The Wayside: Home of Authors

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.