The battle fought on the Lexington Common between the British and the Americans on April 19, 1775 was one of the first great events of the American Revolution, but for a century afterward residents paid no particular attention to their town Common. They were unprepared for the turmoil and overwhelming demand for food and other necessities when, on a cold snowy day, 100,000 visitors streamed into town to see President Grant and other dignitaries at the Centennial Celebration of 1875. Only after that experience did residents become concerned with preserving the appearance of the Common and surrounding buildings, though not soon enough to save an 18th century house facing the Common that was torn down in 1876. By 1917 homeowners around the Common had signed covenants limiting their property to residential uses, and in 1956 an historic district was created that includes the Common and nearby historic sites.