Report on the Garrity House, circa 1980

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(6) HISTORICAL EVOLUTION Much of the significance of the Garrity House stems from its association with the historic Merriam Estate While tradition holds that this estate once included a mansion house and twelve out-buildings, no graphic evidence has been found to place or describe these buildings Today only the main building, called the Buckman Tavern or Minuteman Headquarters, one barn, and the Garrity House remain as examples of this once flourishing and important estate The property on which the Garrity House and the Buckman Tavern are located was purchased in 1693 by Benjamin Muzzy at a cost of 100 pounds and contained 206 acres, one dwelling house, one barn and out-buildings The estate remained in the possession of the Muzzey family and heirs (including the Buckmans, from whom the Tavern got its present name) through the next 100 years, and the main dwelling house was enlarged several times to accomodate a variety of uses during this family' s ownership According to tradition, these included use as a hostalry, as headquarters for the central postal service and for the local newspaper, and use as a meeting house for the town' s citizens The most historically significant event recorded in connection with this estate was it' s role as a meeting place during the Revolutionary War It is documented that on April 19 , 1775, Lexington Minutemen gathered at the Buckman Tavern to await the arrival of the British expedition, which would result in the Battle of Lexington In an early Doolittle print of the a