Discover Concord - Spring 2022 Issue by Discover Concord MA

Discover

CONCORD SPRING 2022

Patriots’ Day 2022 Alive with Birds: William Brewster in Concord

PLUS!

THINGS TO SEE & DO THIS SPRING

The Muskets of the Battles of Lexington and Concord

Displaced Civilians and the Siege of Boston

The Deadly Hand of “The Irish Lafayette”

A S K U S A B O U T B U Y B E F O R E YO U S E L L

home is where something’s always cookin’ Nothing Compares.

R E C E N T LY S O L D

74 8 M A I N S T R E E T, C O N C O R D

BA R R E T TS I R .CO M

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Bedford

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978.371.3110

Concord

978.369.6453

Lexington

781.862.1700

Lincoln

781.259.4040

Westford

978.692.6141

Winchester 781.729.7900

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from the

FOUNDERS

“I am

reminded

of spring

by the

quality

of the

air…” Henry David Thoreau

Discover CONCORD

| Spring 2022

There is something enduringly hopeful about spring. As Thoreau so rightly observed, a certain quality of the air. A sense that new things are coming, as well as the comfort of familiar patterns that shape each season of our lives. This spring will bring changes, as all seasons do. And as we embrace those changes, we will look to the traditions of years past to ground us. We are fortunate, indeed, to live in a town of timelessness; a town both steeped in history and embracing the future. To the delight of locals and visitors alike, Patriots’ Day is live this year! Minute Man National Historical Park and the Concord Museum have an array of programs planned, starting on April 9 and continuing through April 19. See “Things to See & Do in Concord this Spring” (p. 12) and “Patriots’ Day 2022” (p. 14) for all the details. You may be surprised to learn that the firearms the minute and militia men carried on April 19, 1775, included a wide range of muskets from England, France, Holland, and the American colonies. “I Picked Up a Good French Gun: The Muskets of the Battles of Lexington and Concord” explores the weaponry of the day (p. 20). Last spring, we introduced you to the famed Marquis de Lafayette, a young Frenchman who played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. This year, we delve into the fascinating life of Lieutenant Francis Rawdon, a 19-year-old Irishman in His Majesty’s 5th Regiment of Foot. Dubbed “the Irish Lafayette,” Rawdon fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Follow Rawdon’s adventures from Ireland to Boston and back to England and Ireland in “The Deadly Hand of ‘The Irish Lafayette’” (p. 24). Ralph Waldo Emerson is, of course, a luminary among Concordians. We see his name and image frequently around town but how, exactly, does this Boston-born philosopher tie into Concord? “Emerson: Bridging Concord’s Past and Future” (p. 38) enlightens us.

We’re excited to see so many arts events scheduled for this spring. Meet two New England artists in “Artist Spotlight” (p. 60) and find out what’s happening in “Arts Around Town” (p. 72). If architecture is your passion, discover two very different styles in “Concord’s Conantum: A Satisfying Place to Live” (p. 52) and “The French Countryside Arrives in Concord” (p. 56). And we invite you to meet the man whose vision for Concord was one of calm grandeur based on the Colonial Revival style in “Harry B. Little: Colonial Revival Architecture in Concord“ (p. 58). With so much history behind our town and such a vibrant future ahead, we once again welcome spring and invite you to savor all that Concord has to offer.

Cynthia L. Baudendistel Co-Founder

Jennifer C. Schünemann Co-Founder

©Pierre Chiha Photographers

Spring is in the Air

A AW

RDED 20 22

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w w w. T h e At t i a s G r o u p. c o m 4 8

T hor e a u

S t r ee t,

C onc or d

M A

9 7 8 . 3 7 1 . 1 2 3 4

p. 14

contents Spring 2022

p. 20

12 14 18

Top Things to See & Do in Concord This Spring Patriots’ Day 2022: Remembering the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” An Illustrated Timeline of April 19, 1775 BY ERICA LOME

“I Picked up a Good French Gun” The Muskets of the Battles of Lexington and Concord BY ALEX CAIN

22 24

Spring Celebrations in West Concord! The Deadly Hand of “The Irish Lafayette” BY JAIMEE LEE JOROFF

H.W. Brands Uncovers America’s Long History of Civil Conflict BY SAM COPELAND

30 p. 30

p. 12

Friend of the Poor and Needy: The Life of Reverend Daniel Foster BY RICHARD SMITH

Contents Continued on Page 6

Discover CONCORD

| Spring 2022

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LISA KELLEY KIMBERLY ORR PAMELA SOLTES TRANSACTION MANAGER

Concord,

MARKETING MANAGER

978.621.0734

INTERIOR DESIGNER

T h e A t t i a s G r o u p. c o m

contents

p. 46

p. 52 p. 38

p. 50

Alive with Birds: William Brewster in Concord BY ERICA LOME, PhD

36 38

Finding the Balance: The Attias Group Works to Restore Historic Homes While Innovating for the Future Emerson: Bridging Concord’s Past and Future BY TAMMY ROSE

List of Shops and Restaurants

Walking Maps of Concord

p. 34

The Wright Tavern Reveals its Historic Roots BY TOM WILSON

Relocated: Displaced Civilians and the Siege of Boston BY KATIE TURNER GETTY

Flipping the Script: Women of the Old Manse BY MARYBETH KELLY

Concord’s Conantum: A Satisfying Place to Live BY EVE ISENBERG

Stories from Special Collections: The Art Collection BY ANKE VOSS Contents Continued on Page 8

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| Spring 2022

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Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.

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Discover CONCORD discoverconcordma.com

contents

CO-FOUNDER Cynthia L. Baudendistel CO-FOUNDER Jennifer C. Schünemann ART DIRECTOR Beth Pruett DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR Wilson S. Schünemann ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR Olga Gersh ADVISORY BOARD

p. 56

p. 72

The French Countryside Arrives in Concord BY BARBARA RHINES

Harry B. Little: Colonial Revival Architecture in Concord BY HENRY MOSS

60 p. 62 p. 74

Opening the Library’s Next Chapter

Series of Programs Offers Rich Explorations of Black Past, Present, and Future

Concord Trivia

Arts Around Town

A Fresh New Spring BY DAVE WITHERBEE

CONCORD TOUR COMPANY

Patricia Clarke

Debra Stark

SARA CAMPBELL

DEBRA’S NATURAL GOURMET

Marie Foley

Carol Thistle

REVOLUTIONARY CONCORD

CONCORD MUSEUM

Michael Glick

Jan Turnquist

CONCORD’S COLONIAL INN

LOUISA MAY ALCOTT’S ORCHARD HOUSE

Maria Madison

Steve Verrill

THE ROBBINS HOUSE

VERRILL FARM

Jennifer McGonigle

Jerry Wedge

JOY STREET LIFE + HOME

THE UMBRELLA ARTS CENTER

Robert Munro THE ROBBINS HOUSE

Jim White

Artist Spotlight

BY VICTOR CURRAN

Alida Orzechowski

MEMBER AT LARGE

MILLBROOK TARRY

BY MARISSA COTE

Bobbi Benson

Advertiser Index

© 2022 Voyager Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISSN 2688-5204 (Print) ISSN 2688-5212 (Online) For reprint and permission requests, please contact cynthia@voyager-publishing.com | 314.308.6611

COVER PHOTO: The Minute Man statue by sculptor Daniel Chester French photo ©Jennifer C. Schünemann AUTHORS/CONTRIBUTORS: Cynthia Baudendistel Alex Cain Pierre Chiha Sam Copeland Marissa Cote Victor Curran Katie Turner Getty Eve Isenberg Jaimee Leigh Joroff Marybeth Kelly Erica Lome Henry Moss Barbara Rhines Tammy Rose Jennifer C. Schünemann Richard Smith Anke Voss Liz West Tom Wilson Dave Witherbee PUBLISHED BY:

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION: Jennifer C. Schünemann at jennifer@voyager-publishing.com | 978.435.2266 8

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| Spring 2022

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A Concord tradition returns with an Earth Month art exhibition at The Umbrella in April leading up to the 32nd Annual Earth Day celebration. April 4–23

Birds of Prey Wildlife Encounter

Join the Concord Museum for a very special event: Birds of Prey Wildlife Encounter. Meet birds of prey and learn about their importance to the ecosystem with an educator from Mass Audubon. Species may include owls, falcons, hawks, vultures, and eagles. Through these powerful and graceful birds feel a true connection to all wildlife and the habitat we share. April 22 concordmuseum.org

Look to the sky this Earth Day! Build and decorate your own binoculars using toilet paper tubes and then use them to take a closer look at the artwork in Alive with Birds or to watch live birds in nature. April 22 concordmuseum.org

Discover CONCORD

| Spring 2022

Patriots’ Day event

Celebrate Courtesy of Concord Museum

Celebrate EARTH DAY

PATRIOT’S DAY

Join Minute Man National Historical Park April 9 – 19 for events honoring the men and women who fought for a new nation on April 19, 1775. See our article on p. 14 for more information or visit nps.gov/mima/planyourvisit/special-event.htm.

Stop by the Concord Museum for Patriots’ Day Town Night and see the new April 19, 1775 galleries, explore muskets of the time with arms expert Joel Bohy, and stay for a forum with Harvard Professor Jane Kamensky as she discusses lessons she has learned teaching a course on the American Revolution. April 12

Visit the Patriots’ Day Minuteman Encampment at the Concord Museum. “I haven’t a man who is afraid to go!” Visit the brave Acton Minutemen company in an encampment outside the Concord Museum on Patriots’ Day and see them drilling with muskets to prepare for battle, cooking over a firepit, and demonstrating colonial spinning and sewing. April 18

An Enemy Among Us! While you are visiting the Concord Museum on April 18, beware of a redcoat from the British Army roaming the galleries looking for provincial rebels and talk with him about the experiences of the redcoats, leading up to April 19, 1775.

©Jennifer Schünemann

Things to See & Do in Concord this Spring

Celebrate THE ARTS

Music seems to be the theme in Concord this spring, with an astonishing range of vocal concerts, music master classes, orchestral works, and even one of Puccini’s finest operas. Music is in the air!

Theatre lovers are in for a treat as Concord Players and The Umbrella Stage Company present a musical, a romantic comedy, and a thoughtprovoking drama to usher in spring.

See “Arts Around Town” on p. 72 for details on all of these events.

istock.com

The visual arts are also on display with a new exhibit featuring the work of three exciting Massachusetts-based artists at Three Stones Gallery. Artrageous and the Open Studio events return to The Umbrella Arts Center, and the work of emerging and established Black artists are featured in both the Main Gallery and the Black Box Gallery at The Umbrella. The Robbins House

11 12

Join The Robbins House for a celebration of Juneteenth this year. Specific events and dates are still in the works, so be sure to check their website for updates. robbinshouse.org

Courtesy of Concord Museum

Visit Alive with Birds: William Brewster in Concord at the Concord Museum. Explore the fascinating world of birds and get to know the famed ornithologist, William Brewster, who spent decades of his life in Concord observing and writing about birds. Why not start by reading our article, “Alive With Birds: William Brewster in Concord” on p. 34. March 4 – September 4 concordmuseum.org

13 Concord Museum Garden Tour

Revel in spring with Concord Museum’s 33rd Annual Garden Tour. The tour is taking place live this year, so dive in and savor the scent of roses, the touch of a feathery fern, and the warm breezes of spring. The tour is self-paced and self-guided. June 3 – 4 concordmuseum.org

Join Concord Recreation for its annual Stow Street Block Party, a free community event that will feature activities for all ages including Touch-a-Truck, music, food, games, and more. June 4 concordrec.com/306/Stow-Street-Block-Party

©Jennifer Schünemann

The Old Manse has stood on the bank of the Concord River since 1700, witnessing historic events and providing a home for several of Concord’s most famous residents. This spring, The Manse is debuting a new monthly tour, Flipping the Script, featuring stories of the women who lived there. Learn more in our article, “Flipping the Script: The Women of the Manse” on p. 50 and book your tickets online at thetrustees.org/theoldmanse.

Concord’s Colonial Inn

Enjoy al fresco dining as our town’s restaurants welcome you this spring with outdoor dining on a classic front porch (Concord’s Colonial Inn), a tucked-away patio (Fiorella’s Cucina), and more. See our “Where to Eat” list on p. 41 for more al fresco options.

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Remembering the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World”

Events surrounding the observance of Patriots’ Day are once again being presented live and you won’t want to miss them! After two years of honoring this special time virtually, we once again welcome people from around the world as we remember and celebrate the events that lead to the birth of our nation. Park rangers, docents, historians, reenactors, tour guides, and others have spent months planning and are ready to help you experience and understand the events and people that made history on April 19, 1775.

SATURDAY, APRIL 9

3:00 PM - The Capture of Paul Revere The Lincoln Minute Men, joined by other reenactment units, will relive the historic capture of Paul Revere with fife and drum music, a theatrical performance, and a musket fire salute. At the Paul Revere Capture Site in Lincoln, MA. 14

Discover CONCORD

| Spring 2022

SATURDAY, APRIL 16

10:30 AM – Explore the Elm Brook Hill (Bloody Angle) Battle Site with Edmund Foster Meet at Hartwell Tavern and join Edmund Foster as you explore the Bloody Angle (Elm Brook Hill) Battle Site. Edmund Foster, a militiaman from Reading, Massachusetts (portrayed by park volunteer Ed Hurley) will lead a tour to this key battle site where he fought on April 19, 1775. He will be joined by Lincoln historian and author Don Hafner. 10:45 AM – 12:45 PM – Caught in the Storm of War: The Civilian Experience of April 19, 1775 If you had to leave your home in a hurry, uncertain of your return, what would you take with you? Learn about the local civilians on April 19, 1775, who struggled to save their families and belongings from the path of war. Meet living history volunteers at the Hartwell

Tavern and the Captain William Smith House portraying colonial civilians. Starting at 11:45 am, with the sounds of battle approaching, they will hastily close up the house and head off down the road. Experience the stories of ordinary women and men whose lives were suddenly upended by war. The civilian evacuation scenario will begin at the Hartwell Tavern at 11:45 am and end near the Parker’s Revenge Site, a distance of nearly two miles. There you will be directed to the viewing area to see the tactical demonstration at 1:00 pm. 12:45 PM - Parker’s Revenge Captain Parker wants revenge for the militiamen killed in Lexington earlier that day, and he shall have it! Witness hundreds of British and colonial reenactors engage in a battle demonstration showing the running fight that took place along this deadly stretch of road on the border of

©istock.com/sphraner

PATRIOTS’ DAY 2022

©istock.com/flySnow

Lincoln and Lexington. After the demonstration you will have the opportunity to get up close and talk with these amazing volunteers and learn more about the British regulars and colonial militiamen who were there that fateful day.

SUNDAY, APRIL 17

1:30 – 4:30 PM - The Search of the Barrett Farm At 3:00 am on April 19, 1775, Colonel James Barrett was awoken by a messenger shouting for him – the King’s troops were coming to search the town and seize weapons! Colonel Barrett and his wife, Rebecca, raced to hide artillery, musket balls, cartridges, and more. Join costumed park rangers and volunteers at Barrett House (448 Barrett’s Mill Road) and learn more about colonial military preparations. Get ready because around 3:30 pm, British soldiers will arrive and conduct a search of the property, looking for supplies.

MONDAY, APRIL 18

7:50 – 8:45 PM – Patriot Vigil at the North Bridge As darkness descends upon the North Bridge battlefield, join in the lantern light procession and ceremony as you reflect on the events of April 19, 1775, and the meaning of liberty. The evening ceremony will feature a lanternlight procession, poetry, music, and a recitation of the names of the soldiers who gave their lives on that “ever-memorable” 19th of April. If you would like to participate in the lantern light procession, please bring your own enclosed candle lantern real candles only, no flashlights or LED lights out of respect for this hallowed ground.

TUESDAY, APRIL 19

11:30 AM - Arrival of the Sudbury Militia at the North Bridge The Sudbury Companies of Militia and Minute will make their annual march to the North Bridge in honor of their fellow townsmen who made the same march in 1775. They will fire volleys from the North Bridge in soldierly salute.

©Jennifer Schünemann

8:30 AM – North Bridge Fight Commemoration Commemorate Patriots’ Day with a dramatic battle demonstration involving colonial minutemen,

British regulars, and musket fire, marking the “shot heard ‘round the world.”

