莱镇人文第七期：Paul O’Shaughnessy 18th Century Officer

Scroll down to read in English

编者按

从结绳记事起，人类就一直在记录历史。国史、县志、家谱；正史、野史、笔记书信，碑帖墓志；文字、歌谣、绘画、影剧、神话传说；人类几乎穷尽了一切可能帮助自己和后人铭记历史。

本期的莱镇人文 Paul O’Shaughnessy (保罗·奥肖内西)就是一位深知历史的重要并以特殊方式帮助人们学习历史的人物。他是一位历史再现者。

几百年前的美国独立战争在莱镇打响的第一枪赋予了这座历史文化名镇独特的魅力和不可替代的历史地位。每年的爱国者日，不计其数的人们来到小镇的绿野战地广场(Battle Green), 站在民兵铜像前仰望昔日民兵的身影，游览美国最古老的战争纪念碑，在星条旗下追忆飘荡在空气中那一声荡气回肠的枪响。从1972年起，保罗都穿着殖民时期服装，扮演一位第十步兵团的英国军官，在绿野战地重现1775年的战争场面，栩栩如生地再现这一段辉煌的美国历史，使其成为“活着的历史”。人们亲切地称保罗为 “十八世纪的军官”。

历史对于人类来说是如此重要，从历史中学习，以先行者为师为友，以往事为鉴，每一段历史都是生命的延展。历史，是上苍给人类最重的礼物。

1775年著名的列克星敦绿野战地一役摄影：Sam Song

Paul O’Shaughnessy

保罗·奥肖内西（Paul O’Shaughnessy）出生在莱镇，是一位地地道道的莱镇老居民。身为一家生物技术公司Covaris的声学工程总监，保罗更为人所熟悉的是他对历史的爱好。他对历史人物、建筑、舞台灯光设计、音乐剧和18世纪历史重现的表演尤其着迷。作为莱镇历史协会董事会成员及前主席，保罗几十年如一日参与各种历史教育以及历史再现庆典活动，致力于帮助学生以及游人了解当地的历史和文化。至今，保罗依旧是爱国者日庆典演出中最受欢迎的历史再现者之一。

了解和认识居住当地的历史是一件很重要的事情。让人们爱上历史是我的快乐，如果我做到了，这一天是幸福的。历史在继续，二十一世纪的莱镇历史也正在撰写中，我们需要将这段光辉的历史一代代地传承下去。

Paul O’Shaughnessy 的故事

再现的历史

这是4月19日凌晨3:30，太阳依旧沉酣，草上薄雾如纱。历史再现者保罗·奥肖内西（Paul O’Shaughnessy）已在莱镇中心的绿野战地（Battle Green）稳步穿行。他身着英军第十步兵军团的全套军官制服，上至羊毛三角帽，下至皮靴，腰侧执剑。在未来的几个小时内，他与麾下一百名因猩红制服而得名的红衫军将面对大约80名叛逆装备旧式滑膛枪的列克星敦民兵 -1775年著名的列克星敦战役一触即发。日后不少人相信，绿野战地，就是打响那举世瞩目的第一枪的地方。这场小规模冲突（前哨战）之后，战斗在康科德（Concord）的北桥（North bridge）和林肯附近的血腥角（Blood Angle）继续，之后是英军孤注一掷的撤退，沿着后来被称为"战役之路"的线路撤回波士顿。

自1969年以来，每年四月的第三个星期一，也就是爱国者日（Patriots Day），这一段历史情景都会重现。整个战役重现以及其他相关活动有序地安排在四月十九日前后。

重现1775年著名的列克星敦绿野战地一役摄影：Sam Song

保罗在爱国者日的表演风采， 2019年

梦想从青春开始

除了在附近的牛顿镇（Newton）的20年之外，保罗一直都在莱镇生活。他和妻子黛安（Diane）以及一群猫住在他自小生长后来从父母那里购买的科德角风格的房屋中。保罗年轻时就被小镇的悠久历史深深吸引并沉醉其间。在高中时，他花了几个夏天的时间在莱镇绿野战地担任导游，向游客们讲述这片土地当年的辉煌。

