Lexington and Concord and Louisa May Alcott

 

Friday we went to Lexington Battle Green – walked to each little memorial statue commemorating that important first skirmish between the Regulars and the colonists.  10 men (colonists) were killed and 8 wounded.  The Regulars lost 2 men.

Here in Lexington – the day was beautiful and sunny.

  the Green where the confrontation occurred.  Just a small triangular park which didn’t take long to walk around.  Right in the center of Lexington.

  In front of one of the memorials to the soldiers.

  near the green, was a path up to the old belfry, where the bell was rung to alert the town.  At the top was the belfry (locked) and some tall, stout rocks sticking out of the hilltop. 

  Here are the kids heading for the rocks, of course, while I stand back uncertainly, wondering whether or not I should:

a.  Tell them to be careful, but let them climb the rocks

b. Tell them to stay off those really fun and adventurous looking rocks and they would thank me later for keeping them safe.

Which do you think I did? 

 

 

  You guessed it! 

 

They then marched onto Concord for that first pivotal battle in the War for Independence – April 19, 1775. 

  In the middle of town, a nice memorial.  Then we went to the cemetery which climbed a very steep hill, dotted with headstones all over it from the base to the top.  Many of the headstones were marked with dates from the 1600’s and 1700’s. 

         contemplating lives lived…near the top.

  I don’t think the sign is visible, but this is the building where the colonists met on the morning of the Battle of Concord.  Later, the British used it for their meeting place.

 

  Concord is a beautiful little town.  We know, because we walked all around it looking for a bathroom. 

  This is the rise just above the Concord bridge where the actual battle took place.  There is a manse there still, that has a door with a bullet stuck in it from the fight!  The family watched from their windows.  Olivia likes for us take pictures of her in this stance.  We have one of her from the Christmas Tree Farm almost identical to this one.

  By now, Glenn’s friend had dropped him off so he could be with us part of the day.  They had finished work just after lunch and Boston is only about a 30 minute drive from Concord.  So – our last stop!  The Louisa May Alcott home.  (Little Women author)

It was an outstanding tour.  We learned an incredible amount and were able to sit on the carpet in her bedroom, and see the desk her dad made for her to write at.  There was original furniture and art by her youngest sister, May Alcott, whose work hung in the Louvre for a time.  I think we were here about an hour…

going in…

  We took this shot before we knew we weren’t supposed to – oops!  It is in May’s (Amy in LW) art studio in the house.  On the wall, are tracings she made of her friends and family while she lived there.  The art was discovered around the 1950’s and a special light was brought in from Harvard which showed the pencil lines.  The lines were traced carefully onto that plexi-glass sheet.

 

After leaving the Alcott Home, we realized that one of our favorite This Old House homes was very near, and decided to see if we could find it.  We drove about 15 minutes north and I spotted it as we passed it on the main road.  Of course, we had to turn around, get some shots.  Now, we could finally head back to Indiana!

there’s a little more in the middle – but you can kind of see what it’s like.

Restored barn on one end, middle section joining the other 2 story end.