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National Park Service staff will be on hand to help guide you to parking, but please plan well ahead for these enormously popular events. Dress in layers, wear comfortable shoes, and bring water. Restrooms are available, but could be spaced far apart. Please stay behind the rope lines. While all reenactors are firing blanks, it is still dangerous to step into an active reenactment site. If park staff see a person cross the ropes, they will stop the entire scene to keep people safe. Please respect the hard work that goes into preparing these events, and abide by the rules. Muskets and cannon fire are loud. Those with sensitive hearing and small children may be more comfortable watching from a distance. And while your trusted furry friend may THINK he wants to come along, many dogs are frightened by loud noises. They might be more comfortable at home. The Patriot Vigil allows candle lanterns only. No flashlights or LED lighting please, out of respect for those who passed on this important day in our nation’s history. For updates on events – including what to do in the event of inclement weather – visit the National Park Service website at nps. gov/mima/planyourvisit/ special-event.htm.

| discoverconcordma.com

William Brewster in Concord Roger Tory Peterson

A Special Exhibition at the Concord Museum in Collaboration with

Anthony Elmer Crowell

With thanks to the Exhibition Sponsors

and generous Individual Donors

March 4

through

September 5

For hours and associated programs visit

www.concordmuseum.org

Guest Rooms – Restaurant and Tavern – Outdoor Patio Dining — Groups & Events

All in the Heart of Historic Concord Spring is here! Celebrate Patriot’s Day just a short walk from the Minute Man National Historic Park and the Old North Bridge. Walk to Concord Center’s charming sights and shops. Then come home to a cocktail on the patio and a delicious meal. Welcome to Concord’s Colonial Inn! We look forward to your visit.

www.concordscolonialinn.com 48 Monument Square - Concord, MA 01742

Hotel: 978.369.9200

Restaurants: 978.369.2373

Groups & Events: 978.341.8201

AN ILLUSTRATED TIMELINE OF

What happened on April 19, 1775? Explore this illustrated timeline for the full story. BY ERICA LOME

2:00 am - 4:30 am

10:30 pm

The Regulars, still on the banks of the Charles River, have lost the element of surprise. They begin their march to Concord, which will take them through Lexington. Meanwhile, Lexington’s militia await their arrival at Buckman’s Tavern.

APRIL 18, 1775 On the evening of April 18, 1775, Provincial leaders in Boston learn that General Gage is sending 700 British Regulars to raid a stockpile of military supplies in Concord. Paul Revere arranges for two lanterns to be lit in the belfry of North Church, signaling that the Regulars are heading out by water. 2 1

10:30 pm - 12:00 am

Revere and William Dawes, another alarm rider, set out, while British Regulars cross the Charles River. Both the lantern signal and additional riders serve to spread the alarm in all directions. Provincial forces begin to mobilize around the countryside.

12:00 am

Provincial leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock receive the news and leave Lexington to avoid the Regulars. Revere and Dawes then race toward Concord but are captured by a British patrol. A new rider, Samuel Prescott, carries on and alarms the people of Concord. Lantern, about 1775. Concord Museum Collection, Gift of Cummings E. Davis (1886); M400a1 Still images from the April 19, 1775 animation at the Concord Museum. Produced by RLMG. 3 Clock movement and dial, 1769. Concord Museum Collection, Gift of the Decorative Arts Fund with assistance of Malcolm R. Mahan (1975); F2512. Reproduction case made by William Huyett, 2020. Gift of William and Lauren Huyett. 4 Silver-hilted Sword, about 1760. Concord Museum Collection, Gift of Mrs. Chandler; A2060.1 6 Beam from the North Bridge, Concord, Massachusetts. Concord Museum Collection, Gift of the Town of Concord (1956); M2130 1

2,5,7

Discover CONCORD

| Spring 2022

“Here once the embattled farmers stood and fired the shot heard round the world” — RALPH WALDO EMERSON, Concord Hymn, 1837

9:00 am

5:00 am

The Provincials stationed above the North Bridge are alarmed to see smoke rising from the center of Concord. Believing that Regulars are ransacking the town, they ready for combat and march toward the bridge.

Drumbeats summon Lexington militia to gather on the Lexington Common as the British approach. Major John Pitcairn’s advance companies of 100 Regulars encounter Captain John Parker and his 60 men. Despite orders on both sides not to engage, a shot rings out. In response, the Regulars open fire. Seconds later, eight Provincials lay dead and ten more wounded.

4:30 pm

Eventually, outnumbered two to one, the British face some of the harshest fighting of the day near present-day Arlington. Many Regulars abandon their arms to lighten their load on the return to Boston. By now, Provincial forces total 3600 men.

The 100 British Regulars at the bridge open fire, killing two Provincials: Isaac Davis and Abner Hosmer. Major John Buttrick orders his men to return fire – the famous “shot heard round the world.” Three minutes later, three Regulars are dead and several more wounded.

The advance companies regroup and rejoin the main column of Regulars. Together, the soldiers resume the march to Concord. 4

12:00 pm

Having accomplished their mission, the Regulars begin marching back to Boston. However, their path is impeded by Provincial forces who keep up an encircling fire on the main column. The march turns into a 15-mile long battle.

7:30 pm

7:30 am

The British Regulars arrive in Concord. By then, 450 Provincial militia and minutemen have assembled near the North Bridge. The Regulars split up to secure the town’s bridges and destroy military supplies. Luckily, the Provincials had relocated most of the stockpile shortly before the raid. The Regulars set on fire or throw in the mill pond what little they find.

With 243 men killed, wounded, and missing, the Regulars barely make it back to Boston by sundown. The Siege of Boston begins.

2:00 pm

In Lexington, the returning Regulars are joined by a relief column of 1000 Regulars. By this point, the Provincial forces have grown to over 1500 men, a number that continues to increase as militiamen from all over Massachusetts join the fray.

An alarm system that began with two lit lanterns summoned 20,000 Provincials from across the region. This massive force confined the British Army to Boston for 11 months, a siege that ended with George Washington’s capture of Dorchester Heights. The occupying British troops left Massachusetts in March of 1776, never to return.

See the events of April 19, 1775 unfold at the Concord Museum online and in person! The new permanent galleries tell the story of that fateful day as never before, guided by artifacts and multi-media animations. The exhibition continues online with the Museum’s new ‘Shot Heard Round the World’ microsite which was officially recognized by the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. Shotheardroundworld.org and concordmuseum.org Erica Lome is the Peggy N. Gerry Curatorial Associate at the Concord Museum.

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“I Picked Up a Good French Gun” The Muskets of the Battles of Lexington and Concord

In 1774, a war between England and Massachusetts Bay Colony appeared inevitable. In preparation, Massachusetts militiamen relied upon muskets obtained from various sources: inheritance, the French and Indian War, the Siege of Louisbourg, and commercial markets. The result was a variety of weapons of different caliber, origins, and values. Thus, as Massachusetts soldiers marched off to war on April 19, 1775, it would not have been uncommon within the same militia company to see hunting guns, English muskets, Dutch muskets, Americanmade muskets (with parts from several sources), and French muskets. BRITISH-MADE GUNS Historically, pre-revolutionary Massachusetts Bay Colony encouraged its provincial soldiers to provide their own guns rather than rely upon the government to supply them. This effort was met with moderate success, and, as a

result, a wartime shortage often existed. Massachusetts was forced to petition Britain for military supplies. Unfortunately, the muskets and related equipment provided by the British government were not at the top of the line. Colonial governments traditionally received obsolete and older arms from Britain in times of crisis. For example, in the fall of 1755, thenGovernor Shirley described the 2,000 weapons he received from England as “Land muskets of the King’s pattern with double bridle locks, old pattern nosebands and wood rammers.” In 1756, an additional 10,000 similar muskets were shipped to the colonies, including Massachusetts. The descriptions of these muskets, particularly with the emphasis on “double

bridle locks,” suggest the muskets issued to Massachusetts provincial troops were the outdated 1730 King’s Pattern (often and erroneously referred to as the 1st Model Brown Bess). The 1730 King’s Pattern represented most muskets shipped from England to Massachusetts during the French and Indian War. The 1730 musket’s overall length was sixtyone inches, its barrel length was forty-five inches, and its caliber was .77. This firelock featured a double bridled lock, a wood ramrod, a brass noseband to slow wear on the stock’s fore end, and a redesigned oval trigger lock. Many of these English weapons remained in the hands of provincial troops following their service against the French and would have seen action again on April 19, 1775.

Original 1730 King’s Pattern musket manufactured by gunmaker Edward Cookes. International Military Antiques Quotation in the title is from Recollections of an Old Soldier: The Life of Captain David Perry, A Soldier of the French and Revolutionary Wars, self-published in 1822 by Captain Perry.

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©istock.com/Allkindza

BY ALEX CAIN

Alexander Cain

DUTCH-MADE GUNS While British and French muskets are probably the best known of the long arms used during the American Revolution, muskets of Dutch origin also saw action. Dutch gun makers centered in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Maastricht quickly established themselves as the premier arms makers in Europe. Because the British government could not always keep up with demand and wartime shortages during the French and Indian War, Massachusetts Bay Colony also received

18th Century Dutch musket, close up of lock

Dutch muskets made between 1706 and 1730. A Dutch musket was generally sixtyone inches in length, its barrel length was forty-five inches, and its caliber was .78. Its furniture was composed of iron or brass, the ramrods wood, and the lock plate was rounded (as opposed to flat). After the French and Indian War, at least 4,585 British and Dutch muskets remained in the hands of the Massachusetts provincials. When the American Revolution commenced, Massachusetts secured the help of Benjamin Franklin and purchased several thousand Dutch muskets. FRENCH-MADE GUNS The communities of St. Etienne and Tulle specialized in manufacturing French infantry weapons. A third central area of weapons manufacturing was Charleville. Throughout the early 18th century, French weapons were shipped to Canada to supply Canadian malice (militia) and French marines. As a result of continuous warfare with New England, it appears that two of the more common French guns ended up in the hands of many Massachusetts militiamen and were used at the battles of Lexington and Concord. These guns

1728 French Infantry Musket

were the 1728 Infantry Musket and the 1716/1734 Contract Fusil de Chasse. The 1728 French Infantry Musket was the contemporary of the 1730 King’s Pattern used by the British. Until the end of the French and Indian Wars, it was manufactured in large numbers by French arsenals at St. Etienne, Maubeuge, and Charleville. The 1728 model introduced the concept of a gun with three-barrel bands, allowing quick disassembly for repair and cleaning. Ramrods varied – some were wooden while others were metal. The furniture of the musket was typically iron, although there are a few surviving brassmounted examples of the 1728 musket from the French Navy. The 1728 French Infantry Musket was highly sought after by Massachusetts soldiers, and the weapon did see service on April 19, 1775. Of course, 1728 French Infantry Muskets were not the only muskets from France available to the minute and militiamen. The 1716 and 1734 Contract Fusil de Chasse hunting guns were also

veteranarms.com

were several centers of colonial gunsmithing in New England. The largest was in the suburban Boston area ranging roughly to the semicircle of today’s Route 128. There were many gun-making shops and even small firearm factories in the Worcester-Sutton area. Still farther west, there were a series of complex gun-making communities running up the Connecticut Valley. Generally speaking, the New Englandmade fowlers carried on April 19, 1775, fell into one of three categories: New England fowlers, Club Butt fowlers, or English Style fowlers. New England fowlers made up the largest group of guns and exhibited considerable French influence in their stock design and hardware. Club Butt fowlers were manufactured in Massachusetts and possibly Rhode Island. They have a decidedly convex curve to the underside of the buttstock that reflects a Dutch influence. English style fowling-pieces have characteristics of British fowlers and military muskets, and a stock profile similar to the sporting guns of the eighteenth century.

Reproduction 18th century Club Butt Fowler by Todd Bitler frontierpartisans.com

likely in the hands of Massachusetts troops at Lexington and Concord. These guns, manufactured at St. Etienne and Tulle, were slightly more slender than French military muskets, and varied in caliber between .60 and .62. In both the 1716 and 1734 versions, the Contract Fusil de Chasse had between forty-three and forty-six-inch length barrels, and its furniture was typically steel. Approximately 6,000 Fusil de Chasse guns were sent to Canada between 1716 and 1763 for Canadian malice but eventually ended up in New England hands. AMERICAN-MADE FOWLING GUNS By the mid-18th century, New England had established its own firearms manufacturing industry. According to the author and historian Merrill Lindsay, there

CONCLUSION The variety of weaponry in the ranks of Massachusetts soldiers would continue throughout the early years of the American Revolution, and it would not be until 1777 that Massachusetts was able to successfully standardize the weapons used by its soldiers in the fight against England. —————————————————————————— Alexander Cain frequently lectures on the military and social influences of April 19, 1775. He also owns the critically acclaimed blog and podcast “Historical Nerdery” (historicalnerdery.com). He is the Director of Education for a Boston area vocational college and resides in Massachusetts with his wife, Paula, and his two children, John and Abigail.

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The Death of General Warren on Bunker Hill by John Trumbull

The Deadly Hand of “The Irish Lafayette”

There are 34 muscles in the human hand. You can stretch them wide to claim something or clasp them tight to hold on. It depends on what your brain commands, but sometimes, it’s not up to you; the hand of fate cuts in and pushes you where you were never meant to be. In 1775, the English empire was reaching wide in two directions: to the east, England was trying to grasp more of India, where their East India Company had had a foothold since 1600; and to the west, it was trying to regain a tight hold on the American colonies, where rebel colonists were threatening to break free. Following 24

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BY JAIMEE LEIGH JOROFF the Boston tea party in December 1773, additional Loyalist forces were sent to Boston. Among them, stepping off a ship from Ireland, was 19-year-old Lieutenant Francis Rawdon, a battalion officer in one of the ten companies of His Majesty’s 5th Regiment of Foot. Born in 1754 with the proverbial silver spoon in hand, Rawdon was the eldest son and heir of the First Earl of Moira in County Down, Ireland, and the noble (and wealthy) English Lady Elizabeth Hastings. Throughout his lifetime, Rawdon would inherit and receive many titles and lands, but for now, Rawdon was tasked with guarding the port of Boston.

Nine months passed. Loyalist spies in Massachusetts suggested that weapons to supply a Continental Army were stockpiled in Concord. Near midnight on April 18, 1775, while Rawdon’s battalion remained in Boston, the 5th Regiment’s Light Infantry and Grenadier companies joined nearly 700 King’s troops and set out to find and destroy the stockpile. Colonist spies were also at work, messengers ready to report the direction the King’s men would travel. Two lanterns flickered to life in Boston’s Old North Church steeple signaling the Regulars would cross the Charles River and take the road through

Menotomy (present-day Arlington) to Concord. Paul Revere began his midnight ride to Concord shouting, “Awake! The Regulars are coming out!” A disastrous day for England unfolded with battles in Lexington and Concord. Amidst the many casualties in the King’s troops, from the 5th Regiment, five soldiers were killed, and 15, including three lieutenants, were badly injured. To replace one of the injured lieutenants, Rawdon was reassigned to the 5th Regiment’s Grenadier Company as second in command – a move that would have dire consequences for the colonists. Two months later, on June 17, Rawdon and his Grenadiers were on the downhill side of Breed’s Hill in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Above them, Major General Joseph Warren and the colonist militia were wreaking havoc upon the disadvantageously positioned Regulars. Twice the King’s troops unsuccessfully tried to fight their way up the blood-slicked hillside. Rawdon’s captain was shot in the head, and Rawdon took command of his company, leading the Grenadiers in a third charge up the hill. Suddenly, Rawdon spotted Major General Warren. Hand raising his gun, Rawdon aimed, squeezed the trigger, and shot Warren in the head, mortally wounding him. The symbolism of the major general’s death and the ultimate English success that day was a win for King George. But the rebellion didn’t end there; the American Revolutionary War was just starting. A year later, Rawdon wrote in a letter, “I hope we shall soon have done with these scoundrels, for one only dirties one’s fingers by meddling with them.” Over the next five years, Rawdon fought with the King’s army and rose in rank. Falling ill in 1781, he tried to return to Britain but was captured at sea and held hostage for a year before being released in a prisoner exchange with the colonists. Rawdon spent the next twenty years in England and Ireland, where he held multiple titles and properties, continued to move up the military ranks, was a seated member in both the Irish and English Houses of Parliament, and became the patron of Irish poet Thomas Moore. Rawdon also became close friends with the Prince of Wales, George IV, and at one point petitioned Parliament to make the prince the regent and allow him to rule in his father’s place when the King was wrapped in one of his bouts of insanity. The

men were exact opposites; where Rawdon was described as tall, athletic, and disciplined, the prince was rotund with a pants waist six feet in circumference, and a gluttonous appetite for women, food, opium, and other people’s money. Frequently in debt, the prince borrowed countless sums from Rawdon. Back in Ireland, rebellion was stirring. Ireland was under English rule, and by the 1790s, inspired by the independence won in America, a group of “United Irishmen” were demanding freedom from England. English forces swept through Ireland, like they had done in Concord, Massachusetts, searching

Francis Rawdon 1865 portrait by Martin Archer Shee

the countryside for rebel army weapons and leaders. The violence in Ireland was indiscriminate; innocents were executed, women brutalized, and properties burned. Although he was a Loyalist and had spoken in favor of similar activities in America, Rawdon vehemently decried these atrocities in Ireland. His support for the people of Ireland was so vocal that United Irishmen leader Theobald Wolfe Tone likened Rawdon to the French hero Marquis de Lafayette, who had lent aid to General Washington and helped America win the war against England. Tone nicknamed Rawdon “The Irish Lafayette.” In 1803, Rawden was made the commander in chief of British forces in Scotland. There he married the much younger Scottish Lady Flora Muir Campbell, Countess of Loudoun. By all accounts, their marriage was a happy one.

