Surrounded by History
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Concord is a town steeped in history. From the American Revolution that began here in 1775, to the beginnings of transcendentalism in the 1830’s. From ground-breaking social justice activists who opposed slavery and supported women’s rights, to authors whose works are pillars of the American literary canon. While we could happily spend a lifetime studying the myriad aspects of Concord’s history and its vibrant contemporary society, here are just a few of our favorite places to visit.
Concord Museum
www.concordmuseum.org Concord Museum includes in its collections some of the most important artifacts from the past three centuries. This is where you’ll find one of the actual lanterns that Paul Revere ordered to be hung in the belfry of Boston’s Christ Church on the night of April 18, 1775 to alert colonists that British regulars were on the march! You can also see the simple green desk on which Henry David Thoreau wrote Walden, Civil Disobedience, and more. Whether your interests lie in a Late Paleoindian spearhead found in the Concord River, or
BY CYNTHIA BAUDENDISTEL
the extraordinary silver work of Paul Revere, there is something here to capture your imagination.
The Old Manse
www.thetrustees.org/places-to-visit/ metro-west/old-manse.html Ralph Waldo Emerson lived here and drafted his famous essay Nature in an upstairs room. Almost a decade later, Nathaniel Hawthorne and his wife Sophia moved into the Old Manse following their marriage in 1842 and lived there until 1845. You can still see the poems that the young newlyweds wrote to each other etched on the windowpanes of the house. Hawthorne memorialized the house in Mosses From an Old Manse.
The Robbins House
www.robbinshouse.org The rich history of African Americans in Concord is one aspect of the town that is not as widely known as our revolutionary and literary heritage. The Robbins House is dedicated to raising awareness of Concord’s African, African American, and anti-slavery history from the 17th through the 19th centuries.
The Robbins House is an early 19th century house formerly inhabited by the first generation of descendants of formerly enslaved African American Revolutionary War veteran Caesar Robbins, and by fugitive slave Jack Garrison. The stories of the occupants of The Robbins House reveal the ways in which the first generations of free Concord African Americans pursued independence and contributed to the antislavery movement and abolitionist causes. The Robbins House website includes an excellent walking map of African American and anti-slavery sites in and around Concord.
Walden Pond State Reservation
www.nps.gov/places/walden-pond-in-thewalden-pond-state-reservation.htm Walden Pond is best known for being the place at which Henry David Thoreau built his modest log cabin and lived for two years. Nearly 600,000 people visit Waldon Pond each year, many to learn more about Thoreau and visit the replica of his cabin. The pond and surrounding 462 acres are now loved as much for their stunning hiking trails and lovely places to swim, fish, and canoe.
www.louisamayalcott.org Orchard House is best known as the home where Louisa May Alcott wrote her most famous book, Little Women. Amazingly, there have been no major structural changes to the house since the Alcotts’ time, and approximately 80% of the furnishings on display were owned by the Alcotts, ensuring that the rooms look very much as they did when the family lived there. Hillside Chapel on the grounds of Orchard House housed “The Concord Summer School of Philosophy” from 1880-1888. The school was founded by Amos Bronson Alcott and hosted a series of lectures and discussions on a range of philosophical topics.
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Discover CONCORD
| Fall 2020
©Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House
Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House
