You won’t want to miss a moment of the exciting history that comes alive as we remember and honor the bravery of those who fought for liberty on April 19, 1775. Here are a few of the highlights of this year’s events.
Spring is a time of rebirth, and with the melting of snow we begin to think about the blooming of flowers and the budding of trees as nature reawakens after her winter slumber. But in Concord, the arrival of spring brings to mind more warlike notions, and the sights and sounds of marching redcoats and militiamen fill the town as Concord commemorates the April 19, 1775, Battles of Lexington and Concord.
Historians have often overlooked a critical aspect of the Battles of Lexington and Concord; the psychological and physical impact on the civilian populace.
Welcome to Little Women Spring, the decennial collaboration between The Concord Players and Orchard House that culminates in a presentation of the play Little Women, based on the novel of the same name. It may seem odd, the pairing of these two Concord-based organizations, but their connection goes way back.
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a modern-day minuteman? The Concord Minute Men, established on December 10, 1962, in advance of the bicentennial, is the quintessential colonial unit here in Concord.
Have you ever sensed that something bad was about to happen? You don’t know how or why, but it’s as though an ancestral memory is shouting, “Awake! Danger is coming!” So it may have been for three men on April 19, 1775.
In a significant collaboration, the Concord Free Public Library, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and the Concord Museum are pleased to present “A Perpetual Invitation: 150 Years of Art at the Concord Free Public Library,” hosted by the Concord Museum and on view March 24 through September 4, 2023.
Phebe watched out her bedroom window with shock, awe, fear, and trepidation. In his role as Concord militia chaplain, her husband, Rev. William Emerson, had gone out before dawn and was now a half mile away with the rebel forces on Punkatasset Hill.
The annual Concord Museum Garden Tour, organized by the Museum’s Guild of Volunteers, has been a tradition for more than 30 years. Garden Tour participants can visit several of Concord’s most beautiful private gardens on a self-guided tour over two days.
On August 31, 1922, Headmistress Elsie Garland Hobson placed an advertisement in the New York Times. It read: “Concord Academy: A small boarding and day school for girls in the historic town of Concord, Mass., situated on the beautiful Samuel Hoar estate. The school life is planned to develop the qualities of initiative and self-reliance, to stimulate intellectual curiosity, and to give a thorough preparation for college.”
Concord Land Conservation Trust’s mission is to preserve and protect open space in Concord in perpetuity. Currently, the Trust owns more than 900 acres in Concord and holds conservation restrictions on an additional 265 acres. The Trust’s largest property, Wright Woods, consists of over 300 acres surrounding Fairhaven Hill.
It is old and sometimes creaky. Like most of us, it has weathered many storms but is stronger for the wear. And like all of us, it has evolved over a lifetime. One hundred and thirty-five years of history have taken place at its doorstep and within its walls, shaping an identity that is vital to the life of the Town.
In fact, the building at 51 Walden Street is so constant, so enduring, so intimately connected to the lives of the people of Concord, that it sometimes seems a living thing: a grande dame; a cherished elder with wisdom to impart; a friendly neighbor ready to offer a warm welcome.
“Perhaps some of these summers we may see a band of pilgrims coming up to our door…”1 Louisa May Alcott wrote in 1874 to the Lukens sisters, five girls living in Pennsylvania who had begun a pen pal correspondence with their favorite author.
After an initially cautious re-emergence of its audiences post-pandemic, The Umbrella Arts Center this year has been buzzing with activity, sold-out events, and excitement as it celebrates its 40th anniversary season.
Something extraordinary happens when women come together around a shared purpose. Whether that purpose be social, political, or artistic, women’s voices carry a history, and their impact wields a transformative power. Concord Women’s Chorus has long known this and has nurtured and celebrated women’s voices since 1960, when a small group of women formed the Concord Madrigals to give women a chance to come together and express themselves through song.
Concord is one of our nation’s most important historical towns, and preserving that history is the life’s work of many Concordians. Preservation comes in many forms, including protecting the architectural, cultural, and historical integrity of buildings throughout the Town—from The Old Manse to the new house being built on your street.
Meet Fiona Kennedy, a collage artist who finds her greatest source of inspiration in color. Harmony, tension, and aggression—Kennedy uses her artistic practice to explore these dynamics that emerge from relationships between colors. Printmaker Joan Dix Blair practices primarily in woodcut and etching, and has exhibited her work across the United States and around the globe—from Berkeley, California to Galway, Ireland.
Since the late 1950s, scouts and adult leaders have created a network of 237 National Historic Trails in the U.S., with another 18 in nine other countries. These trails provide opportunities for hiking while learning about significant events in our nation’s history.
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