The same could not be said for Rawdon’s friend, Prince George IV, who, in 1795, had swiped right across his family tree and married his first cousin, Princess Caroline of Brunswick (remembered as the odiferous queen who infrequently changed her undergarments). Despising Caroline, the prince sought grounds for a divorce and called for an investigation of her. Known as “the Delicate Affair,” the investigation was full of bribery, spying, and lies. Sources vary, but many claim that Rawdon was deeply involved. Rawdon denied this, but his reputation was tarnished, and he was sent to be the governor general of far-off India, the position both an honor and a banishment. Rawdon governed India for ten years, during which he commanded two victorious wars, including defeating the fierce Gurkha warriors from Nepal. These victories cemented England’s hold of India. But his own place in the world had slipped. Never repaid for money he lent the Prince of Wales, one source suggests Rawdon’s debt was equivalent to £8,000,000 in today’s currency. He was forced to sell his lands in Ireland and a grand house in England where, by 1820, the Prince of Wales was now King George IV and no longer needed Rawdon. Rawdon spent the last years of his life in a lowly post as governor of Malta. After an injury suffered in a horse accident, Rawdon and his wife, Flora, sailed for England, but Rawdon died at sea off the coast of Italy. Upon his request, his body was buried in Malta. But even after death, there was one last thing Rawdon wished to hold on to. Before he died, he wrote a note asking that, after death, his right hand be cut off, preserved, and sent home with Flora to Scotland. His wish was followed, and when Flora died, she was buried with his hand clasped in hers. Two lights gone dark, holding on for eternity. For a list of sources referenced in this article, please contact the author at Barrow Bookstore. barrowbookstore@gmail.com ————————————————————————— A Concord native, Jaimee Joroff is Manager of the Barrow Bookstore in Concord Center, which specializes in Concord history, Transcendentalism, and literary figures. She has been an interpreter at most of Concord’s historic sites and is a licensed town guide.

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H.W. Brands Uncovers America’s Long History of Civil Conflict

In his new book, Our First Civil War, Pulitzernominated historian H.W. Brands sets out to tell the untold story of the American Revolution. He had long noted that the most bitter fighting of the Revolution was not between Americans and Britons but rather Americans and Americans, namely the patriots who wanted independence and the loyalists who did not. At the beginning of the book, Brands relates the aftermath of a battle between Americans in the Carolinas, wherein loyalists “went over the ground plunging their bayonets into everyone that exhibited any signs of life.” The animus came from both sides, yet this conflict has been largely forgotten in favor of the conflict between Americans and Britons. But the current divisions in American society inspired Brands to tell this forgotten story. Brands thinks we get important facts backwards in regard to the loyalists. As he points out, historical retrospect leads us to treat the decision for independence as the default for Americans in the 1770s, but in fact the opposite was true. “Loyalists just did what they had been doing before,” says Brands, “People like Washington and Franklin are the ones that have to be explained.”

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That explanation is more complex than it might appear. Washington was one of the richest men in Virginia, and Benjamin Franklin was an influential and worldfamous intellectual. Neither of them, it would seem, had any revolution-worthy grievances. “This is a question I pose to my students,” says Brands, “What would have to happen in the United States for you to say this is no longer your government and you’ll fight against it to create a new government? Most of my students cannot imagine anything like that. George Washington couldn’t imagine anything like that either ten years before the Declaration of Independence.” Unlike the Civil War of the 1860s, the conflict between patriots and loyalists did not fall along clear geographic lines. It pitted neighbor against neighbor and even split families. Brands relates one particularly moving example. William Franklin, as governor of New Jersey, had taken the loyalist side against his father. Benjamin Franklin was deeply wounded by this and took his grandson, William’s son, Temple Franklin, to Europe with himself to raise the boy as a patriot. Years later, Temple wished for his father and grandfather to

Photos courtesy of Doubleday

BY SAM COPELAND

reconcile, so he arranged a surprise meeting between them at a port in England. When William saw his father, he held out his hand and asked for forgiveness, but Franklin refused. Even as a man close to death, Benjamin Franklin could not reach over the divide that had split his family. Despite the intensity of the conflict between patriots and loyalists, it has nearly been forgotten. Brands attributes this to the mass exodus of loyalists from America following the war. Some 100,000 loyalists left for England, Canada, and the West Indies, leaving behind few physical symbols of what they had stood for. The new American society had no incentive to memorialize the loyalists and quickly went about constructing the myth of a unified war against the British. The British, for their part, had no incentive to memorialize the loyalists

either. “The loyalists were a reminder of a war that England had lost,” said Brands. “The British had no more enthusiasm for celebrating them than Americans today have for celebrating the South Vietnamese.” Although current politics are not mentioned in Our First Civil War, Brands admits that he was influenced by the divisions in American politics today. He insists that he is neither predicting nor not predicting civil war, but he hopes that his book affects the ways we think about civil conflict in general. “I realized this is a fundamental part of the American story,” says Brands. “We’re deeply divided today, but we’ve been that way from the very beginning. And in many ways, we’re less divided today than we were during the American Revolution.” From Brands’ perspective, outbursts of civil conflict, including the Civil War of the 1860s, are surfacings of a perennial tension and not an external disruption.

But the central lesson that Brands thinks we can learn from our first civil war is the unpredictability of civil conflict. Prior to the Revolution, no one could have predicted that America would split from England, least of all Washington and Franklin. Neither was it clear that the Americans could defeat the British. But most of all, no one could have predicted whether they would become a patriot or a loyalist. “Until individuals have to make a decision, they don’t make a decision,” says Brands, “and they don’t themselves know how they will choose until the moment of choosing comes.” From Brands’ perspective, neither group nor individual outcomes can be foreseen in civil conflicts. In historical matters, Brands lives by Hegel’s maxim that “The owl of Minerva flies at dusk.” “Should something like widespread insurgencies break out then historians could look back over the previous

ten years and see things leading up to that,” says Brands, “But nothing is inevitable until it happens.” Brands’ history is one of complexities and improbabilities, where a New England farmer fires the shot heard round the world. What he most wants readers to take from Our First Civil War is that “history and by extension current affairs are more complicated than you thought. The people who seem the most confident of their positions simply don’t know or are not willing to acknowledge the complications.” In recounting the lives of men like Washington and Franklin, Brands challenges us to think about them as though we do not know what they are about to do. In this way, he challenges us to realize that we do not ourselves know what we are about to do. ————————————————————————— Sam Copeland is a Concord native and a writer based in New York.

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Friend of the Poor and Needy:

The Life of Reverend Daniel Foster

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he and his family settled in at the Thoreau boarding house on Main Street, they became well acquainted with Concord’s abolitionists, including Mary Merrick Brooks, Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Thoreau family. Foster’s wife Dora, in particular, became good friends with Thoreau’s sister, Sophia. Things were rocky for Foster at the church. Not only did his abolitionism cause trouble with his congregation, but he openly outed himself as a Unitarian when he gave a sermon entitled, “The Bible; Not an Inspired Book”. Thoreau would mention in his journal that Concord’s Dr. Bartlett considered Foster to be “an infidel,” and he was not alone in that assessment; Foster’s ministry at the church lasted only a year. Thoreau, however,

Concord Trinitarian Church circa 1850

admired Foster, saying that the minister was “frank and manly,” while Emerson would remember Foster as a “brave, good pastor” with “certain heroic traits,” Despite his congregation’s frustration, Foster refused to soften his abolitionist stance, writing in his diary, “I feel a good deal anxious for I learn that some of the people are dissatisfied…because I make reference often to slavery. And so I…prepare sermons… in the hopes that they will convince these people of their errors and my truth.” The compromise of 1850 created a stronger Fugitive Slave Act, and Foster was appalled at the “abhorrent” legislation. He wrote dejectedly about the new law, “Oh my country, how hast thou fallen in this abject

All photos courtesy of the author

The list of Concord abolitionists is long, and the names of Thoreau, Alcott, Bigelow, and Brooks are assured in the town’s history. But for every famous name involved in abolitionism, many more remain forgotten. One of Concord’s heroes, while not exactly lost to history, is certainly not a household name: he was the Reverend Daniel Foster. Minister, abolitionist, Transcendentalist, and soldier, Foster continually put his career in jeopardy and ultimately died for his beliefs. He was, perhaps, the most radical of them all. Born in Hanover, New Hampshire, on December 10, 1816, to a family of eight sons and one daughter, Daniel was the fourth of nine children. Seven of the boys would attend Dartmouth College; six of them would become Congregational pastors. However, Daniel left Dartmouth in 1841 before graduating and headed west to Kentucky, where he taught school for two years. Kentucky was a slave state, and he would write in his diary that he “became an abolitionist from a settled conviction of the inherent sinfulness of Slavery, a conviction forced upon me by what I saw of the evilworkings of the system.” Foster returned to New Hampshire in 1843 and finished his degree at Dartmouth in 1845. He was ordained two years later and served as pastor at several churches in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Like his ministerial contemporaries, Theodore Parker and Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Foster’s abolitionism was unrelenting, and his constant sermons on slavery aroused the anger of many of his parishioners, leading to early dismissals from his churches. In 1851, after being asked to leave yet another church, this time in Chester, Massachusetts, Foster accepted the pastorate at the Trinitarian Church in Concord. As

BY RICHARD SMITH

Foster’s sermon book, now in the Massachusetts Historial Society

hour from thine elevation of honor into the deepest shame and crime.” And, sounding very much like his friend Henry Thoreau, he added, “I renounce and cast off all allegiance to our wicked government.” In April 1851, Thomas Sims, an escaped slave from Georgia living and working in Boston, became a victim of the new law and was arrested by Federal marshals. Foster, angered at Sims’ arrest by what he called “the hellhounds...in the employ of the slave power,” joined hundreds of demonstrators in Boston for an all-night vigil and was asked to lead them in prayer as Sims was led to the ship for deportation back to Savannah. The prayer, in which Foster asked God to “destroy the wicked power which rules us,” brought him some notoriety and was published in many newspapers. Henry Thoreau wrote approvingly of it in his journal: “The man who made the prayer...was Daniel Foster of Concord. I could not help feeling a slight degree of pride because of all the towns in the Commonwealth, Concord was the only one distinctly named as being represented in that tea-party…” Foster, in return, greatly admired Thoreau. When Walden was published in 1854, Foster bought a copy and enthusiastically read it aloud to his family. Daniel was next employed as a lecturing agent with the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. In his first year alone, he lectured 300 times in 87 different locations and raised $400 for the organization. But there were soon disagreements between Daniel

Foster’s name on the Concord Civil War memorial

and William Lloyd Garrison, and Daniel ended up quitting his job and leaving the Society in 1853. In 1857 he became the chaplain of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and it was there that he heard a speech by John Brown about Brown’s anti-slavery activities in Kansas. Like his friends Thoreau and Emerson, Foster became enamored with Brown; in a letter to a friend, he announced that he was “…convinced that our cause must receive a baptism of blood before it can be victorious. I expect to serve in Capt. John Brown’s company in the next Kansas war, which I hope is inevitable & near at hand.” Foster was as good as his word. In April 1857, he attended a meeting of the Kansas Aid Committee of Massachusetts, an organization whose members included Frank Sanborn of Concord, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, and George Luther Stearns, all future members of John Brown’s “Secret Six.” Foster spent the next couple of years shuttling between Kansas and Massachusetts as an agent for the Committee, teaching school in Kansas and returning to Massachusetts on occasion to give anti-slavery lectures to raise money for the Free Soil settlers back in Kansas. When the Civil War began in 1861, Daniel was back in Massachusetts, along with Dora and their four children. On August 13, 1862, he enlisted as a chaplain in the 33rd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. He resigned a year later and, in 1864, was

Foster’s grave in West Newbury, MA

commissioned a Captain in the newly formed 37th Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops. The regiment was at the Battle of Chaffin’s Farm near Richmond on September 30, 1864, when Foster and his company were sent forward to “test the enemy lines.” Some of the men went too far in advance and Foster was off searching for them when he was shot in his left side, just above his hip. He managed to stay on his horse and return to his regiment where, just before he died, he asked his men, who had laid him on the ground, to turn him around “as he had vowed that he would die facing the enemy.” Daniel Foster was 47 years old. Foster’s men and fellow officers raised the money to send his body home to his family. He was buried in Merrimack Cemetery in West Newbury, Massachusetts. Part of the inscription on his tombstone speaks of his devotion to his men and to the cause for which he gave his life: Greatly beloved and respected by the Officers of the Regiment and by his own men. Friend of the poor and needy. “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” ———————————————————————— Richard Smith has worked as a public historian in Concord for 21 years, specializing in Henry David Thoreau, the Transcendentalists, the Anti-Slavery movement, and the Civil War. He has written six books for Applewood Books and is a tour guide for Concord Tour Company.

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Mass Audubon Collection

John James Audubon, Black-billed Cuckoo, 1828.