七十年代大多数青春期男孩可能对汽车或音乐更感兴趣，而保罗和他的朋友们则在谈论历史，他们希望能够一起重现独立战争那段历史 - 无论是作为莱克星顿民兵，还是他们的敌人英国人。

促使他做出决定的是某一年四月的一天。那一天，一群红衫军的历史重现者出现在绿野战地。他们戴着熊皮帽子，从头到脚猩红间白，金属的光泽闪烁其上，并携有剑与来复枪的复制品。青春期书呆子少年的心瞬间被击中—英军制服看起来是那样的酷，不仅在男孩子眼中所有方面都很酷，也吸引了女孩子的芳心！而成为与众不同的反派，对于渴求与众不同的叛逆青春简直是一拍即合。

1972年年龄足够之后，保罗成为了皇家第十步兵团的一员。次年四月，他第一次参与在绿野战地的历史重现。1975年他参加了这场战斗的两百年纪念。此后这一直是他的情之所钟。他渐渐承担了更多的责任，并在1997年至2014年期间担任扮演指挥官约翰·皮特凯恩少校（John Pitcairn）的角色。约翰·皮特凯恩少校曾参与1775年绿野之战，并于同年晚些时候阵亡于邦克山战役（Battle of Bunker Hill ）。

康科德民兵队长威廉· 我史密斯的故居

重现1775年英军在绿野之战时的场景

摄影：Sam Song

保罗在爱国者日的表演风采， 2019年

宝剑锋从磨砺出

作为第十军团的一员，保罗有许多的职责：他负责对地区学校，历史协会以及所有对再现历史教育感兴趣的人进行演讲；他全年参与各种历史活动和庆典活动，比如在新罕布什尔州查尔斯敦（Charlestown）的福特堡4号帮助设置周末露营营地以及在康科德和莱镇的民兵国家公园等历史遗迹附近巡逻守岗。

然而，历史再现并不是过家家的游戏，而是不亚于学术研究的严谨。

成立于1968年全部由志愿者组成的第十军团，“让历史从书页上走出来并为其赋予了生命” - 他们是“活着的历史”。军团每位成员的着装、设备以及训练都严格遵循18世纪军事训练和生活的要求，以确保在各种社区和庆典活动中能重现1775年英军的真实写照。

将历史栩栩如生地重现出来还需要一定的表演能力，如何传达情感、发出声音并始终与听众保持联系。幸运的是，保罗对剧院的毕生热爱以及他在牙买加平原（Jamaica Plain）脚灯（Footlight）剧院的经历使他成为一名理想的历史再现者。在脚灯剧院，无论是在幕后担任技术总监，还是在前台聚光灯下表演，保罗都非常活跃。

“活着的历史” - 第十军团的志愿者们

扫描二维码｜关于“第十军团”

His Majesty’s 10th Regiment

of Foot -Redcoats

保罗指出：“我们在表演以及在重现中所做的就是替历史人物代言并理解他们的一切动机……我只是潜心沉下来让自己成为所要扮演的角色。我读他们的传记，也读他们所写的东西。我能听到他们的声音。我不用英国口音（那很不自然），我们也不清楚当时那到底应该怎么发音的，重要的是体现角色。不能与人交流，不能将人带入情绪高潮的演员一无是处。”

再现历史和戏剧是很相似的。对于绿野战地上的数千游人或者观看其他小规模冲突的游人来说，战斗看起来颇为混乱无章。但实际上这是精心编排的结果，再现者们经过了多次排练制造出这种错觉。而反复的排练也有助于避免一系列可能发生的事故：太近了开枪会伤害耳朵并引起灼伤；再现者有可能在湿草上打滑；刺刀可能离皮肤太近。

除了对动作语言的要求外，再现者还需要具备丰富的情感因素。保罗是这样描述4月19日的早晨的：

“当我们沿着麻省大道上行时，现代的世界渐渐消散。我们仿佛走进了一条时光的隧道，抵达绿野战地时，像回到了1775年。我们甚至看不见游人，眼前当下只有民兵。我们试图打败他们，而他们正试图反抗。我就是那个军官；我感受着他们的愤怒；同时我感受到无法再拖延了；就在这个极度紧张的时刻，我命令队伍散去。。。然后有人开枪。所有的愤怒都在一瞬间爆发，几分钟后一切结束，我们又回到了现代世界。”

