Munroe Tavern

Built in the late 1600s or early 1700s, the Munroe Tavern at 1332 Massachusetts Avenue in Lexington is named for William Munroe, who was the Tavern’s proprietor from 1770 to 1827. Munroe served as an orderly sergeant in the Lexington militia in 1775. On April 19, 1775, Munroe Tavern was taken over by Brigadier General Earl Percy and one-thousand British soldiers. For one-and-a-half hours, Munroe Tavern was the headquarters for British troops. A bullet hole from April 19, 1775 is still visible in the ceiling of the taproom. Munroe Tavern served as a field hospital and was also where the troops ate and drank on that day. Years later, in 1789, President George Washington dined at Munroe Tavern when he came to visit the Lexington battlefield. Tours of Munroe Tavern are offered by the Lexington Historical Society.