Henry David Thoreau
Destination: Concord, Massachusetts
Site: Henry David Thoreau’s Home
“What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?“
So wrote American writer Henry David Thoreau one and a half centuries ago. Sounds like a bumper sticker from the present day environmentalists, doesn’t it? Good old Thoreau continues to prove himself way out in front of the curve.
Thoreau, whose Walden Pond also provided us documentation of an early version of staycation (shudder!) wrote, if not travel books, certainly books that invite exploration of a place.
Our Great American Road Trip visited Massachusetts two weeks ago, so when I got this letter in the mail from the Thoreau Farm Trust, I just had to share it with you.
The non-profit organization has rescued the American pioneering environmental writer’s birthplace from destruction. In keeping with the man’s “green” principles, the house has been restored with sustainability as well as historic values. A neat trick, since the house was built in 1730.
Thoreau House
I like the idea that instead of being just one more historic house in a state packed with them (Emerson, Alcott, Whittier, Emily Dickinson, Longfellow, etc.), the Trust is creating a place for people to learn about Thoreau’s environmental ideas and learn what they can do to make a “tolerable planet.”
If you would like to keep tabs on the project, learn more details, or support their work, go to the Thoreau Farm Trust web site.
To read more about some of the writers of Thoreau’s day and place, see this article by R. Todd Felton, and his second about New England writers, and this one about Emily Dickinson.
Did you know that Thoreau’s house was being opened to the public? Will it be on your list of places to go? Have you read Thoreau? Love him or not?
PDF Tags: American writer, BlogSherpa, Concord, Emily Dickionson, environmental, green living, Massachusetts, New England, R. Todd Felton, road trip, Thoreau, USA
Twitter: WanderingEds
says:
i love thoreau, and always try to keep him in mind as i go about my daily life. i’ve seen the small house at walden pond – and it made such an impact on me, together with his writings.
.-= jessiev hopes you will read blog ..Photographer of the Month: Alex Budak =-.
Nice posting. I find I like posts that reference current events more than those that talk about historical events. (Not that I don’t enjoy history.)
Twitter: FrugalKiwi
says:
Ah, visions of Junior Year English Lit and my teacher Ms. Giorgi. Go Bayside Marlins!
.-= Frugal Kiwi hopes you will read blog ..Sharing the Love =-.
Twitter: chezsven
says:
I did not know about Thoreau’s house. Thanks for the tip. I will definitely be interested in finding out more. Since Thoreau walked up Cape Cod, we tend to claim him as ours, with books like “In the Footsteps of Thoreau,” but, of course, he had a whole other life when not out exploring the wild Cape and was more famous for writing about Walden Pond, so much smaller than I expected it to be.
.-= Alexandra hopes you will read blog ..The Innkeeper, the Pragmatist & the Return Guest =-.
Reread Walden last year. Love Thoreau! Did not know his house is open to the public. Thank you for sharing. -Richard
I hear beyond the range of sound,
I see beyond the range of sight,
New earths and skies and seas around,… That’s Thoreau vision for you. It does not surprise me. The Massachusetts landscape creates poetry and poets.Add to that some history and you’d love to be at the staycations – no shudder. Sounds perfect!
“So wrote American writer Henry David Thoreau two and a half centuries ago.” Are we talking about Henry David Thoreau (born David Henry Thoreau; July 12, 1817 – May 6, 1862)?
Twitter: pen4hire
says:
Whoops–one and a half. I’ve changed it.