穿着整齐的第十军团在威廉史密斯的故居前准备就绪

能与妻子黛安（Diane）一同分享对历史的爱则是意外之喜。两人在上世纪八十年代末相识，十年后结婚。保罗自嘲地表示，他直接“跳进了婚姻！” 作为军官的妻子，戴安也是皇家第十军团的一员。这一群历史重现者数量庞大也令人印象深刻，他们在各种战役中为士兵们提供帮助与支持，经常需要从一个地方转移到另一个地方。这些人包括裁缝，铁匠，护士，修车匠以及厨师等等。在纽约提康德罗加堡（Fort Ticonderoga）举行的年度周末营地活动中，这些历史重现者们甚至打造出了一个带来经济效益的活动“城镇”。然而对保罗和戴安来说，这也是一个生活在世外桃源的周末！

保罗和妻子黛安一起分享对历史的爱

黛安也是拥有135年历史的莱镇历史协会（Lexington Historical Society）的导游，莱镇历史协会是一家独立的非营利组织，旗下有三座历史悠久的建筑-巴克曼酒馆（Buckman Tavern），汉考克-克拉克牧师公馆（Hancock-Clarke House）和芒罗酒馆（Munroe Tavern）。这些建筑主要用于诠释美国独立战争的故事：巴克曼酒馆是士兵们喜爱并经常聚会的一家酒馆，1775年四月十九日民兵们就在这里聚集等待英军；约翰.汉考克与塞缪尔.亚当斯在战争前夜藏身于这间牧师公馆；而芒罗酒馆是当时的英军指挥中心。当黛安到芒罗酒馆与游客互动时，保罗偶尔也会穿上他的制服与她同行。保罗对芒罗的亲和力显而易见。作为历史协会的长期成员和2009年至2011年的主席，保罗参与了所有三座历史建筑的保护工作，尤其对芒罗酒馆做了新的诠释。现在，芒罗酒馆中的指南，文物和图像向人们阐述作为四月十九日故事的另一半—英国士兵的客观存在，全面性地展现了当日事态的复杂性。通过纽黑文（New Haven）雕刻家Amos Doolittle的一系列作品以及与当日事件相关的第一手文献资料，历史学家们得以明了芒罗酒馆是激战所在。一队来自波士顿的英军援军在那儿会面。大约90分钟时间，芒罗酒馆成了一个战地医院，收容从康科德战场撤下来的士兵，令他们得以休整、补充物资以及接受治疗。

不在战场上的时候，保罗在沃本（Woburn）一家生物技术公司Covaris工作，担任声学工程总监。尽管历史和工程学看起来风马牛不相及，但保罗却能将两者联系起来。他在再现历史中看到了“工程学中分析和解决问题的一面”，在这里他需要驾驭各不相同的性格并处理复杂的战斗后勤事宜。他也运用工程技术来拆解复杂的18世纪怀表和滑膛枪。他的地下室散落着小块的钢铁、弹簧以及锁，这些250年前的物品的精密程度令人难以置信。

保罗和历史协会的成员们在北桥

保罗参与莱镇教育基金会的Trivia Bee活动

历史、现在与未来

保罗对表演，音乐剧和殖民时期歌曲的热情以及他丰沛的个性也使他成为莱镇历史学会举足轻重的董事会成员，该协会致力于收集和保存莱镇悠久而多样的历史，并将这多姿多彩的方方面面与公众共享。协会执行董事Erica McAvoy对保罗的评价很高：人们永远都可以期待保罗提供帮助，尤其是需要表演的时候！保罗有时会穿着“常规”服饰（比如在协会纪念一战停火的罂粟庆典慈善晚宴上做主持人的时候—红罂粟是一战的纪念象征），但大多数时候他都穿着英军军官的“常规”制服出现，比如在重新开放的历史建筑里接待游人并为他们提供游览帮助时；在巴克曼酒馆（Buckman Tavern）的“酒馆之夜（Tavern Night）”中唱殖民时期歌曲时；在“向一战之歌致敬”活动中唱20世纪的歌曲时；在反映18世纪生活的戏剧《邪恶狂欢》和《乞丐歌剧》中表演时；在“各地故事”活动中给孩子们讲述早期美国传说时；以及在“殖民时期的游戏”进行拔河比赛时。

