East Cambridge’s role in the Revolutionary War is largely unknown. Long overshadowed by other parts of the city, most notably Cambridge Common, where Gen. George Washington took command of the Continental Army, East Cambridge played a critical role in the Revolutionary story, from the construction of Fort Putnam and other earthworks to the landing of British troops at Lechmere Point to begin their westward march to the battle of Lexington and Concord.
In the 19th century, Cambridge resident Henry Wadsworth Longfellow made famous the words “One if by land and two if by sea” to describe the placing of lanterns by the patriots in the bell tower of Boston’s Old North Church to signal how the British would advance to Concord. We know two lanterns were placed in the church’s belfry, but what is not as well known is that the “sea” part of this historical event occurred in East Cambridge.
In 1775, when the Charles River covered a larger area of East Cambridge, British officers chose to sail from Boston to East Cambridge because it was the shortest and least conspicuous route to their destination. They marched from Boston Common, sailed from near Arlington Street and landed at Lechmere’s Point, named for the Tory Cambridge property owner Richard Lechmere.
Lt. John Barker wrote in his diary that few soldiers knew the reason for the expedition when they landed in a Cambridge marsh: “After getting over the marsh where we were wet up to the knees, we were halted in a dirty road and stood there till two o’clock in the morning waiting for provisions to be brought from the boats.” Lechmere Point’s location made it the best choice for the British soldiers to land, but its marshy landscape made for a difficult slog on their way westward.
With residents looking on, the soldiers marched from sparsely settled East Cambridge to the present Gore Street, Somerville Avenue, Elm Street, Beech Street and Massachusetts Avenue in North Cambridge and finally on to Lexington, where they encountered armed militia that included men from Cambridge. East Cambridge widow Elizabeth Rand saw the soldiers near her house and told her neighbor, Samuel Tufts, who then mounted his horse to spread the alarm.
The return route, after the British had been bloodied at Lexington and Concord, took them through North Cambridge and on into Charlestown, but East Cambridge’s place in the history of the Revolution was secure.
History Cambridge will join the Cambridge Historical Commission on April 14 to rededicate the granite marker that sits near the spot where 800 British soldiers landed after sailing from Boston on the night of April 18, 1775.
The marker, which now sits behind a fence near 41 Second St., East Cambridge, will be moved to nearby Centanni Park courtesy of a grant from MA250, the statewide organization created to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. A brief 6 p.m. ceremony will be followed at 7 p.m. by an evening of trivia at Lamplighter Brewing’s Cambridge Crossing location, featuring questions about Cambridge and Revolutionary history. All are welcome at both events, no registration is required. Come raise a pint to East Cambridge’s important role in the Revolution!
About History Cambridge
History Cambridge started in 1905 as the Cambridge Historical Society. Today we have a new name and a new mission. We engage with our city to explore how the past influences the present to shape a better future. We recognize that every person in our city knows something about Cambridge’s history, and their knowledge matters. We listen to our community and we live by the ideal that history belongs to everyone. Throughout 2025, we are focusing on the history of East Cambridge. Make history with us at historycambridge.org.
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Beth Folsom is programs manager for History Cambridge.
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