The Thoreau Society and The Thoreau Farm Trust – The Thoreau Society and Thoreau Farm Trust Annual Fun-raising Auction
Auction Ends: Mar 29, 2023 10:00 PM EDT

Unique Experiences

"Home to Two Revolutions" Private Tour of the Old Manse

Item Number
305
Estimated Value
100 USD
Sold
178 USD to js1bccaf6
Number of Bids
17  -  Bid History

Item Description

To visit the Old Manse—a handsome Georgian clapboard built on the banks of the Concord River in 1770—is to re-experience pivotal moments in our nation’s early history. Constructed for patriot minister William Emerson, the upstairs overlooks North Bridge, where the famous battle of April 19, 1775, took place. Later, some of New England’s most 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: Emerson drafted his influential essay “Nature” in an upstairs study. Meanwhile, Hawthorne and his wife, Sophia, started their married life here; the recreated heirloom vegetable garden was originally planted by Henry David Thoreau in honor of the Hawthornes’ wedding. 

From the American Revolution of 1775 through the literary revolution of the mid-19th century, on this 45-minute house tour we share the stories of Manse residents, both the famous and the lesser-known, who influenced and responded to the 19th century social, political and cultural changes that helped to define the American nation.

 

Purchase of this item supports Thoreau Farm Trust (TFT) and the preservation of Henry David Thoreau’s Birthplace.

 

Item Special Note

Max Tour Capacity 10 Guests

For redemption during the main season 2023, before November 5th, 2023.

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