Concord (Massachusetts)

Maybe you’ve never heard of sleepy Concord Massachusetts population 18,000 (2020), but your life has certainly been impacted by it. This is where "the shot heard round the world" was fired in the spring of 1775, setting off a chain of events that would eventually lead to the creation of the United States.

This article also covers the neighboring town of Lincoln population 7,000 (2020).

Understand
The Massachusett people lived here for thousands of years prior to European arrival. This site at the confluence of the Sudbury and Assabet rivers was chosen, as the floodplains created abundant arable land and opportunities for fishing. The area was known as Musketaquid, an Algonquian word meaning "grassy plain". The vast majority of the first inhabitants were killed off by smallpox and other plagues at the dawn of the 17th century. Survivors sold their land to the colonists, and began to assimilate into the prevailing Puritanical culture. Those who did not "bend the knee", were exterminated during wars and other conflicts throughout the 1600s.

The American Revolution essentially began here at the Battle of Lexington and Concord, April 19, 1775. Paul Revere had ridden to Lexington the previous night, raising the alarm and giving Massachusetts Minutemen time to prepare for battle. By around noontime the British Army had advanced to the Old North Bridge, where they were finally repelled by Minutemen and forced into retreat. From here the Redcoats returned to Boston while under fire and barricaded themselves inside. Thus began the siege of Boston, and in turn, the Revolutionary War.

During the mid-19th century, Concord was a hotspot of activity for Transcendentalist authors. Rounding things out, Concord’s literary excellence is palmary. Ralph Waldo Emerson is perhaps the town's most famous author, however: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, and Henry David Thoreau were all strong voices inside his circle. They churned out thought provoking titles in the mid-1800s like Civil Disobedience, The Scarlet Letter, and Little Women, among dozens of other titles. Their Transcendentalist views led Thoreau to imprisonment, as he refused to pay taxes to a government that supported slavery. Even today, notable authors like Doris Kearns Goodwin and Gregory Maguire have called Concord home.

Another Concordism—although much more mundane—is the common comestible grape jelly. The humble peanut butter and jelly sandwich is often made with the ubiquitous Concord Grape, first cultivated here in 1849. So if you’ve ever eaten a PB&J or sipped grape juice; you may have already gotten a little taste of Concord.

By car
The only major road in the area is MA Route 2, it cuts through the area from north-west to south-east. From Rt 2, several "feeder" roads all run in to Concord center, like spokes on a wheel. The road names all describe where they go, so depending on your next destination you'll wind up using: Elm Street, Main Street, Sudbury Road, Walden Street, Cambridge Turnpike, Lexington Road, Bedford Street, or Lowell Road. Bedford and Main streets are also called MA Route 62, but it would never be confused for a highway. Most parking at the train stations is reserved for Concord residents only.

By bicycle
Concord is blessed with extensive cycling infrastructure, and the relative closeness of attractions can make biking an attractive option. The Reformatory Branch Trail is roughly of unpaved path connecting the wildly popular Minuteman Commuter Bikeway in Bedford with Concord center. It can get muddy after a rainfall, but generally speaking all but the skinniest of tires can roll along this path. Next, the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail passes through West Concord station. This 10-foot-wide paved trail runs you over north into the city of Lowell, or a few miles south into Sudbury conservation land. If you'd like to travel between them, you'll have to ride in the street for a mile or two.

By train
Use the Fitchburg Line from Boston's North Station to arrive in Lincoln, Concord center or West Concord. You can walk to a few attractions from any station, but you'll need to connect with a car or bicycle to do any real exploring from the train.



Get around
Traveling by car is easiest, but many of the tourist attractions are within walking distance of each other.

There are extensive walking trails in Lincoln that go through conservation land, and also connect with the Lincoln MBTA commuter rail station.

Minute Man National Historical Park

 * North Bridge Visitor Center: Nov-Mar: daily 11AM-3PM; Apr-Oct: daily 9AM-5PM.
 * Minute Man Visitor Center: Apr-Oct: daily 9AM-5PM; Oct-Nov: Daily 9AM-4PM.
 * Hartwell Tavern: Jun-Oct: daily 9:30AM-5:30PM.
 * The Wayside: open by guided tour. Jun-Oct: Th 2PM & 4PM; F Sa Su at 11AM, 1:30PM, 3PM & 4:30PM. Nathaniel Hawthorne's home.
 * The Wayside: open by guided tour. Jun-Oct: Th 2PM & 4PM; F Sa Su at 11AM, 1:30PM, 3PM & 4:30PM. Nathaniel Hawthorne's home.

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Go next

 * For more Revolutionary history look no further than Lexington, just next door. The Minutemen saw action here as well, and Lexington has the receipts to prove it.
 * More than just the Freedom Trail, Quincy Market, and Fenway Park; it's easy to spend another day in Boston. Take your pick: Newbury street shopping, North End dining, or an evening in the Theater district.
 * Another top tier tourism town is Salem, site of the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Steeped in history, it's easy to imagine how a life controlled by the tides might have been lived. Home to the world class Peabody Essex Museum, and House of Seven Gables; Salem's bursting with funky shops and one-of-a-kind restaurants.
 * Get off the beaten trail and head for nearby Lowell. A city in its own right, you'll find many "undiscovered" options for dining and nightlife. Of course there is also a National Historical Park to explore, you're still New England after all.
 * Further afield, the White Mountains in New Hampshire offers some of the region's best outdoor experiences. Tops for hiking, fall foliage viewing or skiing.