Alive with Birds: William Brewster in Concord

One April morning in 1872, William Brewster (1851-1919) took the train from Cambridge to Concord to go birdwatching with a friend. Making their way to a nearby farm, a local resident expressed surprise at their coming all the way from Boston to hear a Woodcock sing. The journey was worth it, as Brewster later recorded in his journal: “In a few moments we heard the whistling of wings as the bird rose, and the next instant I saw him outlined against the Western sky, mounting straight up. [The bird] then began his song, an indescribable warbling mixture of liquid sounds. I was almost beside myself with excitement and pleasure and listened breathlessly for another repetition.” 34

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| Spring 2022

BY ERICA LOME, PhD William Brewster’s keen observations and poetical descriptions of birdlife made him one of the most important figures in the field of ornithology. Born and raised in Cambridge, Brewster dedicated his life to the study of birds and their habitats and later made a home for himself along the banks of the Concord River. As the first president of Mass Audubon, Brewster was also a fierce advocate for the protection of birds against commercial hunting and habitat loss. While his public legacy encompasses legislation, articles, books, and photography, it now includes a portion of the landscape he loved so dearly. In 2019, Mass Audubon received 143 acres of

Brewster’s original property and renamed the site Brewster’s Woods Wildlife Sanctuary. The Concord Museum is collaborating with Mass Audubon to tell Brewster’s story in a special exhibition in the Wallace Kane Gallery at the Museum March 4, 2022, through September 5, 2022. Alive with Birds: William Brewster in Concord will highlight works from the Museum of American Bird Art by acclaimed artists such as John James Audubon, Frank Weston Benson, and Anthony Elmer Crowell. ••• As a youth, William Brewster explored the fields, farms, meadows, and marshes

Chapin Library, Williams College, Gift of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

photographer, though only a handful of embraced alternate methods of observation just beyond his home on Brattle Street photos are directly attributed to him. It is using binoculars and cameras. He also in Cambridge, Massachusetts, collecting more apt to say that he was fully involved transitioned from strictly recording empirical eggs, nests, and bird specimens to study. in documenting the wildlife in and around data on birds, used in building taxonomies, Rather than follow his father’s footsteps into towards a more descriptive approach focused October Farm. Brewster describes dozens of banking, Brewster remained passionately scenarios where he and Gilbert spent the day on animal behavior, songs, and habitats. devoted to ornithology, of which he was Such close observation broadened Brewster’s taking photographs, and Gilbert was often primarily self-taught. He founded the Nuttall knowledge of the differing bird species in and in charge of staging encounters with birds, Ornithological Club in 1873 with a group locating their nests, and startling them so around Concord. of like-minded enthusiasts, which later they could be caught by the camera in midBird observation could be a painstaking grew into the American Ornithologists’ flight. In other cases, he interacted with birds process, but William Brewster had support Union. After his marriage to Caroline F. to soothe them. In one incident, a young owl, from Robert Gilbert, his field assistant and Kettell in 1878, Brewster built a new house described as “surly and untamable” finally companion. Born in Virginia, Gilbert made in Cambridge, which included a library learned to tolerate Gilbert “and and museum to hold his growing took raw meat from his fingers collection of mounted birds. He thanklessly enough but without became curator of mammals much active resentment.” Gilbert and birds at the Museum of visited and fed the bird daily for Comparative Zoology at Harvard a week, which finally allowed University in 1885. Brewster to photograph the bird Brewster had been a frequent up close. After Brewster’s death visitor to Concord since the 1860s, in 1919, Gilbert went on to work exploring the area with his lifelong for the Museum of Comparative friend Daniel Chester French. In Zoology and became an Associate 1890, he bought a tract of woodland of the American Ornithologists’ on the Concord River, known as Ball’s Union. In one letter to a colleague, Hill. He soon added to it Holden’s Gilbert reminisced about his time Hill, Davis’ Hill, and the John Barrett with Brewster, which he called “the Farm, with a farmhouse situated on good old days.” Monument Street dating back to the William Brewster spent his last eighteenth century. The combined day in Concord listening to “a glad property spanned 300 acres and choir of delightful bird music.” He Brewster renamed it October Farm. died two months later in July 1919, Brewster’s time at October Farm but his legacy lives on. Thanks overlapped with his tenure as the to Brewster, and Henry David first president of Mass Audubon, Thoreau before him, Concord has an organization founded by Harriet one of the longest records of bird Lawrence Hemenway and Minna arrival dates in North America. B. Hall. They advocated against the Portrait of William Brewster by Daniel Chester French, 1907. More than 200 ornithologists have killing of birds for the sale of their been active in the area for the last feathers and successfully advanced century, inspired by Thoreau and Brewster’s his way to Cambridge as a young man and legislation in Massachusetts to prohibit contributions to the field. Selections from was employed by Harvard Medical School, the trade of illegally hunted wildlife. This Brewster’s journals documenting his time where he assisted with the care of animals position marked a turning point in Brewster’s in Concord were published posthumously in the laboratories. He was hired by Brewster life, because for many years he followed the in October Farm (1936) and Concord River around 1897 when he was 27 years old. As a widely accepted practice of using a shotgun (1937). Just as William Brewster forged Black man, Gilbert’s participation in the field to collect specimens. He shot thousands of of ornithology was rare for the time; however, a connection to nature during his time birds in the 1870s and 1880s, donating most he became an experienced and accomplished in Concord, Brewster’s Woods, forever of them to Harvard. But by 1890, Brewster protected, will now provide even greater birder, able to identify different species from grew concerned about the visible decline in opportunities for new generations of both sight and sound. bird species and population and recognized birdwatchers. During a period of 23 years, Robert that this decline was “due chiefly or wholly to ————————————————————————— Gilbert’s duties evolved from general camp systematic persecution on the part of man.” Erica Lome is the Peggy N. Gerry Curatorial manager to skilled ornithological associate. As an experiment, Brewster vowed not Associate at the Concord Museum. Gilbert is often credited as a landscape to shoot a single bird at October Farm and

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Finding the Balance:

The Attias Group Works to Restore Historic Homes While Innovating for the Future

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| Spring 2022

©The Attias Group

The family-run Attias Group is Concord’s only non-franchise residential real estate office. We sat down with owner Zur Attias to learn more about his team’s passion for brokerage, unique interest in restoring historic homes, and bringing a fresh approach to developing new properties in the community. When The Attias Group decided to engage in renovation and new construction projects, they conducted a needs analysis to really look at what the community members desired for housing and where there were gaps. Several sharp trends emerged – the need for first-floor bedrooms and multiple office spaces, smaller footprints, and housing for empty-nesters and young families that offer walkability to town centers and amenities. Out of this needs analysis, The Attias Group is working on several different projects. Brainstorming with Bentley Building Corp., one of Concord’s most thoughtful and prolific builders, The Attias Group will represent them on a series of multifamily and smaller footprint homes in West Concord that offer terrific walkability. The second project – built by Attias – is a new construction, three-bedroom home. These aren’t readily available in Concord. Both projects provide great options for young families just getting started or empty-nesters looking to stay in the town they love as they scale down their need for space. The Attias Group has carefully curated a network of thoughtful developers to partner with in the quest to solve some of Concord’s housing challenges. A priority for Zur Attias is to work closely with builders, contractors, and other vendors who live here in Concord. “When you live right here in Concord, you appreciate the details of a project and how it will impact your community – your fellow residents and your own family,” he said.

“It’s very important to me that the projects we collaborate around have a lasting and positive impact. So it’s important to me to work alongside fellow Concordians.” Thoughtful Restoration Concord is so unique in the world, and a big part of that character and charm stems from the care and preservation of the historic homes that date back to before the United States became a country. Historic restoration is an essential part of protecting this history – but so is thoughtful renovation. This presents an option for hanging on to the story and charm of a building that might otherwise be torn down – and yet, allows that building to be updated to become useful and energy efficient to meet the needs of today’s families. “As a father, and as a member of this close-knit community, I think about what

kind of legacy I want to leave for my friends, my family, my sons,” said Zur. “Thoughtful restoration and architecturally-appropriate renovation are important tools to create homes for a modern generation while preserving the character and charm that make Concord such a special place.” Concord Culinary Homes is a project that focuses on restoring historic buildings rather than tearing them down. This community is built with a farm-to-table spirit built into every aspect of the parcel and homes. This gardenbased community with four homes includes protected natural views, restored wetlands (invasive plants are removed), and access to the land for neighbors to enjoy as well. The property features vegetable gardens for the residential community to enjoy – promoting healthy living and a passion for fresh foods. Any excess vegetables are to be donated to a local food pantry. Outdoor

Zur Attias named Top 10 Realtors to Follow in 2022 by USA Today space is further celebrated with an apple orchard, hammock stands, and a trail for the residents and surrounding neighbors to enjoy – including access to a pond and wild-grown berries. An outdoor cooking shed for all four homeowners to enjoy and a wildflower cutting garden encourage social time and a connection to nature. Concord Culinary Homes will be located on Hatch Farm Lane (formerly 430 Old Bedford Road) – a tribute to the history of the 2,000 sq ft farmhouse that will become a three-bedroom restoration project. The barn from the farm will be renovated into a fourbedroom home. And two additional homes will feature much sought-after first-floor bedrooms, great living space for a family to gather, and upstairs bedrooms to accommodate visiting kids and grandkids. Innovative Solutions and Future Forward Thinking New project collaborations also focus on areas that are walkable to rail stations and that prioritize using electricity rather than fossil fuels. Environmentally friendly upgrades include solar (or solar ready), heat pumps, and other innovative technologies. In a tribute to Concord’s modern architecture, The Attias Group has partnered with Mattworks, a local designer, to create what may be Concord’s only new construction one-bedroom home. “It’s an interesting design – very modern and in the tradition of Japanese architect Tadao Ando,” said Zur. “In a nod to the innovative approach of the The article made possible through the support of The Attias Group

Hatch Farm, pictured here, will be thoughtfully renovated as part of the Concord Culinary Homes project.

“Zur Attias of The Attias Group is consistently named Deck house, as well as the mid-century modern architecture of Conantum, this home will be an ultramodern concrete and glass structure. We are designing it for the person or couple who only needs one bedroom plus a study or library. Our local demographics have really changed, and we see that trend continuing. Two working adults living in the south end in Boston today may want to have a more healthy, artful life in Concord….an innovative home like this one may be what brings them here.” And so, The Attias Group works to balance the traditional and the new – the past and the future. “Thoughtful renovation and historical protections will always be an important part of ensuring the enduring nature of Concord,” said Zur. “But the future requires careful thought to integrate needed change without sacrificing our town’s character. Times are changing. Bylaws are changing. And an integrated awareness leads to thoughtfulness in design and planning,” said Zur. “This is such a rewarding experience – and it’s great to see how much my sons love it as well. As a Concordian, and as a father, to be a part of this important work is the very best legacy I could wish for.

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one of Massachusetts’ highestproducing residential real estate brokers. Attias helms the independent, family-run agency that prides itself on providing outstanding conciergelevel service for residential and real estate investment clients. With a breadth of industry experience, the team delivers business acumen in all areas of the buying and selling process. Optimizing profits for their sellers has always been a priority. His team has perfected a mix of specialized services and marketing strategies across many mediums. Additionally, Attias works on development projects in Greater Boston.” – usatoday.com, January 2022.

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EMERSON Bridging Concord’s Past and Future

BY TAMMY ROSE

Have you found yourself wandering around Concord and wondering exactly how Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) is connected to the central story of the town? The philosopher’s name is everywhere, his name connected to every story somehow. He has a connection to the Revolutionary War and was also central to planting Transcendental roots deep in Concord, anchoring it as a movement, acting as the intellectual bridge to both the past and the future. Here is a quick rundown on how his own life connects Concord’s past to its future.

A BRIDGE TO THE PAST

The Old Manse and North Bridge Emerson was born in Boston, but his family had deep ties to the Old Manse, and he would spend time there as a child. His aunt, Mary Moody Emerson (1774-1863), witnessed the “shot heard round the world” as her mother held her, watching the fight on the North Bridge from the window. She would be an influential intellectual figure in Emerson’s life, an independent scholar, and prolific letter writer herself. Emerson was educated at Harvard, where he graduated at the exact middle of his class. He became a minister, got married, and was, sadly, widowed shortly after. This shook him to his core. He had come from a long line of ministers but no longer believed in acting the role of the religious go-between for people’s spiritual needs. He left his formal religious ministry in Boston in 1832 and, like many people pondering a life crisis and career switch, he traveled around

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Ralph Waldo Emerson by Frederick Gutekunst, 1875

America and Europe. In October of 1834, his wanderings led him back to his origins, and he moved to the Old Manse in Concord, where his new life would begin. He was living with his elderly stepgrandfather, Ezra Ripley, as he began to write his first major work, Nature. Emerson put into words the idea that the divine can be found in the natural world and did not need the intervention of traditional religious ceremonies or appointed holy people. It would form the basis of thought behind the movement of Transcendentalism, and so the second Concord revolution would begin, on hallowed ground, in view of the base of the North Bridge.

The Emerson Residence When he chose to establish his home with his second wife, Lidian, he bought the house called Bush in 1835, centrally located across the street from the building that now houses the Concord Museum. The Transcendental Club began meeting in 1836, just as Nature was being published, and continued at various locations, including Emerson’s house, until 1840, when the members transitioned more into publication and formed the magazine The Dial to join their thoughts together in print. Emerson hired Margaret Fuller (18101850) to edit the magazine, although she was never paid for her work. He would soon get to know the locals, including an eager young Harvard graduate who was well on his way to becoming a Townie. Emerson asked him if he kept a journal, and Henry David Thoreau would go on to write two million words in the journal alone, as well as several books and essays. Emerson’s presence attracted other intellectuals, including the Alcotts who moved to Concord in 1840 and Nathaniel Hawthorne, who took up residence at the Old Manse in 1842. Emerson and Walden Woods Even though Thoreau’s vision of Walden seems to be the one in the spotlight today, Emerson was key in granting him the use of the land and in preserving the land itself. Emerson was in the habit of walking out to Walden once or twice a week and reading on its shore. He took inspiration for his early Transcendental writings from those walks.

One day in 1844, he ran into some men selling a parcel of land touching the shore. He bought 11 acres at $8.10 each, known as the Wyman Lot, and later bought another 41 acres across the Pond, including what is now known as Emerson’s Cliff. Thoreau had initially wanted to build on Flint’s Pond for his experiment in living but was rejected by the owners. He then turned to his friend, the new landowner of a scenic spot by the shores of Walden, and history was made. Thoreau built a cabin on the shores of Walden, spent two years, two months, and two days there, and eventually wrote and published Walden.

A BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE

Emerson was fêted in his lifetime and did what he could to support future generations and the young minds and talent in town. He would appear and/or offer the dedication

address at all the town events, including the opening of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (1855), the Concord Free Public Library (1873), and the Minute Man statue at the North Bridge (1875), which holds the words to his 1837 Concord Hymn on the

©Jim Coutré Photography

Sculpted by Daniel Chester French, 1914

pedestal. Today, we can see two sculptures of Emerson, both created by French, at the Concord Free Public Library. The bust, carved in 1883/1884 from an original model created in 1879, so impressed Emerson that he exclaimed, “Dan, that’s the face I shave!” But it is the other grander, seated statue that fully captures Emerson’s idealized persona, even though it wasn’t commissioned until after his death. Visiting this statue in the library lobby, one can see how it could be seen as the model for French’s later, best-known work, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. Unveiled in 1914, the sculpture of Emerson happily haunts the Concord Free Public Library to this day, reminding the living of his influence on the freedom of thought. ————————————————————————— Tammy Rose is the founder of Transcendental Concord.com, a community platform which celebrates Concord’s history and literature, and the people who keep them both alive.

All images courtesy of the Concord Free Public Library

For Further Reading

Residence of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1875

Baker, Carlos. Emerson among the Eccentrics: A Group Portrait. Penguin Books, 1997. Cramer, Jeffrey S. Solid Seasons: The Friendship of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Counterpoint, 2020. Hall, Robert C.W. “Em_con_49 -- Herbert Wendell Gleason. Walden from Emerson’s Cliff.: Special Collections: Concord Free Public Library.” Em_Con_49 -- Herbert Wendell Gleason. Walden from Emerson’s Cliff. | Special Collections | Concord Free Public Library, concordlibrary.org/ special-collections Maynard, W. Barksdale. “Emerson’s ‘Wyman Lot’: Forgotten Context for Thoreau’s House at Walden.” The Concord Saunterer, vol. 12/13, The Thoreau Society, Inc, 2004, pp. 59–84, jstor.org/ stable/23395273 Wilson, Leslie Perrin. “Emerson Statue Celebration: Special Collections: Concord Free Public Library.” Emerson Statue Celebration | Special Collections | Concord Free Public Library, 16 May 2014, concordlibrary.org/special-collections

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CONCORD& Surrounding Areas WHERE TO STAY Concord Center Concord’s Colonial Inn North Bridge Inn

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740 Elm St 320 Baker Ave

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West Concord 32 Main St 39 Main St 18 Walden St 79 Main St 29 Main St 16 Walden St 69 Main St 29 Walden St 9 Walden St 65 Main St 21 Walden St 77 Lowell Rd 32 Main St 9 Independence Court 1 Walden St 32 Main St 4 Walden St 46 Main St 79 Main St 8 Walden St 40 Main St 49 Main St 36 Main St 16 Walden St 14 Walden St 10 Walden St 94 Elm St 25 Main St 44 Main St 28 Walden St 59 Main St 19 Walden St 32 Main St 38 Main St 41 Main St 81 Main St 13 Walden St 25 Walden St 32 Main St 28 Main St 18 Walden St 23 Walden St

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442 Fitchburg Tpke 11 Wheeler Rd

Thoreau Depot ATA Cycles Concord Optical Concord Provisions Frame-ables Juju Period Furniture Hardware

93 Thoreau St 80 Thoreau St 75 Thoreau St 111 Thoreau St 82 Thoreau St 113 Thoreau St

A New Leaf Belle on Heels Concord Firefly Concord Flower Shop Concord Outfitters Debra’s Natural Gourmet Forever Tile J’aim Home · Lifestyle Joy Street Life + Home Loveday Rare Elements Reflections Sun Stone Studio West Concord Pharmacy West Concord Wine & Spirits

