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Machias, Maine · Est. 1763

The Lexington
of the Sea

A Town That Changed History

Where the Revolution Came to Maine

Most Americans know Lexington and Concord. Fewer know that just two months later, a group of ordinary Maine settlers — farmers, fishermen, and lumbermen — did something equally extraordinary on the Machias River.

On June 12, 1775, the people of Machias chased down and captured a British warship using a small merchant vessel armed with whatever weapons they could find. It was the first naval battle of the American Revolution — fought right here, on this river, in this town. The British called it an outrage. History called it the "Lexington of the Sea."

When you stay at the Machias River Inn, you're sleeping on the banks of the very river where that chase took place. The story isn't in a textbook — it's all around you.

The Burnham Tavern

Where the Plot Was Hatched

In early June 1775, the people of Machias faced an impossible choice. British authorities had sent a merchant ship — escorted by the armed sloop HMS Margaretta — demanding that the settlers supply lumber for British military barracks in Boston. Refuse and face starvation. Comply and betray the cause.

The debate played out in the taproom of Job Burnham's tavern, a two-story wood-frame building overlooking the Machias River anchorage. Jeremiah O'Brien, a local patriot and veteran of the French and Indian Wars, argued forcefully for aggressive action. He wanted to capture the British commander and his ship outright.

The town voted. They chose resistance.

"In early June 1775, the men and women of the fledgling settlement of Machias found themselves on the horns of a very difficult dilemma."

— Burnham Tavern Museum

On June 12, 1775, O'Brien and roughly 30 Machias men armed the merchant sloop Unity with muskets and farm tools — pikes, axes, whatever was at hand — and sailed out to meet the Margaretta. The British vessel attempted to flee. The Unity, faster in open water, caught up. After a brief but fierce fight, Midshipman James Moore was shot and mortally wounded. His second-in-command surrendered the ship and crew.

Moore was brought back to Machias and died the following day. The Burnham Tavern, where the rebellion was planned, became a makeshift hospital for the British wounded. Today it stands as a National Historic Site — one of only 21 homes in the United States cited for their significance to the American Revolution, and the only one in Maine.

Timeline

Machias Through the Years

1763

First English Settlers Arrive

English settlers establish the first permanent community in Machias. The area had long been home to the Passamaquoddy people, who gave the river its name — "machias," meaning "bad little falls" in their language.

1770

Job Burnham Builds His Tavern

The Burnham Tavern is constructed on Main Street, overlooking the river anchorage. Built seven years after the first settlers arrived, it quickly becomes the social and political center of the young community.

June 12, 1775

The Battle of the Margaretta

Jeremiah O'Brien leads Machias patriots in the capture of the HMS Margaretta — the first naval battle of the American Revolution. The British commander, Midshipman James Moore, is fatally wounded. The Burnham Tavern serves as a hospital. The event becomes known as "the Lexington of the Sea."

1775–1783

Machias Becomes a Privateer Base

O'Brien and other Machias men refit captured ships — including the Margaretta itself — and continue raiding British supply lines throughout the war. The Royal Navy attempts to destroy Machias multiple times and fails every time.

1784

Town of Machias Incorporated

Machias is officially incorporated as a town. Lumber is the primary industry — Machias is one of the few Maine coastal towns where lumber, not shipbuilding or lobster, drives the economy.

1910

DAR Takes Stewardship of Burnham Tavern

The Hannah Weston Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution begins maintaining the Burnham Tavern Museum, a role they continue today.

1973

National Historic Site Designation

The U.S. Department of the Interior designates Burnham Tavern as a National Historic Site. The following year it is named one of the 21 most significant Revolutionary War homes in the entire country — the only one in Maine.

1988

Machias River Inn Opens

The Machias River Inn opens on the banks of the same river where history was made. It becomes the area's premier lodging, run by locals who know and love this corner of Maine.

Today

Downeast Maine's Hidden Gem

Machias remains one of the most authentic and undervisited towns on the entire Maine coast. The river still runs wild. The history is still palpable. And the Inn is still here — renovated and ready.

Visit the History

Historic Landmarks Near the Inn

The history of Machias isn't locked away in a museum — it's woven into the streets, the river, and the land around you.

01

Burnham Tavern Museum

The only building in Machias with a documented connection to the American Revolution. Built in 1770, it looks much as it did in 1775. Docent-led tours run from June through September. One block off Route 1 on Route 192 — an easy walk from the Inn. National Historic Site, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

02

Bad Little Falls Park

The very falls that gave Machias its name. The Passamaquoddy word "machias" refers to this stretch of the river — once nearly impossible to navigate, later harnessed to power the lumber mills that built the town. A scenic, dramatic spot right in downtown, less than a 15-minute walk from the Inn.

03

The Machias River

The river visible from most rooms at the Inn is the same river where O'Brien's men pursued the Margaretta in 1775. It's also one of the last undammed rivers in Maine, still home to one of the largest self-sustaining wild Atlantic salmon runs in the country. History and wilderness, in the same view.

04

Gates House & Machiasport Historical Society

The Gates House in nearby Machiasport overlooks the site of the original naval battle in Machias Bay. Operated by the Machiasport Historical Society, it offers a window into the seafaring and military history of the region.

05

Campobello Island — FDR's Summer Home

About 45 minutes from Machias, the Roosevelt Campobello International Park preserves Franklin D. Roosevelt's beloved summer cottage on Campobello Island, New Brunswick. A joint US-Canadian park that offers a fascinating glimpse into one of history's most consequential presidencies.

Sleep Where History Happened

Stay on the banks of the Machias River — the same water that carried Jeremiah O'Brien into the history books.

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