-Clarke House, built in 1737, is 1/4 mile from Buckman Tavern, on Hancock Street. On the evening of April 18, 1775, John Hancock and Samuel Adams, prominent leaders in the colonial cause, were guests of the Reverend Jonas Clarke in the parsonage. Fearing that they might be captured by the British, Dr Joseph Warren of Boston sent William Dawes and Paul Revere to Lexington with news of the advancing British troops. Arriving separately, they stopped to warn Hancock and Adams, then set off for Concord. Today Dawes is all but forgotten, but Paul Revere’s midnight ride has been immortalized by Longfellow.
The Hancock-Clarke House was the home of the Reverend John Hancock and the Reverend Jonas Clarke - two ministers who served the spiritual and secular needs of Lexington for 105 years. The Reverend Hancock’s grandson John, a frequent visitor to this house, was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence and the first Governor of Massachusetts. Succeeding Hancock as minister in 1752, the Reverend Jonas Clarke, who reared twelve children in this parsonage, was an eloquent supporter of the colonial cause. The Reverend Clarke’s fervent sermons were a source of inspiration to the citizens of Lexington during the crisis with Britain.
More Information
10am-4pm Guided tours hourly
The Hancock-Clarke House, built in 1737, is 1/4 mile from Buckman Tavern, on Hancock Street. On the evening of April 18, 1775, John Hancock and Samuel Adams, prominent leaders in the colonial cause, were guests of the Reverend Jonas Clarke in the parsonage. Fearing that they might be captured by the British, Dr Joseph Warren of Boston sent William Dawes and Paul Revere to Lexington with news of the advancing British troops. Arriving separately, they stopped to warn Hancock and Adams, then set off for Concord. Today Dawes is all but forgotten, but Paul Revere’s midnight ride has been immortalized by Longfellow.
The Hancock-Clarke House was the home of the Reverend John Hancock and the Reverend Jonas Clarke - two ministers who served the spiritual and secular needs of Lexington for 105 years. The Reverend Hancock’s grandson John, a frequent visitor to this house, was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence and the first Governor of Massachusetts. Succeeding Hancock as minister in 1752, the Reverend Jonas Clarke, who reared twelve children in this parsonage, was an eloquent supporter of the colonial cause. The Reverend Clarke’s fervent sermons were a source of inspiration to the citizens of Lexington during the crisis with Britain.
More Information
- Wikipedia: Hancock-Clarke House
- National Park Service: Hancock-Clarke House
- Hancock-Clarke House Restoration
- Aerial Photo of Hancock-Clarke House
