Sunday, June 8, 2008

Old Manse, Concord MA






Concord is so rich in literary history, it was easy to make our way to sites of other important writers. The next stop on the trip was OLD MANSE. It was here that Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne both lived at different points. Emerson finished his work entitled "Nature" and Hawthorne wrote a collection of short stories entitled "Old Manse."

This house is absolutely gorgeous. In the back there is a small pond and boathouse where people can kayak under a quaint arched bridge and through the mossy green waters. Outside there is also a small flower garden. It is maintained with flowers mentioned in Hawthorne and Emerson's work, to keep their spirits alive. I could see how living at Old Manse would be an inspiration for any artist.

1 comment:

Rob Velella said...

"Quaint arched bridge"? That, in fact, is the Old North Bridge - as Emerson wrote, by that "rude bridge" was fired "the shot heard 'round the world." The battle of Concord, the first major campaign that began the American Revolution, happened on that bridge.

Sorry to reply to an old post - I wish I had been able to follow along while you went on this trip! I do a lot of literary travels myself.