保罗最喜欢的表演不仅仅是扮演军官，还有国王！ 2018年10月，莱镇历史协会在凯莉大厅（Cary Hall）举办了一场老少皆宜的汉密尔顿韵（Hamiltunes）音乐剧演出。这场演出的音乐和歌曲都源于著名的音乐剧《汉密尔顿》(Hamilton)。大家一起参与的音乐盛会吸引了八百多不同年纪的音乐爱好者。保罗再次站在英国的一方：这次他戴着金色的王冠，扑粉假发以及顺垂的红色长袍扮演了国王乔治三世。国王唱的三首歌活泼且令人难忘。保罗记得当他第一次把头从幕布后伸出往观众席看， “观众疯狂了！” 。屏幕上滚动的歌词已经不再需要，几乎所有的听众已能把歌词熟记于胸，随口和唱。几年之后，保罗依然记得那些音乐剧的歌词！

Hamiltunes 在莱镇Cary Hall的演出

令观众疯狂的国王乔治三世 - 源于音乐剧Hamilton

保罗和历史协会董事Anne Lee

这些活动只是莱镇历史协会为各年龄段对历史感兴趣的人们提供的常年活动中的一部分，协会还有针对成年人的讲座和读书小组；针对在校学生团体的教育计划；以及其他聚会和定期展览。4月19日这一周协会尤其忙碌，各种活动囊括寻宝游戏、文艺演出以及幕后对18世纪殖民生活地探索和观察。所有的这些活动，保罗都是积极参与者之一。夏季时，名为“第一枪”（First Shot）的夏令营可以让孩子们探索殖民生活的方方面面。夏令营的最后一天，民兵和英军将与孩子们一起重现绿野战地上的一役：使用自制服装和木制步枪。孩子们可以自由选择自己想去的阵营。保罗说：“想当英军的孩子数目令人惊讶！”。

“First Shot”夏令营 - 探索和体验18世纪殖民生活

对于保罗来说, 与下一代莱镇人建立联系至关重要。他说：“了解居住地的历史非常重要。相较于绿野战地上的人们，我是莱镇的后来者。现在轮到新来的人们，像我以及我的前辈们一样学习这些历史。看到那些对居住地历史着迷的人，我也心满意足。让人们对当地历史产生浓厚的兴趣和爱上历史是我的快乐，如果我做到了，这一天我都是幸福的。历史在继续，二十一世纪的莱镇历史也正在撰写中，我们需要将这个故事和光辉的历史传递给下一代。"

认识历史融入社区

与保罗一样，莱镇华协也是一个履行和承担这样一位后来者职责的组织, 在美国历史名镇与华人居民之间搭起了一座互相了解的桥梁。在莱镇历史协会第一位华裔董事、华协主席王华和志愿者们的协助下，历史协会增加了中英双语旅游指南，参与协助组织历史协会的讲座、夏令营、教育项目、艺术文化展览及其他活动，并将2019年华协的义工答谢会特别安排在Hancock-Clarke 故居举办。新冠疫情社区各组织携手抗疫，历史协会是获得CAAL新冠救助的社区非营利组织之一。这些协作与活动参与，不但拉近了华人居民与莱镇历史的距离，更加快了新旧移民融入社区的步伐。认识历史是华裔融入社区的好方法，也是社区对新移民接纳的最好途径。

莱镇华协会旗与星条旗并挂在Hancock-Clarke House 内，意义非凡

扫描二维码｜莱镇历史协会

Lexington Historical Society

Events I Virtual ToursL I Programs

Lexplore History Together

Founded in 1886

Paul O’Shaughnessy's Story- English

Foreword

For thousands of years, we have been recording and sharing our history through books, paintings, music, and many other means of communication. Discover Lexington issue 7 features Paul O'Shaughnessy, who brings history to life through his words, attire, and actions. He is a historical reenactor.