74 Commonwealth Ave 23 Commonwealth Ave 33 Commonwealth Ave 135 Commonwealth Ave 113 Commonwealth Ave 98 Commonwealth Ave 45 Commonwealth Ave 84a Commonwealth Ave 49 Commonwealth Ave 115 Commonwealth Ave 33 Bradford St 101 Commonwealth Ave 107 Commonwealth Ave 1212 Main St 1215 Main St

WHERE TO EAT Concord Center Caffè Nero Comella’s Concord’s Colonial Inn 1 Fiorella’s Cucina 1 Haute Coffee Helen’s Restaurant Main Streets Market & Café 1 Sally Ann’s Bakery & Food Shop

55 Main St 33 Main St 48 Monument Square 24 Walden St 12 Walden St 17 Main St 42 Main St 73 Main St

Thoreau Depot 80 Thoreau 1 Bedford Farms Ice Cream Chang An Restaurant Dunkin’ Farfalle Italian Market Café Karma Concord Asian Fusion 1 New London Style Pizza Sorrento’s Brick Oven Pizzeria Starbucks

80 Thoreau St 68 Thoreau St 10 Concord Crossing 117 Thoreau St 26 Concord Crossing 105 Thoreau St 71 Thoreau St 58 Thoreau St 159 Sudbury Rd

West Concord Adelita 1 Club Car Café 1 Concord Teacakes Dino’s Kouzina & Pizzeria Dunkin’ Nashoba Brook Bakery Reasons to Be Cheerful Saltbox Kitchen Walden Italian Kitchen Woods Hill Table 1

1200 Main St 20 Commonwealth Ave 59 Commonwealth Ave 1135 Main St 1191 Main St 152 Commonwealth Ave 110 Commonwealth Ave 84 Commonwealth Ave 92 Commonwealth Ave 24 Commonwealth Ave

1 Call for al fresco dining options

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CONCORD CENTER

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Barrett Sotheby’s Int’l Realty

Concord Players

Landvest Nesting North Bridge Inn Patina Green The Umbrella Arts Center

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Inkstone Architects

William Raveis

Fiorella’s Cucina

Engel & Völkers

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Concord’s Colonial Inn

Compass Real Estate

Coldwell Banker Realty (two locations)

The Cheese Shop

Barrow Bookstore

Artisan’s Way

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Artinian Jewelry

Revolutionary Concord

The Concord Toy Box

Albright Art Supply

Featured Businesses

THOREAU DEPOT

Points of Interest A

Concord Train Station

90 Thoreau St

United States Post Office

35 Beharrell St

West Concord Train Station

Commonwealth Ave & Main St

Featured Businesses

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A New Leaf

Appleton Design Group

The Attias Group

Concord Flower Shop

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Concord Teacakes

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West Concord Wine & Spirits

Adelita

Debra’s Natural Gourmet Dunkin’ (two locations) J’aim Home • Lifestyle Joy Street Life + Home Reflections Woods Hill Table Verrill Farm

WEST CONCORD

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Concord Visitor Center

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Lang St

Martin Rd

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Lexington Rd Ca mb rid B ge Tu rnp ike

Concord Center — See detailed map on earlier page

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North Bridge Visitor Center 174 Liberty St Old Hill Burying Ground 2-12 Monument Sq The Old Manse 269 Monument St Ralph Waldo Emerson House 28 Cambridge Turnpike The Robbins House 320 Monument St Sleepy Hollow Cemetery & Authors Ridge 120 Bedford St South Burying Ground Main St & Keyes Rd Walden Pond State Reservation 915 Walden St The Wayside 455 Lexington Rd

Concord Free Public Library 129 Main St Concord Museum 200 Lexington Rd Concord Visitor Center 62 58 Main St Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House 399 Lexington Rd Minute Man National Historical Park 250 N. Great Rd (Lincoln) The North Bridge

Points of Interest d tR Prescot

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The Wright Tavern Reveals its Historic Roots

Photo by Alfred Munroe, late 1800s

In Concord’s center, there stands an iconic red building. Known as the Wright Tavern, the building is 275 years old and has been closed to the public for more than 30 years (except for a brief time when operated by Concord Museum). That is about to change. In 1747, the township of Concord sold a half-acre of land to Captain Ephraim Jones. The militia’s training grounds (the area in front of the Colonial Inn) were eroding into the nearby Mill Brook, and Jones was required to fix that problem as a requirement of the purchase. He was successful and built a large home that also became a tavern.

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During the colonial period, taverns served as important community centers, where people could learn current events, hear from travelers, and discuss politics and the latest gossip. The Wright Tavern was ideally located between the Meeting House (now the First Parish in Concord) and the training grounds for the militia. When the militia was training and the churchgoers were attending six-hour Sunday services, the Tavern was a wonderful place for refreshments and relaxation. Since water was often not healthy, ale, rum, cider, and other refreshments were both pleasing and considered to have favorable medicinal properties.

The land on which the Tavern sits once belonged to Reverend Peter Bulkeley, a nonconforming Puritan minister who was one of the founders of Concord. It is meaningful that his ancestors were strong promoters of the Magna Carta, and his descendants included William Emerson and later Ralph Waldo Emerson. Thomas Munroe purchased the Tavern in 1751 and later sold it to Daniel Taylor in 1766. It is not clear when Amos Wright became its proprietor. He never owned the building, and he was considered a quiet, retiring, gentle man. The Tavern was successful, and, in a few years, events

Courtesy of Concord Free Public Library.

BY TOM WILSON

Photo courtesy of the author

Paul Revere and William Dawes. As they would forever associate Wright’s name with rode to Concord, the British captured Revere, this special place. but Prescott and Dawes escaped. Prescott In the 1700s, many citizens of the made it to Concord to alert the colonists the Massachusetts Bay Colony protested the redcoats were coming. increasingly stringent controls of the British Early that morning, the colonial militia Crown and Parliament. Protests against the leaders met in the Wright Tavern to develop Intolerable Acts, including the Boston Tea their plans for addressing this imminent Party, heightened tensions. On May 20, 1774, the British Parliament annulled the Massachusetts Charter of 1691, the governing doctrine of the Colony, and installed the Massachusetts Government Act. This Act severely reduced citizens’ participation and the authority of local officials. In response, the Massachusetts General Assembly met in Salem on October 5 and locked the doors to the meeting house. They wanted to prevent Major General Thomas Gage, the appointed Governor, from serving the order to dissolve them. After two days, they left and reconvened in Concord on October 11. The lock on the front door of Wright Tavern Here, the Assembly decided threat. Fortunately, previous spy reports had to hold the Massachusetts First Provincial warned them to move any weapons and Congress to “call together to maintain the supplies to safe hiding places. When the rights of the people.” They met in the (First British arrived at Meriam’s Corner, the militia Parish) Meeting House, but the planning leaders fled into the Concord hills. occurred in the Wright Tavern. Important As 700 British Regulars entered Concord, decisions were deliberated and made in they encountered a locked door to the the Tavern, then taken to the Congressional Wright Tavern. Amos Wright was ordered sessions for approval. at gun point to open and serve the British The most important of these decisions commanders — to which he complied. With was to withdraw Massachusetts from thoughtful foresight, his wife, Elizabeth, took British control and establish an independent the church’s communion silver, which was representative government. Massachusetts being kept in the Tavern, and hid it in soap was the first Colony to do so. John Hancock barrels, preventing it from being confiscated. was elected President and Benjamin Lincoln Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith and as Secretary. They became the de facto Major John Pitcairn settled into their new government for Massachusetts by taking command center at the Wright Tavern and control over the Colony outside of Boston, sent troops to search the town, looking for collecting taxes and fees meant for the rebel supplies. Smith and Pitcairn also sent British, and establishing a formal militia. troops to Colonel James Barrett’s farm, the They established governing committees, yet South Bridge, and the North Bridge. They no one knew where this would lead. These found little of value except three massive were clearly unlawful acts conspired in the 24-pound shot cannons buried near the Wright Tavern. Wright Tavern. Legend has it that Colonel Six months later, Concord would witness Smith said, as he was stirring his toddy with another significant historical event. In his finger, the British were going to “stir the the early hours of April 19, 1775, outside blood of the Yankees.” However, events at the Lexington, Dr. Samuel Prescott met up with

North Bridge did not go well for the redcoats. As the British Regulars retreated to Boston and gunfire faded into the distance, the townspeople met at the Wright Tavern to celebrate. This was a victorious day, and one also filled with concerns about the future. Amos Wright must have been quite pleased at the celebrations occurring at the Tavern. Based on the events of that day, the Tavern would forever be known as the Wright Tavern. Today’s Wright Tavern is being used for professional offices. First Parish in Concord, which has owned the building since 1885, has committed to opening the Wright Tavern and enabling it to take its rightful place in the stories of Concord’s history. The Wright Tavern Legacy Trust, a newly formed support organization, will oversee repairs and restorations, hoping to open the Tavern in early 2024 as the Wright Tavern “Center for the Exploration and Renewal of Democracy in America.” In October 2024, the Wright Tavern will participate in the re-enactment of the First Provincial Congress as part of the national celebration for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Creative programs are being planned with the Massachusetts REV250 team and Concord’s Office of Tourism. The project has received significant financial support from Concord through the Community Preservation Committee (CPC), but will need additional funding to make this vision a reality. The Wright Tavern holds a unique place in the history of Concord, of Massachusetts, and our nation. This building can remind us how a small group of people, whose time had come, put independent representative government into practice. Now it is our time. The Wright Tavern Legacy Trust is thrilled to be restoring this iconic building in the heart of Concord and creating a new space for us to remember, explore, and celebrate our heritage. For more information, contact the Wright Tavern Legacy Trust at tom@wrighttavern.org ————————————————————————— Tom Wilson is Chair of the Wright Tavern Legacy Trust.

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Relocated: Displaced Civilians and the Siege of Boston

I 48

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Excerpt from the Minutes of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, May 1, 1775

[1776] Map. loc.gov/item/gm71000622/

In the aftermath of the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, thousands of colonial militiamen trapped occupying British forces and ordinary civilians on the tiny Boston peninsula. As the provincials massed in the countryside around Boston and laid siege to the city, they blocked the one land route across Boston Neck, cutting off British access to surrounding towns. General Thomas Gage, senior commanding British officer, prohibited any civilians from leaving the city. All commerce, travel, and trade between Boston and local towns stopped. No fresh meat or produce from the country was carted to the city. Dysentery and fever raged throughout Boston as both civilians and British soldiers consumed only salt provisions. As desperation increased among the Bostonians, local officials negotiated with the British to allow civilians to leave the besieged city. In April and May, General Gage permitted some civilians to cross into the colonist-controlled countryside. As many as 130 of these desperate Bostonians would end up finding refuge in Concord. Not all Bostonians who wished to leave the city had the ability to pack up and move under their own power. Some were indigent due to age or illness. Others had already been struggling due to the Port Act and lacked the means to relocate themselves. The Massachusetts Provincial Congress resolved to aid in the removal process and facilitate the relocation of particularly vulnerable civilians. City officials provided certificates to relocating civilians attesting to their indigent status and recommending them to the care of various Massachusetts towns, including Concord. The Provincial Congress developed a schedule by which displaced persons would be relocated and hired wagons and drivers to transport whole families out of Boston.

The Town of Concord Archives, Early Town Records Collection

BY KATIE TURNER GETTY

Page, Thomas Hyde, Sir. A plan of the town of Boston and its environs, with the lines, batteries, and incampments of the British and American armies.

The Town of Concord Archives, Early Town Records Collection

Enoch Hopkins certificate

Displaced civilians fanned out all over Massachusetts. The Provincial Congress charged Concord with sheltering sixty-six individuals, but the town would end up accommodating at least twice that number. Bostonians began to arrive in Concord in May and continued to filter in throughout the summer and fall. As many as 130 Bostonians relocated to Concord during the siege of

Boston in 1775. Families of all sizes arrived, from single men traveling alone to lone women managing children, to larger families comprised of anywhere from five to nine individuals. Among them, Enoch Hopkins arrived in Concord with his wife, Mary, and seven children, Manasseh Morton arrived with seven family members, and Eunice Nichol with two.

Expecting this influx of displaced civilians, Concord had already voted to supply the Bostonians with accommodations and provisions in accordance with the Provincial Congress’ resolution. Townspeople opened their homes while town officials obtained lamb, pork, beef, veal, butter, and corn from local farmers and disbursed the provisions to the displaced families. Finally, in March 1776, General George Washington seized Dorchester Heights, forcing the British to evacuate Boston. About one month later, the Provincial Congress resolved that all displaced civilians could return to the city. Finally, after an eleven-month siege and nearly one year in Concord, Bostonians could go home. ———————————————————————— Katie Turner Getty is an independent researcher and writer based in the Boston area. She can be reached at katieturnergetty.com.

SOURCES The Town of Concord Archives, Early Town Records; The Town of Concord Archives, Town Record Book IV, (1746-1777); List of Boston families going to Concord, October 1775, Miscellaneous Bound Manuscripts, Massachusetts Historical Society; The Journals of Each Provincial Congress of Massachusetts ; Boston Town Meeting Minutes 22 April 1775, retrieved from Massachusetts Historical Society.

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Flipping the Script: The Women of the Old Manse

To visit The Old Manse – an elegant, thirteen-room colonial built on the banks of the Concord River in 1770 – is to experience pivotal moments in our nation’s history. Constructed for patriot minister William Emerson, the home was witness to the famous battle of April 19, 1775. Later, some of New England’s esteemed minds found inspiration inside its walls. In the 19th century, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne both called The Manse home for a time. Considered one of the country’s most historically significant homes, it remained in the famous Emerson family from 1770 until it was sold to The Trustees of Reservations in 1939. They have been winding the grandfather clock and inviting tourists to the beautiful, nine-acre estate ever since. For decades, the museum home has allowed visitors an up-close and personal view country’s beginning of all the original and right through the heirlooms and artifacts Great Depression, left by the family. their lives tell us a New to The Old good deal about our Manse is a tour entitled history, our country, “Flipping The Script,” and the role of where visitors learn women in a society the home’s history, not that has failed to from the perspective record the true stories of a few men, but of the “other half.” from the stories of Often referred to the women who Sophia Peabody Hawthorne as “The Emersonlived, toiled, created, Ripley home,” it birthed, and died is Phebe Walker Bliss’ bloodline that runs there. It is neither a “behind every great man through the family from 1770 to 1939. is a great woman,” story nor an “also ran.” Visitors will learn about Mary Moody These women, often over-shadowed by their Emerson, born at The Manse in 1774, who famous and accomplished husbands, have was in her mother’s arms overlooking the important stories of their own to tell. Ranging North Bridge on April 19, 1775. Mary went on in time from the first stewards of this sacred, to become one of the seminal influencers in native land at least 10,000 years ago, to our

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her nephew, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s, life. As he stated at his aunt’s memorial, “She danced to the music of her own imagination.” Visitors will also be introduced to the amazing talents of Sophia Amelia Peabody – painter, writer, and sculptor as well as Sarah Alden Bradford Ripley, one of the most intellectually accomplished people of the time. The stories of these women and others whose identities have been lost to history – the enslaved and indentured servants – are, at last, revealed. Flipping the Script tours can be booked online. Space is limited and pre-registration is encouraged. For more information, visit The Trustees of Reservations website at thetrustees.org/theoldmanse or call 978369-3909. ——————————————————————— Marybeth Kelley is a historical interpreter at The Trustees of the Reservations.

