Jason Russell House

The Battles of Lexington and Concord have become iconic moments in American history. The midnight ride of Paul Revere, the early morning skirmish on the Lexington Common, and the “Shot heard round the world” at the Old North Bridge in Concord have gone down in history as legendary during America’s war for independence. However, while these events have become renowned, the most brutal and bloody fighting on that day took place during a battle most people have never heard of, and one historic home still bears the damage and scars from the conflict.

The Jason Russell House was constructed around 1745 and built on pastureland Russell had inherited in 1738. On April 19, 1775, British troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith departed Boston around 2 a.m. to march west in order to confiscate and destroy militia weapon caches in the area around Concord. Paul Revere and others had ridden ahead hours earlier warning the local Minutemen and by dawn, the militia were ready for the approaching British. After shots had been fired and casualties sustained on both sides at Lexington and Concord, the British began their retreat towards Boston around noon.

By this time, militia from neighboring towns began to gather in large numbers and relentlessly fired upon the British as they marched back. The most intense of this fighting occurred during the Battle of Menotomy which was the name of Arlington in the 18th century. Minuteman sharpshooters and marksman engaged the British from homes and other concealed positions inflicting heavy casualties. Exhausted from the long day and enraged by the tenacity and resolve of the colonials using “unfair” and “cowardly” guerilla warfare style tactics, the British brutally fought back ransacking homes and showing no mercy to those who resisted.

The Jason Russell House had a large number of Minutemen inside and British troops killed almost all of them, firing upon the house many times and bayoneting the occupants. By the end of the day, over 10 men had been killed within the house grounds including Jason Russell. One militia member, Dennison Wallis initially surrendered but after witnessing British troops executing others who also surrendered, he made a run for it and was shot while trying to jump over a wall. The injury was nonfatal, and he lived to tell the tale as the British left him for dead. Only one Minuteman from the house, Joseph Bell was taken prisoner who later described the carnage after he was freed during a prisoner exchange two months later. The British had 40 killed during the fighting in Menotomy, the most in a single location that entire day.

After the war, the Russell family continued to live in the house, and it was purchased by the Arlington Historical Society in 1923 to save it from demolition. The Battles of Lexington and Concord, along with the American Revolution as a whole, with its incredible stories, famous paintings, and larger than life individuals, can sometimes feel like a legend rather than history. However, within the Jason Russell House, seeing multiple bullet holes, remnants of bayonet strikes, and much of the original interior preserved, serves as a powerful reminder these events did indeed happen, and one can’t help but imagine the scenes of chaos unfolded on that fateful day in 1775.

On July 4, 2025, actor Kurt Russell along with his son visited the Jason Russell House as part of Arlington’s 250th anniversary celebrations commemorating the battle. The family had been doing some genealogy research and learned Jason was Kurt’s 8th great-grandfather. If you have an interest in American Revolutionary War history and would like to see an obscure side of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Jason Russell House and museum are definitely worth a visit.