The first shot fired in the American Revolution in 1775 has provided this historic and cultural town with a unique charm and irreplaceable status. Every year on Patriots’ Day, countless people descend on the town's Battle Green, stand in front of a bronze Minuteman statue, look at America's oldest war memorial, and remember the sound of gunfire floating in the air on April 19th. Since 1972, Paul has appeared on the Green as a member of Tenth Regiment of Foot, uniformed and armed as the British would have been that fateful day. He makes this page from American history books come alive: this is "living history."

History has laid the foundation for every generation to better understand itself and the world, to learn from the past and to overcome today’s challenges, and to make a wise decision for the future. It is the greatest gift bestowed on us.

Patriots Day Reenactment on the Battle Green Photo：Sam Song

Paul O’Shaughnessy

Paul O'Shaughnessy was born in Lexington and is a longterm resident of Lexington. He works as director of acoustic engineering at Covaris, a biotech company. Paul loves the history and culture of Lexington, and is particularly fascinated by history, architecture, stage lighting, musical theatre and 18th century historical re-enactments. Paul is dedicated to helping community schools to understand the history and culture of the area where they live. He is a longtime member of the Lexington Historical Society and served as its President from 2009 to 2011. Paul is not only involved in the preservation of three historic buildings in town, but also actively participates in various historical events and celebrations, and gives lectures to those interested in historical education.

It’s so important to…understand the history of where you now live. It is very satisfying when I see people who are fascinated by the history of where they live. It’s my joy to bring that and if I can do that my day is made. The story goes on. The twenty-first century of Lexington has to be written. And we hand over the story to the next generation.

Paul O’Shaughnessy's Story

Patriots’ Day Reenactment

on the Battle Green

It’s 3:30 in the morning on April 19. Mist hovers over the grass, the sun is still asleep, and reenactor Paul O’Shaughnessy is trudging across the Battle Green in Lexington Center. He is dressed in the uniform of a British officer of His Majesty’s Tenth Regiment of Foot, from wool tricorn hat to leather boots, and carries a sword at his side. In a few hours he and about one hundred Redcoats in his charge - called ‘Redcoats’ due to their scarlet uniforms - will face about 80 rebellious Lexington Minutemen, armed with muskets, in the famous Battle of Lexington of 1775. The Green is where, some believe, the first ‘Shot Heard Round the World’ was fired. Following that skirmish, battles continued at Concord's North Bridge and at Bloody Angle near Lincoln, followed by the desperate retreat of the British back to Boston along what has become known as Battle Road. Since 1969, this day has been observed on the third Monday in April as Patriots’ Day, with both battle reenactments and civic events occurring during a period of days before, on, and after April 19.

Patriots Day Reenactment on the Green Photo：Sam Song

Paul plays the role of a Redcoat Officer

Where Dreams Start

Aside from 20 years in nearby Newton, Paul has always been in Lexington; he, his wife Diane, and a number of cats live in the Cape-style house he grew up in and purchased from his parents. Paul absorbed and was fascinated by the town’s deep history at a young age. In high school, he spent a few summers as a tour guide on the Lexington Green, describing to visitors the climactic events that occurred right at that spot. While most teenage boys in the 1970s might be interested in cars or music, he and his friends talked about history and their desire to recreate Revolutionary battle history as part of a group – either the Lexington Minutemen or their enemy, the British.

The decision was made when one day in April, a group of Redcoat reenactors showed up on the Green, wearing bearskin hats, dressed from head to toe in red and white accented with glittering metal, and carrying reproduction swords and rifles. Paul remembers the scene as “all very impressive to teenage boys.” Not only was the uniform “by all measures cool, and worked with the girls!” - but joining the ‘opposing team’ appealed to his “contrarian streak.” Once old enough, he became a member of the Tenth Regiment of Foot in 1972; the following April he participated in his first reenactment on the Green, and in 1975 was part of the Bicentennial commemoration of the battle. It has been his passion ever since: he took on more responsibilities and from 1997 to 2014 played the role of Commanding Officer Major John Pitcairn, who was on the Green in 1775 and died at the Battle of Bunker Hill later that year.

