Concord

Introducing Concord

Tall, white church steeples rise above ancient oaks, elms and maples in colonial Concord, giving the town a stateliness that belies the American Revolution drama that occurred centuries ago. Indeed, it is easy to see how writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau and Louisa May Alcott found their inspiration here. Concord was also the home of famed sculptor Daniel Chester French (who went on to create the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC).

These days travelers can relive history in Concord. Indeed, every year on Patriot’s Day history buffs re-enact the minutemen’s march to Concord, commemorating the battle with a ceremony at the Old North Bridge and a parade later in the day. Literary mavens might still experience Thoreau’s Garden of Eden at Walden Pond; and French’s legacy lives on at the DeCordova Sculpture Park. The homes of literary figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Louisa May Alcott are also open for visitors. For the less culturally inclined, the placid Concord River and the country roads are ­excellent for canoeing and cycling.

Last updated: Apr 20, 2009