The fourth meeting house on the site bore witness to the Revolutionary War and, sitting as it did on the strategically important “Meetinghouse Hill,” became the center of a great deal of activity. The area around the church was used as a parade ground and the belfry served as a signal station, making the church a target for British bombs. The British evacuated Boston in 1776, but bombing had destroyed property and soldiers had cut down much of Roxbury’s trees, including many of the orchards the town was known for.