Ralph Waldo Emerson House facts for kids
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Ralph Waldo Emerson House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Concord, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1828 |
| Part of | Concord Monument Square-Lexington Road Historic District (ID66000365) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000365 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 29, 1962 |
| Designated CP | September 13, 1977 |
The Ralph Waldo Emerson House is a special house in Concord, Massachusetts. It's now a museum where you can learn about Ralph Waldo Emerson. He was a famous American writer and thinker. His family called their home "Bush." You can visit the museum from mid-April to mid-October, but there's a ticket price. This house is so important that it's a National Historic Landmark.
A Home for a Famous Thinker
This house was built in 1828 by the Coolidge family. They called it "Coolidge Castle." It was a summer home located just outside the village. It was next to the Cambridge and Concord Turnpike road. The house is a two-story building with a simple, square shape. This style was very common in towns across New England back then.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was getting ready to marry Lydia Jackson. He told her he really wanted to live in Concord. He had lived there before at The Old Manse, which was his family's home. In July 1835, he wrote in his diary that he bought this house. He paid $3,500 for the house and a bit of land. He and Lydia got married on September 14 and moved in the very next day. Emerson's mother also moved in with them.
Emerson was happy he didn't have to build a new house. He did spend about $400 to $500 to make the house bigger and nicer. This money came from his first wife's family. She had passed away when she was young. Emerson hoped to fill his new home with "books and papers, and, if possible, wise friends." This house soon became a popular meeting spot for important thinkers, writers, and poets.
Emerson lived in this house for the rest of his life. Here, he wrote some of his most famous essays. These include "The American Scholar" and "Self Reliance." He also welcomed many well-known neighbors and visitors. These guests included Bronson and Louisa May Alcott, Margaret Fuller, and Henry David Thoreau. Starting in July 1836, the house hosted meetings of the Transcendental Club. This group included thinkers like Orestes Brownson and Theodore Parker.
In April 1841, Henry David Thoreau came to live with the Emerson family at Bush. Emerson wrote that Thoreau was a "great benefactor" because he was a hard worker. Thoreau later built his famous cabin on Emerson's land near Walden Pond. After his time living simply there, Thoreau returned to Bush in September 1847. He stayed until the next July.
While living in the house, Emerson published many important works. He released his book of Essays in 1841. A second series of essays followed in 1844. He also published two books of poems. These were Poems in 1846 and May-Day and Other Pieces in 1867. Emerson earned his living by giving lectures. He often gave as many as 80 lectures a year by the 1850s. In his lifetime, he gave about 1,500 lectures. His earnings allowed him to buy more land. He bought 11 acres of land by Walden Pond in 1844. A year later, he bought another 40 acres at Walden. This area became known as Emerson's Cliff.
On July 24, 1872, the house caught fire. Emerson ran out to get help from his neighbors. After the fire was put out, friends collected money to help with repairs. They raised about $12,000 in total. They also sent the Emersons on a trip to Europe and Egypt while the house was being fixed. In 1873, the Emersons returned to their restored home.
Emerson passed away in the house in 1882. His wife Lidian died there in 1892. Their daughter, Ellen Tucker Emerson, lived in the house until she died in 1909. Other friends and relatives lived there until 1948.
The House Today
Today, the Emerson family still owns the house. It first opened to the public as a private museum in 1930. It continues to operate as a museum, open during certain seasons of the year.
The inside of the house looks much like it did when Emerson lived there. You can see his original furniture and personal items. However, the furniture and books from his study are now on display at the Concord Museum across the street. His personal book collection has been moved to Harvard University's Houghton Library.
See also
