Romance Tour of Concord, Massachusetts

Romance: Who knew the 19th century was so hot?

With a name like Concord, you might imagine the historical love stories of this little village to be invariably sweet, agreeable and serene; dewy-eyed couples exchanging poetic, yet indisputably proper letters via old-fashioned post; the occasional indulgence of a romantic sleigh-ride through the pastoral countryside or long, witty conversations before a cozy hearth as love blooms in demure blushes and innocent tranquility. Or....not.

It turns out, romance, courting and marriage in the nineteenth-century were a lot more exciting than what we’ve sometimes been led to believe! And Concord has its fair share of dramatic, passionate, heart-rending and even silly, love stories.

We’ll begin at The Old Manse with Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne, arguably this town’s hottest historic couple. Their common journal details the mutual thrill at having found one another as they bestow pet names, delight in eating their first meal as a married unit, and declare themselves to be in paradise.

At the Orchard House, Bronson and Abigail Alcott, parents of Louisa May, shared an enduring, patient love, made all the stronger by the challenges they often faced in life. Abby was supportive, encouraging and steadfast, even through twenty-two separate moves in nearly thirty years!

Ralph Waldo Emerson suffered a profoundly broken heart with the death of his first wife, Ellen Tucker. Yet, this event would lead to positive, far-reaching implications later in his life. At the Emerson House, we’ll observe evidence of that broken heart beginning to mend as Waldo settles down with his second wife, Lydian, and starts again.

A fitting place to make our goodbyes, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is our last stop, where each of these couples are joined forever, and, at the end of their travels, are reunited with their friends in one place. Bring your tissues!

Throughout the tour, we’ll introduce you to other memorable characters and delve into some of the lesser-known aspects of ardor and amour in Concord-past: multiple marriages, unrequited love and enough Transcendental crushes that we need a flow-chart to keep them straight!

These people didn’t spend all their time thinking lofty thoughts...

Itinerary: (Available Wednesday-Saturday) Orchard House, *Emerson House, The Old Manse, *Sleepy Hollow (*alternative itinerary in winter and/or inclement weather)

Includes: Transportation throughout your entire tour, two dedicated and knowledgeable tour guides, admission to all museums and historic sites, parking fees, a $10 meal voucher for one of several local restaurants, a Gatepost Tours tote bag and free shipping (US only) of any purchases made during your tour.

Duration: about 3.5 hours; choose from a 9:30 am or 2:00 pm departure time.

Cost: $139 per person.

Reservations: a minimum of two weeks advance notice

Some nineteenth-century advice on marriage:

From physician William Alcott’s, The Young Man’s Guide, on how to choose a suitable wife, 1839:

“If a young farmer or mechanic marry a girl, who has been brought up only to ‘play music;’ to draw, to sing, to waste paper, pen and ink in writing long and half romantic letters, and to see shows, and plays, and read novels—if a young man do marry such an unfortunate young creature, let him bear the consequences with temper…Lovers may live on very aerial diet, but husbands stand in need of something more solid...” Obviously, this Dr. Alcott never met the Hawthornes.

Some advice to women from the anonymously published, The Daughter’s Own Book, 1833:

“Do not marry a man who is deficient in understanding, or in mental acquisitions. I do not mean that you should look for an intellect of the highest order, or that you should consider yourself entitled to it; but I mean that a woman of decent intelligence can never be happy with a fool…” Somehow, we don’t think this was much of a problem in Concord!