Captain William Smith House at Battle Road Trail

Reenactment of the Famous Battle of Lexington in 1775 Photo：Sam Song

Paul at Reenactment， 2019

Polishing the Sword

Paul notes that the all-volunteer Tenth, founded in 1968, “takes history off the page and brings it to life”; it is quite literally ‘living history.’ Each member is uniformed, equipped, and trained in eighteenth-century military drill and life to appear in public as members of the British Army would have in 1775. As a member of the Tenth, Paul has varied duties: he conducts presentations to area schools, historical societies and anyone else interested in having history brought to life for learners of all ages. He also participates in living history events and celebrations throughout the year, including setting up weekend encampments such as the Fort at No. 4 in Charlestown, New Hampshire, and occupying historic sites such as Minute Man National Park in Concord and Lexington.

Presenting living history requires the ability to act: to convey emotion, project the voice, and connect with the audience. Paul’s lifelong love of theater and participation in the Footlight Theater in Jamaica Plain make him an ideal reenactor. At Footlight he has been active both behind the scenes as technical director and in front of the lights performing.

Tenth Regiment of Foot

Scan QR Code｜About "Redcoats"

His Majesty’s 10th Regiment

of Foot - Redcoats

Paul notes:

“What we do in acting – and in reenacting – is to personify these people and understand all of their motivations… I just dive in and try to become the character. I read about the person, read what they’ve written, I can hear their voice. I don’t speak in a British accent – that would be unnatural, and we don’t know what they sounded like. It’s more important to embody the character. Actors are nothing if they cannot communicate…and sweep you away with the emotion of the day.”

Playing a British officer can be a dramatic experience. To the thousands of people on the Green– or viewing any other skirmish – a battle looks disorganized and chaotic. However, it is highly choreographed and has been rehearsed many times to create that illusion and also to avoid accidents: a gun fired too close can hurt the ears and cause a burn; a reenactor can slip on wet grass; a bayonet can get too close to skin. And aside from the physical demands, there is also a highly emotional aspect to these battles. Paul describes the morning of April 19:

“As we go up Massachusetts Avenue the modern world drops away…and you enter a tunnel, and by the time you get to the Green it is 1775. You don’t even see the crowd - all you see are the Militiamen. You are trying to pull the teeth of this rebellion and they’re trying to stop you. You become that officer; you feel his outrage; you feel this is finally coming to a head…There is this tense, tense moment when you tell them to disperse…and then somebody fires a shot. In that moment all of the outrage bursts out. Then within a few minutes it’s over and you drop back into the modern world again.”

Tenth Regiment of Foot, Captain William Smith House

Sharing a passion for history with his wife Diane is a rewarding experience. The two met in the late 1980s and married a decade later; as Paul ironically jokes, he really “jumped right into marriage!” Diane is part of the 10th Regiment as an officer’s wife, joining an impressively large group of reenactors who historically supported the soldiers while on campaign, moving from place to place: tailors, blacksmiths, nurses, wheelwrights, cooks, among others. Encampments such as an annual weekend event in Fort Ticonderoga, New York, recreate these mobile and economically functional ‘towns.’ For Paul and Diane, they are a weekend escape to another world!

Sharing a passion for history with Diane

Diane is also a tour guide for the 135-year-old Lexington Historical Society, an independent non-profit whose three historic houses – Buckman Tavern, Hancock-Clarke House, and Munroe Tavern - are dedicated to interpreting the stories of the Revolution. Occasionally Paul will don his uniform and join her as she interacts with visitors at Munroe. His affinity for Munroe is evident: as a longtime member of the Historical Society and President from 2009-2011, Paul was heavily involved with the preservation of all three houses, and especially with the re-interpretation of Munroe Tavern. Guides, artifacts, and images now describe “the reality of British soldiers being half of the story of April 19,” to illustrate the “fullness and complexity” of the day. Between a set of prints by New Haven printer Amos Doolittle and first-hand written accounts of the day, historians know that Munroe Tavern was the site of hard fighting, that a British relief column arriving from Boston met there, and that for about 90 minutes it became a hospital for soldiers retreating from Concord to rest, replenish supplies, and get treated.

