Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Massachusetts is a historic cemetery in the historic town of Concord and is best known as the final resting place of many of the country’s most notable and influential authors. Alcott, Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau are names most of us are familiar with. It’s in Concord where they lived and created some of their best works, and it’s in Concord where they were buried a long time ago.
In these uncertain times, keep safety in mind and consider adding destinations to your bucket-to-visit list at a later date.
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is a rural cemetery located in historic Concord, Massachusetts. Part of it was meticulously designed with winding roads by Horace Cleveland and Frederick Law Olmstead.
Before it was a cemetery, the rolling region of Sleepy Hollow, as it was called, was a favorite walking spot for many townspeople. When it became Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in 1855, transcendent poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson spoke at the dedication ceremony and knew that one day he would rest here.
Today, he and several other influential authors are buried in an area of ​​Sleepy Hollow cemetery known as Author’s Ridge, located on a hill.
Ralph Waldo Emerson died in Concord on April 27, 1882 and his grave is marked by a marble rock. Members of his family are also buried at Author’s Ridge. He was best known for his essay “Autonomie”.
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was another leader of the transcendent movement as well as an essayist, poet and naturalist. He is best remembered for his book Walden and his essay “Civil Disobedience”.
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote many notable literary works, including The scarlet letter, The house of the seven gables, and Twice Told Tales. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804 and died in Plymouth, New Hampshire in 1864 at the age of 59. He is buried at Author’s Ridge alongside several members of his family.
Among Louisa May Alcott’s most famous works is the beloved novel Little woman. She resided in her family home, known as Orchard House, in Concord and died on March 6, 1888 at the age of 55.
Authors’ Ridge at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Massachusetts is a must visit for history and literature buffs. You can consult a map of the cemetery here. To learn more about Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, visit the National Park Service website. If you’ve been to this historic Concord cemetery, we would love to hear from you in the comments.
The town of Concord is full of historic and natural sites that are worth seeing. You can find out more in our previous article.
Address: Bedford Street, Bedford St, Concord, MA 01742, United States
