Authors' Ridge, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery - Concord, MA - Roadside Attractions on Waymarking.com

Author's Ridge contains the graves of the four elite members of the Boston literary world of the 19th century. In sequential order you will find the family plots, including the graves, of these four famous contemporary authors: Henry David Thoreau ( July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862), Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864), Louisa May Alcott (November 29, 1832 – March 6, 1888), and Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882). The Thoreau, Hawthorne and Alcott graves are clustered together while a sign points to the grave of Emerson a short distance east along the ridge.

Henry David Thoreau was an author, poet, and philosopher whose most famous work was the essay Walden; or, Life in the Woods. The Thoreau family plot has a large family headstone with his name being the fourth name from the top.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a novelist most famous for writing The Scarlet Letter and the House of Seven Gables. Hawthorne, in keeping with his personal austerity has a small simple headstone with the single word HAWTHORNE inscribed upon it.

Louisa May Alcott was a novelist who is most remembered for her semi-autobiographical novel, Little Women. Louisa May Alcott is buried in a large family plot which includes her father, Bronson Alcott, mother, and sisters. In addition to the family headstone there is a small standing headstone inscribed:

L.M.A.
1832 -1888

and a ground level plaque that is inscribed:

LOUISA M. AlCOTT.

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a poet and essayist who wrote the essay Self-Reliance ant the poem the Concord Hymn. Emerson is buried under a large boulder with a bronze plaque containing an epitaph he wrote for himself. It is inscribed:

RALPH WALDO
EMERSON
BORN IN BOSTON MAY 25 1803
DIED IN CONCORD APRIL 27 1862

THE PASSIVE MASTER LENT HIS HAND
TO THE VAST SOUL WHICH O'ER HIM PLANNED

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is open daily from 7:00 a.m. until dusk or 8:00 p.m., whichever is earlier, weather permitting.

Price of Admission: 0.00 (listed in local currency) Weekday Hours: From: 7:00 AM To: 8:00 PM Weekend Hours: From: 7:00 AM To: 8:00 PM Roadside Attractions Website: [Web Link] Location Website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
When posting a new log for a waymark, please include a picture if there isn't one included on the original posting. Add your thoughts about the roadside attraction and let everyone know if it is worth while stopping to see.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   05/26/2021 jewelsverne visited it 05/10/2016 RickAnn visited it 10/25/2015 kj-mclean visited it

View all visits/logs