The Old Manse

1024px-Old_Manse_from_afar

This next stop at another Concord National Historic Landmark is a mere few miles away from the site where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired. This 4-acre land parcel is also the home of such great minds as Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau, all of whom revolutionized American philosophy during their time here. The home itself was built in 1770 and has since served as the center of Concord’s political, literary, and social revolutions throughout the centuries. It is here, in this Georgian Clapboard style building that Alcott, Fuller, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and Ripley families all discussed popular and influential ideas about society, culture, and intelligence during their time.

This gorgeous structure sits on the banks of the Concord River, surrounded by rolling fields that are themselves edged by century-old stone walls and a gorgeous orchard. The grounds hold a reclaimed vegetable garden planted by Thoreau for the newlywed Hawthorne. Upstairs in the home you will see views of the historic North Bridge, the infamous site of that 1775 battle, as well as the very spot where Nature by Emerson and Mosses from an Old Manse by Hawthorne were conceived. You can see a handful of original furnishings and etchings, such as the window love poems from Hawthorne and his wife. Check out the many footpaths, and trails, as well as the stone boathouse that provides access for canoeists on the river. The Bookstore provides classic volumes, souvenirs, postcards, and other various apparel.