When not on the battlefield, Paul works at the biotech company Covaris in Woburn as director of acoustic engineering. While history and engineering might not seem to connect, to Paul they do: he sees the “analytical and problem-solving side of engineering“ in reenacting, where he needs to handle different personalities and deal with complicated battle logistics. He also employs engineering skills taking apart complex eighteenth-century pocket watch mechanisms and muskets. His basement is littered with small pieces of steel, springs, and locks, whose 250-year-old sophistication he finds incredible.

Paul with members of LHS at North Bridge, 2012

Paul frequently participates in LEF's Trivia Bee

Serving the Society

Paul’s passion for acting, musical theater, and Colonial song - as well as his natural exuberance - also serve to make him a valued Board member of Lexington Historical Society, which collects and preserves all aspects of Lexington's long and diverse history to share with the public. “He can always be counted on to help, especially when a performance is involved!” notes Executive Director Erica McAvoy. While Paul sometimes turns up on his ‘regular’ clothes (as master of ceremonies for the Society’s Poppy Gala fundraiser to honor the Armistice of World War One, for instance) he more often will appear in his British ‘Regular’ officer’s uniform: He welcomed visitors and offered tours at the newly-reopened historic houses; sang Colonial songs at Tavern Night in Buckman Tavern and 20th century songs at Salute to the Songs of WWI; performed in Wicked Revelry and The Beggar’s Opera, theatrical presentations about eighteenth-century life; read early American tales to children in,Stories from Near and Far; and ran tug-of-war contests at Colonial Games Day.

One of Paul’s favorite performances was not as an officer, but as a king! In October 2018, the Historical Society welcomed almost 800 people to Cary Hall for an inter-generational performance of Hamiltunes, a sing-along with the words and music of the popular Hamilton musical. Paul once again was on the British side, this time bedecked with the golden crown, powdered wig, and flowing red robe of King George. The king sings three clever and memorable songs, and Paul remembers when he first popped his head outside the curtain, “The audience went wild!” Even with the lyrics scrolling on a screen, almost everyone in the audience knew the words by heart. And, a few years later, Paul can still remember them!

Hamiltunes performed at Cary Hall, 2018

King George made the audience go wild!

Paul with Anne Lee at Hamiltunes

These activities are but a few of the year-round programs the Society offers for all ages and interests, which also include lectures and book groups for adults, educational programs for school groups, parties and social gatherings, and rotating exhibitions. The week of April 19 is especially busy, with activities ranging from a scavenger hunt to theatrical performances to a behind-the-scenes look at eighteenth-century objects. During the summer, a camp called First Shot! enables children to explore various aspects of colonial life. On the final day, campers are joined by both Minutemen and British troops and recreate the Battle on the Green - complete with home-made costumes and wooden muskets. The children choose which side they would like to be on and, Paul notes, “a surprising number want to be British!”

“First Shot” Summer Camp

Connecting with the next generation of Lexingtonians is especially vital to Paul:

“It’s so important to…understand the history of where you now live. I’m as much a newcomer to Lexington relative to those people on the Green. People who have just come here, it is their turn to learn these things, as I did, and people before me did. It is very satisfying when I see people who are fascinated by the history of where they live. It’s my joy to bring that and if I can do that my day is made. The story goes on. The twenty-first century of Lexington has to be written. And we hand over the story to the next generation.”

Integrating Communities

As Paul notes, he especially hopes to connect with newcomers to Lexington, many of whom are Chinese. Likewise, the Chinese American Association of Lexington(CAAL) is an organization that builds a bridge of understanding between the town and the Chinese community. CAAL volunteers, along with Hua Wang, the first Chinese American board member of Lexington Historical Society and the President of CAAL, have added bilingual travel guides to the town’s offerings and helped organize lectures, summer camps, educational programs, art and cultural exhibitions, and other activities of the Society. CAAL held a volunteer appreciation event at the Society-owned Hancock-Clarke House in 2019, which added a special touch. Lexington Historical Society was also a recipient of the CAAL Covid relief program. These collaborations and participation in activities have offered Chinese residents a richer understanding of the history of their recently adopted town, and accelerated the integration of new and old immigrants into the community.