The Old Manse facts for kids
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Old Manse
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The Old Manse, as seen from Monument Street
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Concord, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1770 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000775 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 29, 1962 |
The Old Manse is a very old house in Concord, Massachusetts. It is famous because many important writers lived there. Today, it is a museum that you can visit. The Trustees of Reservations own and take care of it.
The house sits on Monument Street. The Concord River flows right behind it. It is also very close to the North Bridge. This bridge is part of Minute Man National Historical Park.
Contents
A Home Full of History
The Emerson Family's Time
The Old Manse was built in 1770. It was made for a minister named Rev. William Emerson. He was the grandfather of a famous writer, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Rev. Emerson was the town minister in Concord. He also helped the army during the American Revolutionary War.
Rev. Emerson saw the fight at the North Bridge. This was part of the Battle of Concord. He watched from his farm fields. His wife and children saw the battle from their home's upstairs windows.
Rev. Emerson passed away in 1776. His wife, Phebe Emerson, later married Rev. Ezra Ripley. He became the new minister in Concord. Their family kept living in the Old Manse. Rev. Ripley served the town for 63 years!
In 1834, Ralph Waldo Emerson moved to Concord. He lived at the Manse with his step-grandfather, Ezra Ripley. His mother, brother, and aunt also lived there. While living in this house, he wrote his important essay called "Nature." This essay helped start the Transcendentalist movement. He also proposed to Lydia Jackson from this house. After they married, they moved to another home in Concord.
The Hawthorne Family's Stay
In 1842, another famous American writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne, rented the Old Manse. He paid $100 a year. He moved in with his new wife, Sophia Peabody, on July 9, 1842. Sophia had visited Concord before. She loved the town and told Hawthorne about it.
Before they arrived, Henry David Thoreau planted a vegetable garden for them. It was a wedding gift! The garden had beans, peas, cabbages, and squash. The Hawthornes lived in the house for three years.
In the upstairs room, Hawthorne used a study. He and Sophia etched loving messages into the windowpanes. One message says, "Man's accidents are God's purposes. Sophia A. Hawthorne 1843." Another reads, "Nath Hawthorne This is his study."
While living here, the Hawthornes had many important visitors. Franklin Pierce, who later became President of the United States, visited them. Margaret Fuller, another famous writer, also came to see them.
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote many stories at the Old Manse. These included "The Birth-Mark" and "Rappaccini's Daughter." These stories were later put into a book called Mosses from an Old Manse (1846). In this book, he described the house. He called it "the gray front of the old parsonage." The Hawthornes moved out in 1845. The Ripley family wanted to live in the house again.
The Manse Today
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After the Hawthornes, Sarah Bradford Ripley lived in the house. The Emerson-Ripley family owned the house until 1939. Then, it became part of the Trustees of Reservations.
The house came with all its furniture and belongings. It has many old books, kitchen tools, and dishes. You can still see the original wallpaper and windows.
The Old Manse was named a National Historic Landmark in 1966. It is also a Massachusetts Archaeological/Historic Landmark.
Today, you can take guided tours of the Manse. The garden, first planted by Thoreau, has been replanted. The house also has a bookstore. It sells books about the American Revolution, women's history, and the writers who lived there.
See also
