The
Wayside in Concord, Massachusetts was the only home
owned by Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter,
The House of the Seven Gables, and Twice-Told Tales.
Hawthorne gave The Wayside the name by which it is still known.
Before Hawthorne bought it, the house belonged to the Alcott
family, who named it "Hillside." Here, Louisa May Alcott
and her sisters lived much of the childhood described in Little
Women. Now part of Minute Man National Historical Park, The
Wayside was preserved by children's author Margaret Sidney, creator
of the "Five Little Peppers", and her
daughter, Margaret. The
Wayside is the only National
Historic Landmark lived in by three literary families. Their
home and works span more than three centuries.
