This house belonged to General Artemas Ward, a Shrewsbury native and war veteran who served as commander-in-chief of the Massachusetts militia leading up to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. General Ward led the militia forces that besieged Boston after the battle, and he was later appointed second-in-command of the entire Continental Army. General Ward later served as de facto governor of Massachusetts before the ratification of the state constitution, served as a state representative and Speaker of the Massachusetts House, and then served in the US House of Representatives. In Washington DC, Ward Circle along Massachusetts Avenue has a statue recognizing General Ward’s contributions to the nation’s founding.
His house is currently owned and operated by Harvard University, Ward’s alma mater, and it is open seasonally to the public.
