Ralph Waldo Emerson House
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The Ralph Waldo Emerson House is a house museum located at 18 Cambridge Turnpike,
Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is near where the co ...
, and a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...
for its associations with American philosopher
Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a cham ...
. He and his family named the home Bush. The museum is open mid-April to mid-October; an admission fee is charged.


History

The house was built in 1828 by the Coolidge family and named "Coolidge Castle". It was used as a summer house on the village outskirts, beside the
Cambridge and Concord Turnpike The Cambridge and Concord Turnpike was an early turnpike between Cambridge and Concord, Massachusetts. Portions have been incorporated into today's Massachusetts Route 2; the remainder forms other major local roads. Route description The turnp ...
. It is a four-square, two-story frame building in a house style common to many New England towns. While Ralph Waldo Emerson was preparing to marry Lydia Jackson (whom he called "Lidian"), he told her he could not live in her home town of
Plymouth, Massachusetts Plymouth (; historically known as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklore, and culture, and is known ...
. "Plymouth is streets", he wrote to her, "I live in the wide champaign." He had previously lived in Concord at
The Old Manse The Old Manse is a historic manse in Concord, Massachusetts, United States, notable for its literary associations. It is open to the public as a nonprofit museum owned and operated by the Trustees of Reservations. The house is located on Monume ...
, the Emerson family home, and hoped to return to that town. In July 1835, he wrote in his journal, "I bought my house and two acres six rods of land of John T. Coolidge for 3,500 dollars." He and Jackson married on September 14 and moved into the home the next day, along with his mother. Emerson was pleased to avoid the trouble of building. However, in a contemporary letter to his brother William, he writes: "It is in a mean place, and cannot be fine until trees and flowers give it a character of its own". To that end, he spent between $400 and $500 for enlargements and finishing. The money came from a settlement with the family of his first wife, Ellen Tucker, who had died young.Field, Peter S. ''Ralph Waldo Emerson: The Making of a Democratic Intellectual''. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2002: 116. He wrote that he hoped to "crowd so many books and papers, and, if possible, wise friends into it, that it shall have as much wit as it can carry." It became a central meeting place for philosophers, idealists, and poets. Emerson remained in the house for the rest of his life. In it he wrote his famous essays "
The American Scholar "The American Scholar" was a speech given by Ralph Waldo Emerson on August 31, 1837, to the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard College at the First Parish in Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was invited to speak in recognition of his gro ...
" and " Self Reliance". He also entertained a host of notable neighbors and visitors including Bronson and
Louisa May Alcott Louisa May Alcott (; November 29, 1832March 6, 1888) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known as the author of the novel ''Little Women'' (1868) and its sequels ''Little Men'' (1871) and '' Jo's Boys'' (1886). Raised in ...
,
Margaret Fuller Sarah Margaret Fuller (May 23, 1810 – July 19, 1850), sometimes referred to as Margaret Fuller Ossoli, was an American journalist, editor, critic, translator, and women's rights advocate associated with the American transcendentalism movem ...
, and
Henry David Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading transcendentalist, he is best known for his book ''Walden'', a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and h ...
. Beginning in July 1836, the home hosted the meetings of the
Transcendental Club The Transcendental Club was a group of New England authors, philosophers, socialists, politicians and intellectuals of the early-to-mid-19th century which gave rise to Transcendentalism. Overview Frederic Henry Hedge, Ralph Waldo Emerson, George R ...
, a group which included
Orestes Brownson Orestes Augustus Brownson (September 16, 1803 – April 17, 1876) was an American intellectual and activist, preacher, labor organizer, and noted Catholic convert and writer. Brownson was a publicist, a career which spanned his affiliation with ...
,
Theodore Parker Theodore Parker (August 24, 1810 – May 10, 1860) was an American transcendentalist and reforming minister of the Unitarian church. A reformer and abolitionist, his words and popular quotations would later inspire speeches by Abraham Lincol ...
, and others.Corbett, William. ''Literary New England: A History and Guide''. Boston: Faber & Faber, 1993: 115. In April 1841, Thoreau accepted an invitation to move into Bush with the family. As Emerson described to his brother William: "He is to have his board, etc., for what labor he chooses to do, and he is thus far a great benefactor... for he is an indefatigable and very skillful laborer". Thoreau later built his well-known cabin on Emerson's property at Walden Pond. After his experiment in living deliberately, he returned to Bush in September 1847 and stayed there until the next July. While living in the house, Emerson published his book of ''Essays'' in 1841, as well as a second series of essays in 1844. He also published two volumes of poetry, ''Poems'' in 1846 and ''May-Day and Other Pieces'' in 1867. Emerson made his living as a lecturer in New England and beyond; by the 1850s he was giving as many as 80 per year. He eventually gave some 1,500 lectures in his lifetime. His earnings allowed him to expand his property, buying of land by
Walden Pond Walden Pond is a pond in Concord, Massachusetts, in the United States. A famous example of a kettle hole, it was formed by retreating glaciers 10,000–12,000 years ago. The pond is protected as part of Walden Pond State Reservation, a state par ...
and a few more acres in a neighboring pine grove. He wrote that he was "landlord and waterlord of 14 acres, more or less" in 1844. A year later, he purchased another 40 acres at Walden stretching to an area that became known as Emerson's Cliff. The house caught fire on the morning of July 24, 1872, and Emerson ran out to call for help from neighbors. After the fire was put out, friends took up a collection to pay for repairs, raising some $12,000 in total, and sending the Emersons to
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
while the house was restored. In 1873 the Emersons returned to reoccupy the house. Emerson died in the house in 1882, and in 1892 his wife Lidian followed. Their daughter Ellen Tucker Emerson, who remained unmarried, lived in the house until her death in 1909. Other friends and relatives lived here until 1948.


House today

Today the house is still owned by the family. It was first opened to the public in 1930 as a private museum; it continues to operate as a museum, open on a seasonal basis. The interior furnishings remain much as they did when Emerson lived in the home, with original furniture and Emerson's memorabilia. The exception is the furniture and books from his study, which are now on display in the
Concord Museum The Concord Museum is a museum of local history located at 53 Cambridge Turnpike, Concord, Massachusetts, United States, and best known for its collection of artifacts from authors Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Updated hours are ...
across the street.Shmidt, Shannon McKenna and Joni Rendon. ''Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West''. National Geographic Society, 2008: 62–63. His personal book collection has been moved to
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
's
Houghton Library Houghton Library, on the south side of Harvard Yard adjacent to Widener Library, is Harvard University's primary repository for rare books and manuscripts. It is part of the Harvard College Library, the library system of Harvard's Faculty of Art ...
.


See also

*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a total of 191 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) within its borders. This is the second highest statewide total in the United States after New York, which has more than 250. Of the Massachusetts NHLs, 57 ...
*
National Register of Historic Places in Concord, Massachusetts This is a list of places on the National Register of Historic Places in Concord, Massachusetts. Concord References {{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Concord Concord, Massachusetts C ...


References


External links


National Historic Landmarks entry






{{authority control Emerson, Ralph Waldo Ralph Waldo Emerson Emerson House Houses completed in 1828 Museums in Concord, Massachusetts Historic house museums in Massachusetts Emerson Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Concord, Massachusetts Emerson, Ralph Waldo Historic district contributing properties in Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Concord, Massachusetts