Concord MA is located 20 miles west of Boston. It was established in 1635. A British raid on a military armory led to the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775. In the mid-1800s it was home to such notables as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Louisa May Alcott. In 1849 the Concord Grape was developed, and the original vines are still producing. Numerous historical sites abound some of which are:
Downtown
Main St. in Concord offers well-preserved history with no tourist tackiness. Most of the popular sites are less than one mile from each other. The first photo is dated ca. 1915. The second is credit to Derek Strahan.
Anderson’s Grocery Building
This building was surveyed by none other than Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1853! Over time it had numerous commercial occupants, including a grocery store opened by Lars Anderson in 1913. It is now the Main Streets Market and Cafe owned by the fourth generation Anderson family. The first photo is dated 1924.
Old North Bridge
Old North Bridge (aka Concord Bridge) is the site of “the shot heard ’round the world.” Since then, seven more bridges have been built on the site. The current one from 1956 is a replica of the one from the April 19, 1775 battle. The first photo is dated 1880.
The Old Manse
The Old Manse was built just in front of the Old North Bridge in 1770. Ralph Wadso Emerson lived there from 1834-35. Nathaniel Hawthorne lived there with his wife from 1842-45. In 1843, he and Sophy etched poems on a window using her diamond (see below). The first photo is dated 1890.
Emerson House
This house was built in 1828 and lived in by Ralph Waldo Emerson from 1835-1882. It is still owned by the Emerson family. In 1930, it opened as a museum containing the original furniture. The first photo is dated 1914.
Orchard House
Originally two buildings when built in 1675, the Orchard House was combined into one in 1857 when it was purchased by Bronson Alcott. His daughter–Lousia May Alcott–wrote Little Women there in 1868. In 1912 it opened as a museum also with most of the original furnishings. The first photo is dated ca.1865.