Photo courtesy of The Trustees of Reservations

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A Satisfying Place to Live

The neighborhood of Conantum, 104 homes on 195 acres of woodland hills along the Sudbury River in Concord, was conceived in 1950 as an experiment in speculative development. For a developer to make a modest profit, typically, he would keep the lots small and the roads and waterlines short, remove the trees and flatten the land, scraping off and selling the valuable topsoil. The novelty of Conantum, the brainchild of two MIT professors and an enlightened contractor, was to create a private organization of house buyers who would finance the process according to plans they 52

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BY EVE ISENBERG had agreed on. This allowed the development team flexibility in road layout, larger lot sizes, and considerate siting of the houses within the topography. The master plan included public space for boat storage, tennis courts, and, at one time, a ski slope. Carl Koch, MIT professor and the architect generally credited with the development of Conantum, describes the first house buyers in his 1958 book At Home with Tomorrow: “Since the project had begun at MIT… our initial group of buyers ran heavily to engineers – electrical, aeronautical, mechanical, and sanitary – together with a few maverick

social scientists, a brace of psychiatrists, mathematicians, architects, a smattering of lawyers, and one aspiring milkman.” The house design was based on a home that one of Koch’s associates had built for himself at half the square foot cost of the average custom home. He saved by using the simple house shape of four straight walls and a pitched roof, the gable ends of which were mostly glass, making the third story bright and usable without the need for cutting the roofline for dormers. The house was to be built on a slope with a livable first floor/basement of which one

Photos courtesy of the author

Concord’s Conantum

When you drive up to our house, you almost feel like you have arrived at a ‘cabin in the woods.’ side was all windows. Three stories were stacked, reducing costly foundations, and the house fitted into the slope, thus keeping a low profile. The dimensions of the roof and rooms were all based on lumber sizes, reducing cutting and waste. With a simple layout that could be flipped or tweaked and two frame sizes (24’ x 32’ or 24’ x 40’) that could be increased in increments of 5’, at least 40 different house models were built. Although Koch complained about some of the builders hired to construct the homes, on a whole they were, according to a third-party consultant, “superior to most speculative building and average for custom building.” Seventy years later, the neighborhood is as vibrant and active as ever with a Board and committees, membership dues, a newsletter, and a website. But are these economical houses still attractive to current buyers, or are they too small? I asked my Conantum clients what they thought: “We were attracted to the neighborhood first - friends recommended that we look here, and we loved the neighborhood’s design with houses well sited and many of them hidden away in the forest. When you drive up to our house, you almost feel like you have arrived at a ‘cabin in the woods.’ We were convinced immediately that we wanted to make this our home. We thought it was pretty much perfect as it was. A fun surprise was that a slight depression alongside our property turns into an iceskating forest in the winter. “We never wanted a big house, frankly. We don’t like our kids hiding out in their rooms. And, who wants to clean a big house. We were never worried our house would be too small because our living area is connected to the landscape. We have many floor-to-ceiling windows, and we are more or less living in a one-acre house.

“One improvement we’ve made is to remove the heavily quilted window coverings and replace all double hung single pane windows to increase our connection to outside. The family who lived in this house before us raised their two kids in the same

modifiable, which has allowed us to make minor interior renovations as our family grows and changes. “It’s easy to see a future here. On one hand we see ourselves growing older with our Conantum community in this space.

space and made very few modifications or enlargements, so we have tried to keep that tradition. To make our space more useful, we’ve rearranged the bathroom and the kitchen and replaced/improved the porch by adding a vaulted ceiling. We currently don’t actively use all of our 1,600 square feet, even though our kids are now in middle and high school. Because the house isn’t very large, we don’t use a lot of energy - heating primarily with a mini-split heat pump and a fireplace insert and cooling with the shade trees and the mini-split. The design is very

On the other hand, we may want to pass this house off to the next young family that can steward the property for the next generation. We strongly hope the Town considers incentivizing middle-class houses like these with their environmental efficiency and their flexibility for young families.” ————————————————————————— Eve Isenberg, Principal of the Concordbased, women-owned Inkstone Architects LLC, is a MA and NH registered architect and a Deck House owner in Concord.

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Stories From Special Collections:

The Art Collection BY ANKE VOSS

Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar, Reuben Rice, and Elizabeth Sherman Hoar purchased a portrait of Ralph Waldo Emerson, by Scottish historical painter, David Scott, for the Library, and a special committee of Concord citizens also presented a bust of William Munroe by Thomas Gould. Today, the CFPL is home to a unique art collection that emphasizes Concord, Massachusetts’ history, people, and culture. The William Munroe Special Collections curates over 200 pieces, including sculptures, paintings, and lithographs, from a wide variety of artists Monadnock by Alicia M. Keyes from Concord and beyond. The collection’s focus is works of art with an association to the Town of Concord, whether that is via the subject, donor, or the artist. Works include portraits of Emerson, Thoreau, and Alcott, Plaster sculpture of Simon Brown sculpture, and interpretations of Concord’s physical environment. Curating an art collection involves public The Philosophers’ Camp in the programming but also ongoing maintenance. Adirondacks by William James Recently we contracted with Skylight Stillman is one of the best-known Studios Inc., located in Woburn, to clean works in the art collection of and restore over a dozen plaster busts and the William Munroe Special objects in the Library’s collection. Starting in Collection. Our collection also the late fall of 2020, following an extensive includes many other noted pieces, including In addition to providing access to reading inventory and documentation project, Jim works by Daniel Chester French, N.C. Wyeth, materials, William Munroe also always Coutré Photography photographed the Washington Allston, Edwin Dalton Marchant, Library Corporation’s entire collection onintended for the Library to house works Elizabeth Wentworth of art. Thus, art has had a site. The updated digital images will serve as Roberts, Mary Ogden special place within the CFPL a record of the collection and support future Abbott, Alicia Keyes, since its founding. programming and outreach, on-site and May Alcott Nieriker, and Thanks to the generosity virtually. While over half of the collection is sculptor Louisa Lander. of donors, starting in 1873, on public view throughout the Library, the The collection the Library immediately complete collection is now on view virtually continues to grow, even began taking in pieces of on the Library website. during a pandemic! In art along with manuscripts, On your next visit to the Concord Free 2021, Special Collections Public Library, be sure to take some time to ephemera, and books. That received a gift of an year, the Concord Farmer’s enjoy the Library’s art treasures, or visit them exceptional painting by Club donated a bust of the online at concordlibrary.org. an unknown artist of printer, publisher, editor, ————————————————————————— Elizabeth Sherman Hoar writer, and politician Simon Anke Voss is Curator of the William Munroe (1814 - 1878) from the Brown, commissioned from Special Collections at Concord Free Public Elizabeth Sherman Hoar Brooks Hoar family. Daniel Chester French. Library. 54

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Concord dedicated the Concord Free Public Library (CFPL), located at the intersection of Main Street and Sudbury Road, on Wednesday, October 1, 1873. The Library was founded through the generosity and vision of William Munroe (1806-1877), a Concord native who made a fortune in dry goods and textiles and who provided funds to construct the library building and establish a model for joint public and private funding and governance that continues through today between the Town and the Library Corporation.

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The French Countryside Arrives in Concord BY BARBARA RHINES

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All photos courtesy of the author

At the end of a pastoral road in Concord, past crisp Colonials and a few mid-century modern Deck houses, there is an enchanting French Norman-style cottage. With leaded glass windows, a romantic, ivy-covered tower, and fascinating ancient brickwork patterns, the house evokes the European countryside. Surprisingly, this unique and seemingly antique home was built in 1965. The house was commissioned by an interior designer and her husband who fell in love with the traditional architecture of Normandy during their travels in Europe. The French Norman style is characterized by steep roofs, brick or stone construction, and often has a central tower, which in medieval times would have served as an attached farm structure to the main house. The original owner brought a studied eye to the building process and oversaw every detail of the construction. She hired highly skilled masons from Quebec to create the intricate patterns of brickwork. The story goes that this original owner would watch the masons at work and personally move individual bricks out of position before the mortar set to increase the romantic whimsy that she was after.

The current owners immediately fell in love with the property when they began house hunting. The husband remembers, “It was the second house we looked at in Concord, so we hesitated. How did it compare to what was out there when it was so unique?” They continued looking but quickly circled back. What the locals called “the castle” was something they couldn’t pass up. Today their children scramble up the tower stairs and peek over the banisters of the interior gallery, which runs along the formal living room’s vaulted ceiling. The home has had three owners in its history, and each subsequent owner put their stamp on the property while maintaining the original vision. The second owner was a landscape architect, and gardens and terraces were added, strengthening the home’s pastoral inspiration. The current owners are avid gardeners and delight in maintaining and expanding the perennial beds. The current owners also brought the interior in line with today’s way of living while carefully replicating and preserving architectural details. They brightened the interior with new French doors, making a better connection to the gardens. They also reworked the floor plan, expanding the kitchen and dining room to accommodate gatherings of friends, family, kids, and dogs. “We never tire of discovering the details that were put into this house,” says the wife. “From the rough plaster interior walls to the beautiful antique lighting, we can see that nothing was left to chance.” A mid-20th century couple had a dream of Romanesque Normandy and made it a reality in Concord. A 21st century family is still delighting in that vision. ———————————————————————————————— Barbara Rhines is a freelance writer in the Boston area specializing in architectural history, home renovation, and the decorative arts.

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Trinitarian Congregational Church

HARRY B. LITTLE

All photos courtesy of the author

Colonial Revival Architecture in Concord BY HENRY MOSS

Concord Center is a remarkable setting where our lives are comforted by continuity to a past of early patriotism, radical thinking, and stories of remarkable local residents. That continuity was intentionally reinforced by one local architect whose vision and talent placed unusually welldesigned buildings in locations where Colonial Revival architecture informs the image of Concord as a place built on its mythic past. Evolution of the streetscape that we now take for granted as the image and surround of Concord Center was far from serene. The Milldam Company was formed in 1828 to drain the existing mill pond and create a continuous commercial zone that provided spaces for gunsmiths, harness repairmen, shoe stores, and other vital services of that day. A century later, the young architect, Harry Britton Little, watched physical changes unfold along the Milldam and Main Street that included telephone

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poles lining both sides of the street, overhead wires and rails set in granite cobblestones for street railways, and the conversion of stables to car sales shops with garage workspaces. On Walden Street, he witnessed the Trinitarian Congregational Church burning to the ground. The resulting vacant sites on the Milldam were eyesores on the town he so admired. Helen’s

In 1914, Harry B. Little founded his own architecture firm. He married Miriam Barrett of Concord, and they moved into a house he designed on Simon Willard Road. This would be the start of a thirty-yearlong series of local buildings he completed while working as a partner in the firm that designed the National Cathedral in Washington and Trinity College Chapel in Hartford- both powerful examples of Gothic Revival ecclesiastical design. His vision for Concord was one of calmer grandeur. The Colonial Revival provided an architectural language that could be scaled for public spaces and fit well with street frontages and the civic landscape of Concord’s churches, library, banks, office buildings, and the comparative intimacy of shop windows. In sharp contrast, nationally recognized Concord architects Thomas Shaw and Andrew Hepburn (of the Boston firm that designed Colonial Williamsburg) sought to impose a far more aggressive renewal at the Milldam. They envisioned

replacing buildings on both sides along the Milldam, widening the street, and providing planned parking and service access. The redevelopment was proposed by A. Y. Gowan, a wealthy entrepreneur, who acquired the Abbot estate on Sudbury Road and tried to form a new real estate company that would welcome local investors. The proposed demolition aroused strong resistance locally, with authenticity cited as the key virtue of the existing buildings- rather than architectural quality. There may also have been concern about the concentration of Middlesex Savings Bank ownership that would displace the variety of independent family businesses. In in West Concord. In 1932, the Middlesex 1929 the proposal was withdrawn – perhaps Savings Bank rose to complete a triad of in part due to the onset of the Great commanding bank facades that had begun Depression? in the 1830s. In 1934, his design expanded Harry Little made a lasting impact on the Concord Free Public Library. He erased Concord with his style of architecture. the complicated Victorian presence of the He rebuilt the Trinitarian Congregational 1873 exterior by erecting new facades that Church on its previous foundation after it extended the building while preserving the burned in 1924. He was particularly proud multi-story, octagonal interior space. From of its fine steeple. It was the church’s third outside, a Jeffersonian dome and colonnade incarnation after previous fires, and it presided over the intersection of Main endures almost 100 years later. Street and Sudbury Road and emphasized In 1929, Harry Little designed The the consistency among early clapboard Antiquarian Society’s house on Lexington houses in its neighborhood. Apart from Road, which would later become the an occasional house, Concord Center has Concord Museum. The 1930s, despite the almost no Victorian architecture that is arrival of the Great Depression, heralded an assertive enough to break the spell cast by important series of buildings that shaped the period’s Colonial Revival vision of a quiet Concord’s civic architecture. In 1930, context for extraordinary lives. Little designed the Loring Fowler Library Harry Little was a master of scale and street presence in strikingly different contexts. He designed multi-paned bow windows to dominate the fronts of Helen’s Café and Anderson’s Market (now Main Streets Café). These emphasized the intimate scale of 18th and early 19th century shops in a way that contrasted with large plate glass Concord Free Public Library

111 Walden Street

shop fronts that had begun to dominate the street-level experience in neighboring buildings. Later, he focused on large but intentionally recessive brick office buildings. One example is the gabled addition to the clapboard Town House that faces Monument Street. Harry Britton Little’s stance on civic architecture may have helped inspire ideas for a recreation of a Colonial Concord, but the buildings he designed are of very high quality and were rebuilt without prior demolition. Concord is the beneficiary of his attachment to the town and the application of his design talent to its architectural coherence and selfimage as perfectly situated in a richly storied, historic America. Nationally, modernism came to displace historicist design within schools of architecture, on university campuses, and corporate centers after World War II. Little’s approach to architecture would be sidelined as derivative, but he always maintained that style was secondary to the orchestration of scale, proportion, and materials. Within the constraints and opportunities inherent in the Colonial Revival, he demonstrated true talent and imagination. Harry Britton Little deserves admiration as a designer and respect for his place in the transformation of Concord Center into the little-changed setting for our lives today. —————————————————————————— Henry Moss is a principal at Bruner/Cott Architects and a resident of Concord. He specializes in the restoration and reawakening of historic buildings as they extend the past into our current world.

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BY MARISSA COTE

Spotlight

STEVE IMRICH “A fifty-foot roll of paper can keep a kid busy for many hours,” remarked painter Steve Imrich, recalling how his mother supplied him with rolls of shelf paper for drawing as a child. Imrich, a Cambridge-based artist, remembers rolling out the giant substrate across his entire house, plotting action drawings like volcanic eruptions and battlefields. Imrich studied studio art in college but found himself drawn to the practicality of architecture. However, his interest in art persisted, and he now works full time on his painting practice. “It’s been a journey,” he said, “but I still feel as energized as when there was a roll of shelf paper beckoning.” As a trained pilot, Imrich notes that his experience flying from a young age “has led to investigations about the power of aerial perspective, or the big picture overview.” In addition to his conceptual and philosophical work, Imrich has been building a daily practice of sketching and observing life from all vantage points, not just aerial. He has a friendly, running competition with his West Coast-based daughter, sharing, “We try to do a sketch-a-day, and then trade image-texts with each other to get our days going. It’s a nice way to be less precious about making things, doing something in quick-time, and just keeping the toolbox full.” See more of Imrich’s work in SHELDON/ IMRICH at Concord Art and at steveimrich.com.

ALEXANDRA SHELDON At an early age, Cambridge-based artist Alexandra Sheldon had a desire to record things. As a young artist, she noticed how relaxed she felt throughout the process of making. She said, “It was like getting off the treadmill part of life and being in a timeless zone.” By 18, she was painting and drawing the landscape, compelled by its exceptional light. She notes her compulsion to record through making continues now. To this day, Sheldon’s practice is invigorated by a need to create a high volume of work, and to work often. This rigor allows her to enter a creative space of flow and discovery. She says, “I am after a feeling of looseness and freedom,” and that ethos is evident in her energetic, colorful collages and paintings. Recently, Sheldon has been creating collages from stacks of old drawings, prints, and paintings. She says that there is something liberating about collaging in sketchbooks, and diving into a project that offers momentum. “I can’t wait to work on it again,” she shared. “This is all an artist really wants: to feel connected to the work and be working.” See more of Sheldon’s work in SHELDON/IMRICH at Concord Art and at alexandrasheldon.com. ———————————————————————————————————————————— Marissa Cote is an artist and administrator living in Brighton, MA. She holds a BFA from MassArt. Cote is the Programs + Communications Manager at Concord Art, an arts non-profit dedicated to advancing and promoting the visual arts and artists through exhibitions, artist talks, educational programs, and more. Learn more by visiting concordart.org. 60

Discover CONCORD

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All photos courtesy of the author

Artist

In this series, we highlight two of the many artists who contribute to the deep creative culture of Concord. Throughout Concord, there are many organizations dedicated to uplifting the arts and artists through exhibitions, educational programs, performances, and workspace, such as The Concord Museum, Concord Art, and the Umbrella Arts Center. If you want to see art or further your own artistic skills, you can find an excellent school, gallery, or workspace in Concord.

