Sanderson House and Munroe Tavern
Why it's listed
Side by side on Massachusetts Avenue in the center of Lexington, the Sanderson House and the Munroe Tavern are two early buildings linked by the events of April 19, 1775. The Sanderson House, first mentioned in a 1747 deed, is a shingled story-and-a-half house that appears to have been built in two three-bay stages. The Munroe Tavern grew by accretion, with a southern ell dating to about 1695 and a street-facing section that predates 1719. Sergeant William Munroe bought the tavern in 1770, and his cousin Mary married Samuel Sanderson, a Minute Man and coffin-maker, who worked in the cellar of the neighboring house. During the British retreat from Concord, General Percy turned the tavern into a field hospital, and a wounded soldier was left at the Sanderson House. The tavern later served travelers until 1848. Today both buildings are museums: the Historical Society maintains the tavern, and the Minute Men organization runs the Sanderson House.
Significance in brief: Both buildings were tied to Lexington's earliest settler families and to the events of April 19, 1775. British troops under General Percy used the Munroe Tavern as a field hospital during their retreat, and at least one wounded soldier was left at the Sanderson House. Both now operate as museums.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 76000248, listed April 26, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1314 and 1332 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | April 26, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000248 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Military |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both are open to the public as museums. The Munroe Tavern is a house museum run by the Lexington Historical Society, open April to October. The Sanderson House is a museum of the Revolutionary period with military artifacts, run by Lexington Minute Men, Inc. The Tavern's condition is listed as good and altered. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.44174, -71.21625 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 76000248.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6936849
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.