The Wayside, home in turn to authors Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Margaret Sidney.

The Wayside is a house with notable literary associations in Concord, Massachusetts. It is now a part of the Minute Man National Historical Park and managed by the National Park Service. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 978 KB) The Wayside, Concord, Massachusetts. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 978 KB) The Wayside, Concord, Massachusetts. ... Louisa May Alcott Louisa May Alcott (November 29, 1832 – March 6, 1888) was an American novelist, best known for the novel Little Women (1868). ... Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. ... Seal of Concord, MA Concord is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 16,993. ... Old North Bridge. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States Federal Government agency that deals with all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation properties with various designations. ...

The first record of the Wayside property occurs in 1686 with a deed; the original farmhouse was probably built shortly afterwards. Minuteman Samuel Whitney was living in this house, which still retained most of its original appearance, on April 19, 1775 when British troops passed by on their way to the Battle of Lexington and Concord at Concord's Old North Bridge. During the years 1775 and 1776 the house was occupied by scientist John Winthrop during the nine months when Harvard College was moved to Concord. Events The League of Augsburg is founded. ... Lexington Minuteman representing John Parker Minutemen is a name given to members of the militia of the American Colonies, who would be ready for battle in a minutes notice. ... April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... 1775 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 was the first battle of the American Revolutionary War and was described as the shot heard round the world in Emersons Concord Hymn. ... Old North Bridge. ... John Winthrop (December 19, 1714 – May 3, 1779) (not to be confused with his great-great-great-grandfather John Winthrop, founder of the Massachusetts Bay colony) was the 2nd Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in Harvard College. ... Today Harvard College is the undergraduate portion of Harvard University. ...

In 1845, educator and philopsopher Amos Bronson Alcott and his wife, Abby, purchased the home and named it "Hillside". Here Louisa May Alcott and her sisters lived many of the scenes that later appeared in her book Little Women. The Alcotts made major changes to the house and land, adding terracing to the hill behind the house, a study for Bronson, and a bedroom for Louisa. Amos Bronson Alcott (November 29, 1799–March 4, 1888) was an American teacher and writer. ... Louisa May Alcott Louisa May Alcott (November 29, 1832 – March 6, 1888) was an American novelist, best known for the novel Little Women (1868). ... Little Women is a novel by Louisa May Alcott published on September 30, 1868, concerning the lives and loves of four sisters (from oldest to youngest: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy) growing up during the American Civil War. ...

In 1852, author Nathaniel Hawthorne purchased the house from the Alcotts, renamed it "The Wayside", and moved in with wife Sophia and three young children. While the Hawthornes were in Europe from 1853 to 1860, they leased the house to family members including Sophia's sister, Mary Peabody, who later married Horace Mann. After Hawthorne returned to Concord in 1860, he added a second story over Alcott's west wing, enclosed the bay porch, moved the barn to the east side of the house, and constructed the three story tower on the back of the house, calling it his "sky parlor". It seems that Hawthorne was not entirely pleased with the result: Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was a 19th century American novelist and short story writer. ... Horace Mann was an early leader in education; there is also a Sir Horace Mann, who was an important correspondent of Horace Walpole in the 18th century. ...

"I have been equally unsuccessful in my architectural projects; and have transformed a simple and small old farm-house into the absurdest anomaly you ever saw; but I really was not so much to blame here as the village-carpenter, who took the matter into his own hands, and produced an unimaginable sort of thing instead of what I asked for." (January 1864)

Hawthorne died in 1864, and his heirs sold the house in 1870. After several intermediate sales, it was again purchased in 1883 by Boston publisher Daniel Lothrop and his wife, Harriett, who wrote "The Five Little Peppers" and other children's books under the pen name Margaret Sidney. The Lothrops added town water in 1883, central heating in 1888, and electric lighting in 1904, as well as a large piazza on the west side in 1887.

In 1963, The Wayside was designated a National Historic Landmark, and in 1965, with the aid of the Lothrop's daughter Margaret, it became the first literary site to be acquired by the National Park Service. USS Constitution. ... The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States Federal Government agency that deals with all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation properties with various designations. ...