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STUDIO 210

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STUDIO 306A

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STUDIO 307

STUDIO 215C Sarah Paino, Oil Paintings sarahpaino.com

Cynthia Katz, Photographer cynthia-katz.com

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Deborah Richardson, Handcrafted Sterling Silver and 14k Gold Jewelry deborahrichardson designs.com

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Jean Lightman, Fine Art in the Boston School Tradition jeanlightman.com

Barbara Willis, Fiber Arts barbara-h-willis.com

STUDIO 113

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STUDIO 218 Louise Arnold, Landscape Paintings, Giclée Prints & Cards louisearnoldart.com

TheUmbrellaArts.org/Studio-Arts | 40 Stow Street

A R T S

Opening the Library’s Next Chapter An interview with Emily Smith, Director of the Concord Free Public Library

Discover CONCORD

| Spring 2022

VC: You say the Teen Lounge can offer an escape from books. What a radical thing to say about a library! ES: Some people come here for a quiet place to read and think, and others come here for social contact. One way they can make that connection is by making a craft. When everyone is new at something, they can learn together, share a laugh, and meet neighbors they might not encounter otherwise. VC: What’s it like to lead a library in Concord, where there is so much literary history? ES: The library is about connecting community members with each other and with resources. One recent example is “Live Like Louisa May Alcott Day,” a program the library did to make history tangible. We made books and had people spinning yarn and roasting chestnuts. And hopefully, we inspired some folks to visit Orchard House. We invite people to come share their knowledge with the town. We have fabulous

lectures, music, and art, and in the Workshop, our new makerspace, we’ll invite people to learn in a different way, to try something new. Where everyone is a beginner, learning together encourages us to be more kind and generous with each other. That can have a ripple effect throughout the community. VC: I’d love to hear your thoughts about the library’s Special Collections, which is such a unique resource. ES: We’re adding more space to make more of the collection available and visible to the public. Anke Voss, the Curator of Special Collections, welcomes folks to examine objects like an original Alcott manuscript. She’ll even take your picture with the manuscript for you to share on social media. Where else can you do that? The Concord Museum is working with us to present an exhibit next year for the 150th anniversary of the founding of the library. We’ve got some exciting things planned.

Victor Curran: On the Concord Free Public Library website, you wrote, “It is a very exciting time to get to know the staff, to serve this wonderful community and all those who support the library.” You’re taking the reins in the final stages of an expansion that will radically change the way you engage with the community—and in the middle of a global pandemic. What do you see as your most urgent priorities? Emily Smith: First, our staff. To open our new spaces and provide new services and programs, we need to have all of our vacancies filled and all of our staff ready to go. Together we’ll be able to bring the dream into reality. Next, to serve the community. Many creative ideas have gone into designing new spaces to offer the services that the community wants. The Library Corporation did the hard work of raising the money and getting it built, and now it’s up us to make it happen. Young people want a space to call their own. The Teen Lounge and the study room will offer a choice of a quiet space or a not-so-quiet space that encourages collaboration. There’s school and there’s home, and the library is a “third space”—a place to just be, to escape the pressures of books, academics, sports, and so forth. We give kids somewhere just to breathe and enjoy being around their peers. In the pandemic, we hope to keep that social connection going here. The library is the place where everyone is welcome. Not everyone comes for the books. Some come for making, for doing things with their hands, and now we have a whole house dedicated to that. Another new space, the Goodwin Forum, can accommodate large meetings without disturbing other patrons using the library. It will include state-of-the-art technology and even a kitchen.

BY VICTOR CURRAN

VC: Some people see information technology as a threat to the printed word. You seem to be equally at home in both worlds. How are those worlds different—or maybe not so different? ES: Some people prefer print books and others prefer audiobooks or ebooks. The pandemic prompted many people to try ebooks for the first time, because you can check them out from the comfort of your home. There’s a space for everyone. I personally prefer to read ebooks because they’re convenient, but if a book is only available in print, I can easily get a printed copy. Certain books are better in print, such as graphic novels. We embrace all methods of getting information to people, whether it’s learning through technology, through another person, or through the written word. VC: I understand you’re a scout leader. How do your work with scouting and your experience as a parent inform your vision for the library? ES: My husband is the Cubmaster at the Thoreau School, and I’m the leader of the Concord-Carlisle Girl Scouts. We’ve gotten to

know many people through the school system and through the scouting community. Kids need experiences beyond school that help them learn to be good leaders—and good followers. In Girl Scouts, we learn to try, fail, and try again. That’s key for the Workshop here at the library. Kids need to know they don’t have to do everything right on the first try. When you do maker activities, if it doesn’t come out right, you go back and figure out what the problem was. The library is a safe space to learn in a different way than you do in a classroom. You’re supported as you try to find out more, try to figure it out with an expert—or maybe you become the expert! Scouting has taught me about doing programming that keeps kids engaged. It gives me an appreciation for our staff and the programs they offer for youth. VC: When you talk about the library, you emphasize collaboration. How will you and the staff complement each other? ES: I want to make sure that everyone who has an idea has an opportunity to

contribute and be heard. That also applies to the community; if the community asks for something, we listen, we hear, and we try to provide what the community wants. We want the excellence and innovation in our community to flourish in our new spaces. We’re on the cusp of finishing up this project and turning it over to the community, and that’s what gets me up every morning. Come see what the library has to offer. We’re getting ready to celebrate our 150th anniversary next year, and we’re excited to open the next chapter. ———————————————————————— Victor Curran writes and leads tours of historic Concord and is an interpreter at the Concord Museum and the Old Manse. He teaches courses and writes articles about the men and women who made Concord the home of American independence and imagination. He is a member and past president of the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library.

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Series of Programs Offers Rich Explorations of Black Past, Present, and Future

The Umbrella Stage Company presents George C. Wolfe’s The Colored Museum, May 20 - June 5 64

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| Spring 2022

Photos courtesy of The Umbrella Arts Center

The Umbrella Arts Center has set the stage for a bold season of artistic and cultural programs exploring the experience of being Black in America, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. From May 20 - June 5, The Umbrella’s professional Stage Company will present George C. Wolfe’s The Colored Museum, directed in a fresh, relevant way by Pascale Florestal, one of WBUR’s Artery 25: Artists of Color Transforming the Cultural Landscape. The powerful satire centers on a kind of character museum featuring eleven “exhibits” or vignettes that undermine Black stereotypes old and new, explore inter-community conflicts, and ultimately return to the facts of what being Black means. While tackling the racial legacy of America’s history seriously, the play does so with defiant humor. Parodying everything from classic Black theater to fashion models, from popular culture to traditional notions of the museum or cultural institution itself, Florestal says it “humanize[s] Black experiences so

Boston artist Cedric “Vise1” Douglas (shown with samples from his “Tools of Protest” project), curator of The Colored Museum: Past / Present / Future in The Umbrella Main Gallery

often presented merely as entertainment” and creates opportunities for positive dialogue around future race relations. In addition to talkbacks and community discussions, audiences will find its thoughtprovoking messages enhanced by and in dialogue with other Umbrella programs and partner events around town. In The Umbrella Main Gallery, curated by noted Boston artist Cedric “Vise1” Douglas, The Colored Museum: Past/Present/Future is a distinctive complementary exhibition of emerging and well-established Black artists from throughout the Northeast that loosely echoes, responds to, and challenges the play’s themes. From photography and comic illustration to fiber arts and algorithmic digital portraits, the diverse selection is organized into a mixed-media journey from African traditions to civil rights to Black Lives Matter to Afrofuturism. Also included is work from One Day I Will Walk Into The Umbrella, by late outsider artist Justin Printice Douglass, created through an Umbrella outreach

program while incarcerated in Concord and originally scheduled to show in 2020 when COVID closed the Gallery to the public. In addition, The Umbrella will partner with The Robbins House (RobbinsHouse.org) and the town’s African-American History of Concord Walking/Biking Tour (VisitConcord. org) series to offer collaborative theater and history packages and other community engagement events leading up to Juneteenth. A concurrent exhibition of work by regional teen artists curated by Nayda Cuevas on themes of race and racial justice will hang in The Umbrella’s Black Box Theater, in association with the “June Journeys” event series coordinated by the Concord/Carlisle/ Boston-based Communities Organized Against Racism (COARAction.org). Located at 40 Stow Street in Concord, The Umbrella Arts Center is open to the public 10 am-9 pm daily, is ADA-accessible, and operates under enhanced COVID safety measures following current health guidelines. (theumbrellaarts.org)

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Q 1

a) b) c) d)

Molasses candy Caramel toffees Hot cross sticky buns Marshmallow fluff

Imagine you are a blacksmith living in early 18th century Concord. You want to build a new shed so your cow can move out of the house in winter and have a warm outbuilding, but you need money to do this. In addition to blacksmithing work, you could expand the services you offer to include: a) Veterinary care b) Dentistry c) Apothecary d) Alchemy e) Cartwright

Although they are not primarily known for this today, which one of these famous Massachusetts residents was a trained dentist? a) Harvard graduate Ralph Waldo Emerson b) Concord minister Ezra Ripley c) Silversmith Paul Revere d) Surveyor Henry David Thoreau

You live in 18th or 19th century Concord and need a new pair of chompers. As an upper-class member of society, you have options and can afford whatever type of dentures you’d like. You could have a dentist make you a pair of dentures from which of the following: a) A complete set of a child’s baby teeth b) Teeth from dead corpses c) Ivory d) Porcelain

Speaking of teeth…. In Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Jo March’s sisters tell her she can only make two things that are fit to eat. One is gingerbread and the other is: 68

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| Spring 2022

Trivia

Fill in the blanks: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s wife, Sophia Peabody, was a talented ________ and daughter of a ___________: a) Fashion Model, Banker b) Poet, Writer c) Singer, Minister d) Artist, Dentist In their lifetimes, Sophia Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott were both treated with the medicine Calomel, an ingredient of which adversely affected both women leaving them with debilitating lifetime consequences. This was likely due to Calomel containing: a) Peanuts b) Mercury c) Cyanide d) Carbonic acid

Concord’s Ralph Waldo Emerson was associated with which philosophical movement? a) Spiritualism b) Pyrrhonism c) Sophism d) Transcendentalism e) Pyromaniasm

In the 1850s, the Spiritualism movement was sweeping across America. Driven by the beliefs of Swedish philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg,

followers of spiritualism believed the spirits of the dead could communicate with the living, and one way to do this was through a special person known as a “Medium.” For a fee, believers could attend gatherings where the Medium might “channel” the dead, at times going into trances, appearing possessed, spasming, and conveying messages to the audience by either direct messaging or mysterious rapping (knocking) noises, table tilting, or wild phenomena that could only be interrupted by the Medium. If you wanted to attend one of these gatherings, you would go to a/an: a) thé dansant b) Salon c) Séance d) Asylum

In 1852, Ralph Waldo Emerson was visiting New York when he met a woman formerly of Concord, Massachusetts, who was now working as a Medium and would “charge a pistareen (old Spanish silver coin) a spasm and nine dollars a fit.” Emerson wrote in his journal that before the woman was a Medium she was a mantua maker in Concord. What did a mantua maker do? a) Teach etiquette classes for young men b) Housekeeper for bachelors c) Beekeeper d) Make dresses

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A 1. b) Dentistry. And if you think that’s weird, read the next answers because it gets weirder.

All images public domain

2. c) Silversmith Paul Revere Silversmith and Son of Liberty Paul Revere is well known for his April 18th/19th, 1775 midnight ride call of “The Regulars are coming out!”, but he was also an expert in teeth coming out. After studying dentistry with English dentist and surgeon John Baker, who had arrived in Boston in the 1760s, Revere expanded his offered services to include dentistry. As advertised by Revere in a September 8, 1768, ad in The Massachusetts Gazette, his services included replacing lost teeth “with false ones, that look as well as the natural, and answers the end of speaking to all intents.”

3. All of them! Wealthy men and women could pay for the baby teeth of children from poor families to be pulled and placed into dentures or directly implanted in their mouths. Resurrectionists (grave robbers) and battlefield looters could “acquire” the teeth of the deceased to sell for dentures. Ivory teeth included ivory from elephants, walruses, and hippopotamuses. Porcelain teeth were developed in France in the early 1700s. The first porcelain teeth were prone to cracking but got better with time and are still used in dentistry today. If finances were an issue, you might still

be able to get the false teeth you needed, for, as described by Surgeon Dentist R.C. Skinner in his 1801 Treatise on The Human Teeth, you could purchase artificial teeth of first-, second-, or third-rate quality with price points reflecting their difference. 4. a) Molasses candy 5. d) Artist, Dentist. Born on September 21, 1809, in Salem, MA, Sophia was a talented painter and artist. Her father, Dr. Nathaniel Peabody, was a dentist. Visit two houses in Concord where Sophia and Nathaniel Hawthorne lived: The Old Manse Museum on Monument Street, and the Wayside House on Lexington Road. And to learn more about Sophia, read Megan Marshall’s The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism. 6. b) Mercury. As shared in Megan Marshall’s The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism, when Sophia was a child, her dentist father Nathaniel Peabody treated her teething with the common remedy of rubbing Calomel on her gums. This likely led to mercury poisoning and left her with a lifetime of debilitating headaches. During the American Civil War, Louisa May Alcott went to Washington, DC to work as a Union Army Nurse. There she fell ill with typhoid fever. She was treated with Calomel, the drug also likely leading to chronic headaches and ill health from mercury poisoning. 7. d) Transcendentalism 8. c) Séance. Although he was friends with some followers of Spiritualism, including abolitionist Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Ralph Waldo Emerson was not a fan of spiritualism, believing seances and

spirit rappings to be full of fraud. In his essay “Demonology”, Emerson denounces spirit rappings and channelings as “drivel which they report as the voice of spirits.” 9. d) Make dresses A mantua (a kimono-like over-gown or robe) became fashionable for women in the late 17th century and remained a women’s wardrobe staple through the mid-1800s. Worn over an underdress or shirt, the mantua could be made of beautiful material, including silk, and contributed to an extravagant style. A mantua maker measured the client, draped, cut, and sewed the gown.

Sources:

Emerson, R.W. Journals of Ralph Waldo Emerson Emerson, R.W. The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson Marshall, M. (2005) The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism Skinner, R.C. (1801) Treatise on The Human Teeth Alcott, L.M. (1868) Little Women Morton, L. (2021) Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances Stern, M.B. (1950) Louisa May Alcott: A Biography Paul Revere’s Dental ad in the 9/8/1768 “Massachusetts Gazette”, retrieved online 2/10/2022 at https:// adverts250project.org/tag/paul-revere/ Britannica, “Dentistry in the 18th- and 19th- century America” retrieved 2/12/2022 at https://www.britannica. com/science/dentistry/Dentistry-in18th-and-19th-century-America

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Discover CONCORD

| Spring 2022

RETNEC STRA ALLERBMU EHT gro.straallerbmueht | teertS wotS 04 NOITIBIHXE SUOEGARTRA 2202 ”:EMOH“ .stsitra lanoiger dna lacol yb tra lausiv fo noitibihxe siht ssim t’noD allerbmU tfiorpnon eht tfieneb ot noitcua yb elbaliava eb lliw seceiP Jenna Moyniham 2 lirpA - 22 hcraM .retneC strA NO ITAcreate RBELEinnovative C & NOITInew BIHXmusic E HTNthat OMdelivers. HTRAE Enjoy DIUQA KSUM many, can anTEevening noitibihxby e tclassical ra htnoMmusic. htraE nMay a hti20 w snruter noitidart drocnoC A of jazz inspired yaD htraE launna dn23 eht ot pu gnidael lirpA ni allerbmU ehT ta 32 - 4 lirpA .noitarbelec CONCORD ORCHESTRA 51 Walden Street | concordorchestra.com SOIDUTS NEPO POETRY WITHOUT WORDS cilbup eCiabatti, ht emocMusic lew yehDirector t sa srekFinalist, am dna and stsitKatherine ra 05 nahtLiu, eroYoung m nioJ Join Filippo si noWinner, issap rufor oy raecaptivating htehW .soidprogram utS retnefeaturing C strA allworks erbmUbyehWalker, T ot kcab Artist ,yleritne esleand gnihDvorak. temos rMarch o ,yrett26 op –,y27 rlewej ,erutplucs ,sgnitniap rof Rachmaninoff, dna uoy seripsni taht eceip euqinu taht dnfi ot ecnahc ruoy si siht 03 - 92 lirpA .ti edam taht tsitra eht teem AMERICAN VOICES Jeffrey Rink, Music Director Finalist, will conduct a riveting program DEROLOC EHT including “Adirondack Interlude,” “Violin Concerto in D Major ,TSAP Ahmad, :MUESUYoung M (featuring Ayaan Artist Winner),” “The Pleasure ERUTU F ,TNEand SER“Billy P Dome of Kubla Khan,” the Kid Suite.” May 21 - 22 krow eht etarbeleC dna gnigrem e fo CONCORD WOMEN’S CHORUS de|hconcordwomenschorus.org silbatse-llew 81 Elm Street morf stsitfor ra kthe calConcord B Mark your calendar Women’s Chorus spring concert ehtthe tuospecifics hguorht of the show weren’t available at press on May 7. While sihtot nbe i tsaawonderful ehtroN way to welcome spring. Check their time, it’s sure dem dexim website for moreaiinformation. yb detaruc noitibihxe sal51 guoD ”1esiV“ cirdeC OPERA iaM ehtStreet ni detn|eopera51.org serp dna 51 nWalden allerbmU ehT .yrellaG TURANDOT serutaedramatic f yrellaG masterpiece, xoB kcalB Turandot, premiers this June! This is Puccini’s ecaR“ last no kopera rowtraand tneis duwidely ts Puccini’s regarded as one of his finest efforts. etaruc ”etocithe tsuJwildly laicaRpopular dna Indaddition “Nessun dorma,” there are other - 51 of yatransporting M .saveuC adbeauty yaN ybas well arias lliHasehrichly T nO ,textured nosnhoJ sorchestral alohciN and 3 e-n12 uJ choral passages. June010

