The Wayside, Home of Authors, Closed for Repairs

The following information was provided by Minute Man National Historical Park.

Do you know what site with literary associations was the first to be preserved by the National Park Service? Do you know where Louisa May Alcott wrote her first published work? Do you know the location of the only home ever owned by Nathaniel Hawthorne?

If you answered The Wayside on Lexington Road in Concord, you would be correct. As part of Minute Man National Historical Park since 1965, it has welcomed visitors for five decades. Now, it will be closed for two years while undergoing much-needed repairs.

Work will include replacing all of the cedar roof shingles, repairing the metal roof on “Hawthorne’s Tower” and replacing the metal roof on the piazza (porch), replacing gutters and downspouts, repointing the stone foundation, repairing the chimneys, restoring ceilings and walls, and replacement of historic wallpaper and carpet.

National Park Service historic architects are guiding the project. Paint layer analysis will guide the choice of colors and Park Service conservators will advise on wallpaper and other interior finishes. The rehabilitation work will be completed by private contractors as well as Park Service employees form the Historic Architecture, Conservation and Engineering Center in Lowell.

“We are very grateful to receive funding for this much-needed work,” said Park Superintendent Nancy Nelson. “Park visitors and local residents alike remarked on the need to save this important home.” 

While the house is closed, Park Rangers will give free neighborhood walking tours. One tour will focus on Revolutionary War history (The Wayside dates from 1716) and will include the nearby Meriam House. Another tour will look at how the Alcotts, Hawthornes, and their Concord neighbors reacted to the Abolitionist movement and the Civil War. The tours will be offered Wednesdays through Sundays from June 29 through August 24.