The Emerson Barn
The Emerson Barn in 1943.
When Ralph Waldo Emerson purchased his Concord property in 1835, included was the barn—constructed between 1827 and 1828 along with the house. The barn is an example of an English barn, listed in the real estate ad as “convenient for two horses and a cow with room for storage of hay.”
Emerson concentrated his early efforts on expanding and improving the house itself; the family did not have livestock at that point. However, starting in 1838 he purchased additional acreage around the original property—including the land where the Concord Museum now sits—making enough land for a small farm.
By 1846 the barn was being used as a school with governess Miss Sophia Foord serving as teacher. School attendees included Ellen and Waldo Emerson, Lizzie and May Alcott, Barry and Lizzy Goodwin, and Caroline Pratt—all of Concord. With changes to the barn, Sophia Foord had accommodations, as did a Mrs. Clarke and her son.
With a major enlargement to the barn in 1851, Emerson added a cow and horse, expanded later with two horses and two or three cows. One of the horses was a beloved Morgan mare named Dolly, often referred to in Ellen Emerson’s letters.
The barn was again extended and updated in 1890, under the architect Edmund March Wheelwright—then Boston’s official City Architect.
The Ralph Waldo Emerson Memorial Association (RWEMA) recently undertook a complete restoration of the barn to preserve this historic structure for future generations. The restoration was completed in August 2020.
— B. Ewen, Emerson House guide