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Courtesy of Concord Conservatory of Music

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nwoT dnuorA strA Presents

VISUAL ARTS

THE UMBRELLA ARTS CENTER 40 Stow Street | theumbrellaarts.org “HOME:” 2022 ARTRAGEOUS EXHIBITION Don’t miss this exhibition of visual art by local and regional artists. Pieces will be available by auction to benefit the nonprofit Umbrella mahinyoM anneJ Arts Center. March 22 - April 2 gMUSKETAQUID nineve na yojnE EARTH .sreviledMONTH taht cisuEXHIBITION m wen evitavo&nCELEBRATION ni etaerc nac ,ynam 0 2 y a M . c i s u m l a c i s s a l c b deripsni zzaj fo A Concord tradition returns with an Earth Month artyexhibition at The Umbrella in April leading up to the 32nd annual Earth Day ARTSEHCRO DROCNOC celebration. April 4 - 23 moc.artsehcrodrocnoc | teertS nedlaW 15 SDROW TUOHTIW YRTEOP OPEN STUDIOS g n u o Y , u i L e n i r e h t a K d n a , t s i l a n i F r o t c e r i D ciswelcome uM ,ittabathe iC opublic ppiliF nioJ Join more than 50 artists and makers as they , r e k l a W y b s k r o w g n i r u t a e f m a r g o r p g n i t a v i t p a c a r o f , r e n n iW tsis itrA back to The Umbrella Arts Center Studios. Whether your passion 7 2 – 6 2 h c r a M . k a r o v D d n a , f f o n i n a m h for paintings, sculpture, jewelry, pottery, or something else entirely,caR

Courtesy of The Umbrella Arts Center

this is your chance to find that unique piece that inspires you and SECIOV NACIREMA meet the artist that made it. April 29 - 30 margorp gnitevir a tcudnoc lliw ,tsilaniF rotceriD cisuM ,kniR yerffeJ rojaM D ni otrecnoC niloiV“ ”,eduTHE lretnCOLORED I kcadnoridA“ gnidulcni erusaelP ehT“ ”,)renniW tsitrA gnuMUSEUM: oY ,damhA PAST, naayA gnirutaef( 22 - 12 yaM ”.etiuS diK eht ylliBPRESENT, “ dna ”,nahFUTURE K albuK fo emoD Celebrate the work SURof OHemerging C S’NEMand OW DROCNOC gro.surohcsnem o w d r o c n o c | teertS mlE 18 well-established trecnoc gnirps surohC s’nemoW drocnoC e h t r o f r a d n e lac ruoy kraM Black artists from sserp ta elbaliava t’nerew wohs eht fo sthroughout cfiiceps eht the elihW .7 yaM no rieht kcehC .gnirps emoclew ot yaw lufrNortheast ednow a ein b othis t erus s’ti ,emit .nmixed oitamrmedia ofni erom rof etisbew exhibition curated by 15 AREPO Cedric “Vise1” Douglas groand .15apresented repo | teerin tSthe nedMain laW 15 T O D N Gallery. The Umbrella ARUT si sihT !enuJ siht sreimerp ,todnaruT ,eceBlack ipretsBox am Gallery citamarfeatures d s’iniccuP .stroffe tsenfi sih fo eno sa dedrager yledstudent iw si dnaartwork arepo ton sal “Race s’iniccuP rehto era ereht ”,amrod nusseN“ raluand popRacial yldliwJustice” eht ot no itidda nI curated dna larNicholas tsehcro dJohnson, erutxet yOn lhcThe ir saHill llew saby ytuNayda aeb gnCuevas. itropsnaMay rt fo 15 sai-ra 2 1 0 1 e n u J . s e g a s s a p l a rohc June 30

2022 Performances June 10 at 8 p.m. June 12 at 2 p.m. Tickets 978-369-7911 or www.opera5 l .org

THEATRE CONCORD PLAYERS evlewT eliM 51 Walden Street | concordplayers.org TITANIC – THE MUSICAL CISUM pril 1912 - RMS Titanic sets sail D N A B D R OCNOC on its maiden voyage across the g r o . d n a b d r o c n o c | t e e r t S n e d laW 15 North Atlantic. This “unsinkable” rship otceof riDdreams, cisuM ycarrying b detnesmore erp ,spoP gnirpS rof dnaB drocnoC eht nioJ 9 – 8 lirpA .lleD’O semaJ than 2,200 souls, is on a collision course with destiny. From the ISUM FO YROTAVRESNOC DROCNOC boiler room workers to theCship’s g r o . y captain… from the poorest ofrotavresnocdrocnoc | teertS niaM 7131 TREto CN OC SENIAR EINNA DNA LLEHSIR LUAP passengers in steerage the SSALCRETSAM DNA wealthiest in first class, TITANIC e n o s a d e l i a h n e e b e v a h s e n i a R e i n n A & l l e h siR luaP ,sraey 52 roF examines the hopes and dreams l l i w y e h t , t r e c n o c r i e h t o t n o i t i d d a n I ! s o u d s e u lb tsebleading s’dlrowup ehttofo of those aboard the doomed luxury liner in the nights dits na fatal selytencounter s seulb cirtwith cele d n a c i t s u o c a f o s t n e m e l e e u q i n u e h t s s ucsid an iceberg. April 29 – May 14 2 lirpA .owt eht neewteb noitcennoc peed eht thgilhgih THE UMBRELLA ARTS CENTER EVLEWT ELIM 40 Stow Street | theumbrellaarts.org ssargeuHEAD lb detnOVER elat dnHEELS a citegrene sihT !MCC ot snruter evlewT eliM ePerfect lihw cifor sumspring, ssargeaulaugh-out-loud lb lanoitidart no nipstory s riehset t tnto esethe rp dnab love 9 2 l i r p A . c i s u m l a n i g i r o n w o r i e h t g n i s acwohs music of the iconic 1980’s rock band The Go-Go’s. SDNEIRF DNA NAHINYOM ANNEJ April 15 - May 8 SSALCRETSAM DNA TRECNOC s r e v o c n a h i n y o M a n n e J . s e l y t s c i s u m citleC fo dlrow eht otni evleD THE COLORED MUSEUM k l a w l l i w s t n e d u t S . g n i s a r h p d n a , noitatnemanro ,smrof laitnesse George C. Wolfe’s satirical play .yhas alp electrified, ot senut lufdiscomforted, ituaeb dna ecitcarp ot seuqinhcet gniticxe htiw yawa yaM !sdnaudiences eirf reh dnofa all anneJ htiw trecnoc taerg a dnetta ot nalP and7delighted colors, redefining our ideas of LACISSALC STEEM ZZAJ EREHW what it means to be Black in e h t f o s e d i s e t i s o p p o n o e v i l o t m ees thgim cisum lacissalc dna zzaJ contemporary America and erundermining ahs dna tcesrBlack etni sstereotypes erneg eseht old ,semit ta ,ylgnisirpruS .dlrow lacisum yb enew. citcaMay rp elb20 atp-eJune cca n5a ,serneg morf gniworroB .rehtona eno htiw and

Discover CONCORD

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THREE STONES GALLERY 32 Main Street | threestonesgallery.com STRAIGHT AHEAD Featuring works by three exciting Massachusetts-based artists, Jon Bolles, Mike Mei, and Leslie Zelamsky. Jon Bolles’ paintings explore color and light found in fleeting glances and ordinary places; Mike Mei’s work incorporates Chinese calligraphy, flying cranes, and solo travelers in vast, yet intimate landscapes; Leslie Zelamsky’s “Dwelling” series uses common building materials to explore pattern and repetition. February 23 – April 3

A Fresh New

Spring STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE WITHERBEE

Spring is a wonderful time of the year. The pale greens, yellows, and pinks of spring illustrate its freshness, as does the fragrance of flowers. The shades of green are softer and lighter than the more intense greens of summer. The rose-breasted grosbeaks, the common grackles, and the great egrets arrive in spring from warmer climates. The cute and friendly chickadees make us smile and have even been seen doing backflips while snaring an insect flying by. Many male birds like to show off their plumage to entice the females, and they certainly catch our eye. Our world springs alive with so many fascinating things to see, and we get to share those sights with others, like these curious deer. This eagle was one of a pair nesting locally. They build or rebuild nests in the winter and raise young in spring. The nests are generally next to waterways where they can gather fish. They also dine on deer and other carcasses. We can all be proud to live in such a wonderful town with so much nature.

Discover CONCORD

| Spring 2022

Dave Witherbee has been traveling the trails and rivers of Concord for 50 years and has been enchanted with the small and large aspects of its nature. Dave’s love of photography has enhanced the attraction.

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Please consider supporting our Annual Fund which ends April 30, 2022. All gifts directly support local non-profit human service organizations serving Concord and Carlisle residents in need.

Your one donation makes a big impact. WAYS TO GIVE: ONLINE: www.cccommunitychest.org

Visit our Farm stand for a wide variety of fresh produce, baked goods and take away foods to enjoy at home, New England specialty foods and local cheeses CSA memberships for 2022

Curbside Dinner Pick-ups for Easter and Mother’s Day

TEXT: NEIGHBOR to 707070

Our Own Specialty Tomato Seedlings Ready in Late May

CALL: 978-369-5250

Visit our website for Upcoming Happenings

MAIL:19 Main Street, Suite 2, Concord, MA 01742

THANK YOU!

100+ YEARS of Farm to Table

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| Spring 2022

verrillfarm.com

11 Wheeler Rd. | 978-369-4494 | Verrillfarm.com

concordplayers.org 978-369-2990

April 29 - May 14 Directed by Douglas Hodge

A unique shop you A unique shopwith with gifts gifts you give…and receive! receive! lovelove to to give…and 49 Commonwealth Ave. Concord MA 01742

49 Commonwealth Ave. ConcordMA MA 01742 01742 49 Commonwealth Ave. Concord joystreetgifts.com @joystreetgifts 49 Commonwealth Ave.| Concord MA 01742 joystreetgifts.com joystreetgifts.com | @joystreetgifts joystreetgifts.com

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Curated selection of tabletop items, home decor, bedding + lifestyle! Paper Home Decor Jewelry Accessories

Apothecary Garden Puzzles Children’s

15% off with mention of this ad! 84a commonwealth ave, concord, ma 01742 @jaimshoppe • 978-610-3334

Discover CONCORD Get a one-year subscription (6 issues) delivered to your home for only $45.

PATINA GREEN Contemporary. Vintage. Whimsical.

59 Main Street, Concord Center @patinagreenshop | 978-369-1708 | www.shoppatinagreen.com

Visit www.discoverconcordma.com

SHOP & SUPPORT Borjalou Kazak 19th Century

Friday, April 29 & Saturday, April 30 SHOP locally and SUPPORT The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle and our local businesses! The

Scholarship Fund

Antique and New Decorative Carpets and Rugs Sales, Carpet Cleaning, Restoration & Appraisals SM

624 Hammond Street, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 617-264-2002 | www.wovenartcollection.com

Discover CONCORD

| Spring 2022

of Concord and Carlisle

thescholarshipfundofcc.org

Spring 2022

ARCHITECTURE, CUSTOM BUILDING & INTERIOR DESIGN 1 Appleton Design Group 70 Inkstone Architects 81 Platt Builders ARTS & ART SUPPLIES 32 Albright Art Supply BOOKS, MAGAZINES & SCHOLARLY WORKS 63 Barefoot Books 65 Barrow Bookstore 78 Discover Concord CATERING, RESTAURANTS, AND SPECIALTY FOOD & WINE SHOPS 28 Adelita 28 Concord Cheese Shop 9 Concord Teacakes 82 Debra’s Natural Gourmet 70 Dunkin’ 27 Fiorella’s Cucina 76 Verrill Farm 66 West Concord Wine & Spirits 28 Woods Hill Table

CHARITABLE GIVING 76 Concord-Carlisle Community Chest 78 The Scholarship Fund of Concord and Carlisle CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES 22 Reflections

LODGING 17 Concord’s Colonial Inn 32 North Bridge Inn

EXPERIENTIAL 16 Concord Museum 77 Concord Players 61 The Umbrella Arts Center 66 The Umbrella Stage Company

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES 55 The Monument Group Companies 71 Pierre Chiha Photographers

FLORISTS 70 Concord Flower Shop HOME FURNISHINGS, DÉCOR & UNIQUE GIFTS 22 A New Leaf 65 Artisans Way 77 The Bee’s Knees British Imports 65 Concord Pillows 78 J’aim Home · Lifestyle 77 Joy Street Life + Home 32 Nesting 78 Patina Green 32 Revolutionary Concord 78 Woven Art

JEWELERS 70 Artinian Jewelery

REAL ESTATE 3, 5 The Attias Group C2, 51, Barrett Sotheby’s Int’l Realty 80 76 Carleton-Willard Village 10, 11, Coldwell Banker Realty 33 7, 29 Compass 40, 67 Engel & Völkers 23 Landvest 45 William Raveis TOYS 32

The Concord Toy Box

VISITOR RESOURCES 49 Concord Visitor Center

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Bloom where you you are are planted planted We have have been been building building beautiful We beautiful spaces spacesfor fornearly nearly thirty years and will bring our expertise to design thirty years and will bring our expertise to design space in in which which you you fl aaspace flourish. ourish. From Fromcustom customhomes homes and additions to kitchens and baths, our design and additions to kitchens and baths, our design process begins with you. process begins with you. Let’s work together. Let’s work together. PLATTBUILDERS.COM | 978.448.9963 PLATTBUILDERS.COM | 978.448.9963 photography by Greg Premru photography by Greg Premru PTB-208 Discover Concord_2022_Feb_18_V1.indd 1

PTB-208 Discover Concord_2022_Feb_18_V1.indd 1

2/18/22 1:10 PM

Discover Concord - Spring 2022 Issue

Articles inside

A Fresh New Spring

Arts Around Town

Barrow Bookstore Presents: Concord Trivia

Explorations of Black Past, Present, and Future

Opening the Library’s Next Chapter

Artist Spotlight

HARRY B. LITTLE: Colonial Revival Architecture in Concord

The French Countryside Arrives in Concord

Stories From Special Collections: The Art Collection

Concord's Conantum: A Satisfying Place to Live

Flipping the Script: The Women of the Old Manse

Relocated: Displaced Civilians and the Siege of Boston

The Wright Tavern Reveals its Historic Roots

EMERSON: Bridging Concord’s Past and Future

Finding the Balance: The Attias Group Works to Restore historic Homes While Innovating for the Future

Alive with Birds: William Brewster in Concord

Friend of the Poor and Needy: The Life of Reverend Daniel Foster

H.W. Brands Uncovers America’s Long History of Civil Conflict

The Deadly Hand of "The Irish Lafayette"

The Muskets of the Battles of Lexington and Concord

AN ILLUSTRATED TIMELINE OF April 19, 1775

PATRIOTS' DAY 2022

16 Things to See & Do in Concord this Spring