Above: The Gleason Public Library in Carlisle Center was donated to the town in 1894 by Joanna Parker Gleason in memory of her family.

​Nathaniel Parker lived on a farm formerly located near the present-day Carlisle-Billerica town line. He also served as a Private in Captain David Wheeler's Company in Colonel Nixon's Regiment. He was stationed with Johnathan Heald at Winter Hill and served with him as a part of Captain Abishai Brown's Company in Colonel John Robinson's Regiment that was stationed in Rhode Island in 1777. 

In 1780, he was appointed as "Fence Viewer" and charged with ensuring all fences and stone walls were appropriate for holding livestock. To this day, Carlisle still continues to appoint a fence viewer who inspects animal enclosures on a regular basis. Nathaniel also was elected to serve as one of the District's first selectmen and was charged with recovering firearms and munitions lent to the militias based in Billerica. 

As the war was coming to an end, he was one of the residents chosen to serve on a five member committee to recruit local boys to join the Continental Army. 
 
Nathaniel was the grandfather of prominent local philanthropist, Joanna Parker Gleason. Mrs. Gleason’s generous gifts to our community include the town clock at the First Religious Society along with the town’s Gleason Public Library which is named in her honor. 

Nathaniel is buried in Carlisle's Central Burying Ground.
​

Above: Nathaniel Parker's gravestone.