Tumbledown Hall
Tumbledown Hall, from Concord Sketches by May Alcott
173 years ago today—on August 12, 1847—Bronson Alcott, assisted by Henry David Thoreau, began building an "arbour" for Ralph Waldo Emerson.
The ambitious two-storied gothic structure was intended to be a summer study for Emerson. It was constructed in a fanciful style, preserving the natural curvatures of the building materials he gathered from the woods. Alcott prided himself on this characteristic being "original" to himself as an amateur architect. Thoreau, who worked as a surveyor, found opportunity for merriment in Alcott's disregard for the mathematics of engineering in preference to his aesthetic sensibilities and philosophical ideals. Alcott noted in his journals that his project had become a subject of curiosity in the neighborhood.
The Emersons called the summerhouse "Tumbledown Hall" and "The Ruin." Despite the humor, the structure stood for at least fifteen years, although unfortunately it was not well used due to heat and bugs.
— B. Ewen, Emerson House guide
