Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and Concord Center

We love visiting beautiful Concord, MA, especially in the autumn.

Amanda was home for a couple of days in mid-October so on a particularly sunny afternoon we decided to visit Concord for a few hours of fun.

That almost always includes a visit to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (click here for last October's Sleepy Hollow post, much more in-depth!).

A closeup of gifts that visitors have left on top of Emerson's grave.

... and in front of Thoreau's grave.


Louisa May Alcott's grave.

And one of the black squirrels that make their home in the cemetery. All of the Sammy Squirrels in our yard are gray (with an occasional red squirrel), so I was quite excited to see this little fellow and his friends as I have never seen a black squirrel before!

After the cemetery we visited Concord Center.

Here is the beautiful (and reportedly haunted) Colonial Inn...

... that I blogged about here last year, including photos from inside the 'haunted' room!

Old church spires against blue autumn skies... gorgeous!

And the old graveyard right next to the church.

Concord Center is just so picturesque. We were a couple of weeks early for the peak fall foliage, but you can click here for my post from last year, Colors of Concord , to see how this exact spot turns spectacularly GOLDEN at the height of its autumn splendor!

Red Lamp Lady is still the mascot for the Concord Lamp & Shade shop. I think she'd look fantastic in our little cottage, but since we don't have any extra room or money these days, I'm afraid she won't be moving in with us...

The colors of autumn were everywhere...

...especially at one of Cafe Chatelaine's favorite shops, Nesting on Main!

They are geniuses with vignettes and arrangements...

I always want to bring a little bit of everything home with me!

There is eye candy around every nook, cranny, and corner.

Be still my heart.. I soooooooooooooooo would love this for our little cottage! Maybe some day!

So Happy 375th birthday, Concord!!! It is always SUCH a pleasure to visit you!

Donna

Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House...

...located in Concord, MA, is where Louisa May Alcott penned "Little Women," and what a magical place to visit! Her bedroom is on the second floor, right, front side of the house. In between the two front windows is a small, half-moon shaped desk that her father built for her, and that is where history was made. Shivers run down my spine every time I've taken the tour, standing right next to the desk where this classic was written.

(click any photos to enlarge)

In June of 1857, a then 24-year old Louisa May wrote in her journal:

"Read Charlotte Bronte's life. A very interesting, but sad one. So full of talent; and after working long, just as success, love, and happiness come, she dies. Wonder if I shall ever be famous enough for people to care to read my story and struggles. I can't be a C.B., but I may do a little something yet."

A little something? Oh my goodness! She did so much, but she is probably best known for the beloved, "Little Women," first published in 1869 (twelve years after that journal entry). As you can see, I have a small collection of Little Women books..


... as well as some other books about Louisa May Alcott's life. So let me show you a bit of Orchard House (dubbed Apple Slump by Louisa May Alcott).


Unfortunately, photos are not allowed to be taken inside the house, but I'll provide a link below where you can take a virtual tour through the house on-line. And I highly recommend taking the tour in person if you are ever in the Concord area! Don't you just love the door knocker on the front of Orchard House? (It reminds me of the door knocker that morphs into Marley's ghost in "A Christms Carol"!)

Now here is a photo that I took just a couple of weeks ago....

...and here is an 1874 photograph of the house from the exact same angle, with Mr. & Mrs. Alcott in the front yard...

A plaque by the back door of the house that now leads into the gift shop.

Flowers growing outside the study window...

This is Bronson Alcott's School of Philosophy, constructed in 1879, just behind Orchard House. (Bronson is Louisa May's father.)

You may remember that a couple of weeks ago I posted about Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, where all of the Alcotts are buried... (Here's Amanda at Louisa May Alcott's grave)..

Back in 1879, Louisa May wrote the following journal entry:

"October 8th Dear Marmee's birthday. Never forgotten. Lovely day....

(Alcott family plot)

...Go to Sleepy Hollow with flowers. Her grave is green, black berry vines with red leaves trail over it. A little white stone with her initials is at the head, & among the tall grass over her breast a little bird had made a nest....

Bird's nest on LMA's grave a couple of weeks ago

... Empty now, but a pretty symbol of the refuge that tender bosom always was for all feeble & sweet things. Her favorite asters bloomed all about, & the pines sang overhead. So she & dear Beth lie quietly asleep in God's Acre, & we remember them more tenderly with each year that brings us nearer them & home."

It was quite profound reading that journal entry after having just been at their graves a couple of weeks ago...

Right next door to Orchard House is The Wayside (you can read a bit more about it below). It was called Hillside when Louisa May Alcott lived there in her younger years, and she drew upon the many adventures she and her sisters had while living there when writing Little Women. She wrote of this house:

"I have at last got the little room I have wanted so long, and am very happy about it. It does me good to be alone, and Mother has made it very pretty and neat for me. My work-basket and desk are by the window and my closet is full of dired herbs that smell very nice."

(written by Louisa May Alcott, age 13,

in her journal, May, 1846)

Information regarding Hillside/The Wayside:

Click here to take a virtual tour of Orchard House

Click here for the official Orchard House/Louisa May Alcott website

I hope you enjoyed your visit to Orchard House!!!!

Donna

The colors of Concord...

I had expected all of my Concord posts to be up by the end of October. I'm clearly running behind schedule, so before autumn is but a distant memory, I'll share a bit more with you. Today I'll focus on Concord Center (where I picked up a couple of cute items that I'll show you at the end of this post)....

(click any photos to enlarge)

Amanda in front of an old home in Concord center. I don't know what this tree looks like right now but, as you can see, a couple of weeks ago it was dressed in golden splendor...


There's a very old cemetery between this old colonial home and the church to the left of it...


From this angle you can see the church and the cemetery while the house peeks out from behind the trees.


There are many signs and markers to stop and read as you stroll around Concord...

Adorable shops and eateries are everywhere...


This photo was taken inside of Nesting on Main, a gorgeous shop that Cafe Chatelaine has posted about several times...

Are you in the market for a vintage conversation piece that will also light up your little cottage?

I loved everything about this window display.... the horse lamp, the raffia pumpkins, the turkey fabric covering the table....

This home is actually a bit outside of Concord Center... Tomorrow I'm going to show you where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women, and this sweet little cottage is located right across the street so I couldn't resist snapping a picture of it... Isn't it adorable?

Okay, I promised to share what I bought! Each year I decorate the small Christmas tree in our dining room window with bird ornaments, so......


...when Mr. Blue Jay heard Amanda and I talking about how great he'd look on the tree, he asked if he could please come home with us...


...and since he's kind of sweet on Ms. Bluebird (who's sporting a bit of a duck bill rather than a beak!!), he asked if she could come home with us, too... How could I say no? They'll be perfect for our bird tree, and they'll always remind me of the wonderful little day trip Amanda and I took to historic Concord, MA!

See you tomorrow when I'll show you the house where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women...

COMMENT UPDATE: Hey, hipchick! We sure did visit Authors Ridge at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery! Loved it! We'd taken the girls there years & years ago when they were in elementary school so we were due for another visit!! Here's my October 29th post about it: Sleepy Hollow

Donna