On the night of Friday, April 18, buildings across the nation will light up two lights in remembrance of Paul Revere’s “Midnight Ride” in 1775.
On April 18, 1775, Revere road from Boston to Lexington, Massachusetts to warn American militias that British troops were advancing across the Charles River.
One light for land; two lights for sea.
This Friday marks 250 years since Revere’s warning at the Old North Church in Boston, with this year’s anniversary hosting the first “nationwide call to action” of a public commemoration.
“Two Lights for Tomorrow” will be lit up on many public buildings, with residents also encouraged to participate in their homes. The initiative seeks to “remind us all of the importance to come together to form a more perfect union,” according to a press release announcing the event from the Licking County Commissioners.
The Licking County Courthouse will be lit up red, white and blue for the evenings of Friday, April 18 and Saturday, April 19. The organizers of America 250 in Ohio will also be holding a ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on Friday, April 18 at 8 p.m., involving a lighting event and speakers.
“This is the kickoff to many events that will take place later this year and then through 2026,” said Licking County Historical Society Executive Director Howard Long. “[April] 19 was when the first shots at Concord were heard, and that was the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.”
The nationwide planning to recognize Revere’s ride developed through Virginia’s America 250 commission. Kevin Hampton, the assistant director for programs and education at VA250 originally conceived the idea for every statehouse in the nation, but now it is being extended to anybody who has access to two lights, to show their support in their community.
“It’s our responsibility to share history with our community,” said Long. “If we don’t share it, people don’t know — so it’s important to share.”
This event is also significant to Licking County’s own Dawes Arboretum, a 2,000-acre conservation area south of Newark. Two others rode with Revere in 1775 to alert their fellow countrymen, and the three were known as the “Sons of Liberty:” Revere, Dr. Samuel Prescott and William Dawes.
William Dawes is the great-great-grandfather of the Dawes Arboretum’s co-founder Beman Dawes.
“To say this ancestor is a point of pride for the [Dawes] family is an understatement,” said Leslie Wagner, the historian at Dawes Arboretum. “This story has been told generationally for 250 years about [William Dawes’] participation.”
At the side of the Daweswood House Museum — the former home of co-founders Beman and Bertie Dawes — hangs a portrait of William Dawes.
Among the speakers at the Ohio Statehouse on April 18 includes Dawes Arboretum Board Chair and Dawes family descendant Henry Hauser.
Wagner said the Arboretum has searched for years to find a way to commemorate the Sons’ ride. They will be participating in their own way for “Two Lights for Tomorrow,” lighting up two lights, shining skyward on Friday night, and bringing out artifacts from the museum to the visitors center, including a 1940s comic, “William Dawes’ Ride.”
The following day, Saturday, April 19, is the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. In Licking County, Dawes Arboretum staff and volunteers will install medallions and flags at all of the Arboretum’s 43 military-dedicated trees.
On that day, many states’ America 250 commissions, including Ohio’s, are calling for a nationwide day of service.
“Serving others is part of our national identity,” the Ohio Statehouse website says. They encourage community members to search for service ideas through ServeOhio.
Owen Baker writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.