Louisa May Alcott Memorial Association

CONTACT:

399 Lexington Road, PO Box 343
Concord, MA 01742
978-369-4118
www.louisamayalcott.org

Jan Turnquist, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

Like many sites in and around Boston, Concord’s Orchard House (1690) has the aura of philanthropy. Its builder, John Hoar, was the “Redeemer” of Mary Rowlandson from Indian captivity, yet gave refuge to 58 “praying Indians.” In the Revolution it was a Minuteman’s home. The Alcotts lived there from 1857 to 1877; Louisa May wrote Little Women (1868); her father Bronson founded the “Concord School of Philosophy” (1880); her mother Abigail was an active social reformer; her older sister Anna was an actress and founding member of the Concord Players; and May, an artist, studied abroad, befriended Mary Cassatt, exhibited at the Paris Salon, and wrote Studying Art Abroad and How to do it Cheaply. LMAMA was founded in 1911 by the Concord Women’s Club, to maintain Orchard House. Until 1975 it was run by volunteers, open seasonally; then it became year-round, and today receives over 50,000 visitors annually from 30 countries—a world site. But time has taken its toll, and as it was literally falling into the ground a series of increasingly fundamental, costly, and courageous repairs has been undertaken, including purchase of a building next door for administration and archives. Major funds must now be raised, a national effort is required, and we in Massachusetts should do our part.

(2004: CULTURE: Education: Informal: Historic Preservation)