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Bullet hole by bullet hole, an Arlington house shows the struggle for America’s independence

07:09
A close up of two musket fire holes in a storage closet at the Jason Russell House. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
A close up of two musket fire holes in a storage closet at the Jason Russell House. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Marble-sized bullet holes in the walls of a house in Arlington tell the tale of a bloody skirmish that sparked the American Revolution 250 years ago.

For the first time at the Jason Russell house, historians are studying the musket fire damage left over from Battles of Lexington and Concord.

Joel Bohy, an appraiser on PBS’ "Antiques Roadshow," said the bullet holes in the bedrooms and stairs at the Jason Russell house are a testament to a past that isn’t fully recognized today.

“ It's great that we have parades and we remember the first day of the American Revolution and Bunker Hill, but there were humans who lost their lives on both sides and were badly wounded and never recovered from it,” Bohy said.

Joel Bohy points out a musket hole in the wall of the primary bedroom. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
Joel Bohy points out a musket hole in the wall of the primary bedroom. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Bohy recently co-authored a book with battlefield archeologist Douglas Scott called “Bullet Strikes: From the First Day of the American Revolution.” In it, they study in depth for the first time bullet holes that remain from musket fire during the first battles of the revolution.

Bohy recently toured the Jason Russell House with WBUR All Things Considered host Lisa Mullins, and showed her the bullet holes they studied.

“There's many histories that have been published on what happened, but we wanted to show how heavy the fighting was as it progressed from Concord back to Charlestown that day,” Bohy said.

The Jason Russell House and Museum in Arlington is a central location in the book because it’s the last home standing that still has a lot of the bullet holes intact from April 19, 1775.

The Jason Russell House and Museum in Arlington. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
The Jason Russell House and Museum in Arlington. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

A big reason it sustained so much damage, Bohy said, is because it was on the British retreat path from Concord back to Boston. Twelve colonial soldiers, including the house’s owner Jason Russell, were killed in that retreat. At least three British soldiers also died.

“ Every house along the road in this area held provincial soldiers who were shooting at the British column,” Bohy said. “So the British were trying to get inside … it became a hotspot.”

Bohy and Scott found and studied 10 bullet holes at the Jason Russell House using technology like lasers and ballistic rods. They wanted to confirm where all the bullet holes were and to tell the story of where each originated. Bohy said it was the first time this damage has been studied in depth.

”When you read the primary accounts and you read about the British soldiers firing on the road and British soldiers around the house shooting at it, this is primary evidence of exactly what those letters are saying,” Bohy said.

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Bohy points out musket holes in the stairwell in the Jason Russell House. Damage can also be seen in the bannister. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
Bohy points out musket holes in the stairwell in the Jason Russell House. Damage can also be seen in the bannister. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Bohy thinks the community, and the country, needs to learn from its past, or it's bound to repeat history.

“I hope that people who study April 19 and the events that happened will remember that day and maybe think about what happens when we go to war,” Bohy said.

This segment aired on July 2, 2025.

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Lisa Mullins Host, All Things Considered

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