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All the United States Massachusetts Concord Author's Ridge

Author's Ridge

This small section of the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is rotten with famous authors' graves.

Concord, Massachusetts

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Headstone of Henry David Thoreau   st7n / Atlas Obscura User
Headstone of Nathaniel Hawthorne   st7n / Atlas Obscura User
Headstone of Louisa May Alcott   st7n / Atlas Obscura User
Authors Ridge   st7n / Atlas Obscura User
Authors Ridge   st7n / Atlas Obscura User
Authors Ridge   st7n / Atlas Obscura User
Author’s Ridge   st7n / Atlas Obscura User
Lizzie is not buried with her parents but Borden family has a large plot in the cemetery as well.  
A gps historical marker behind Thoreau’s grave   e1savage / Atlas Obscura User
The Melvin Memorial by Daniel Chester French.   spadaadjusting / Atlas Obscura User
Final resting place of Daniel Chester French. He is buried near Author Ridge and sculpted the Minute Man statue (Concord), The Lincoln Memorial (DC), and within Sleepy Hollow cemetery, The Melvin Memorial.   spadaadjusting / Atlas Obscura User
The headstone of Henry David Thoreau.   spadaadjusting / Atlas Obscura User
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  xcountryqt35 / Atlas Obscura User
  SemiruralYeti / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Nestled within the lovely expanse of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts, is a little plot that is full of, as the name suggests, the graves of a staggering number of famous authors.

Author's Ridge is a scenic little corner of the large cemetery, and is the final resting place of a laundry list of legendary authors and transcendentalists who once lived in the city of Concord. During the 19th century, Concord became a hot bed of forward-thinking transcendentalists who were eager to usher in a new age in American history. Many of the followers of the social movement would go on to pen some of the most indelible works of literature in the American canon. From Henry David Thoreau's natural reflections in Walden, to the essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson, their progressive ideals would help shape the direction of national thought.

Then, of course, they died.

The list of names of famous authors who died while living in Concord is impressive. There are Thoreau and Emerson, but also Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott and her family, and William Ellery Channing, all interred near one another.

Author's Ridge is a popular pilgrimage site for lovers of literature. Literary explorers routinely leave pens, poems, and little notes around the graves of their favorite authors. As it turns out, the transcendentalists greatest achievement may have been to leave a mark on American literature that transcends even their death. 

Related Tags

Literature Cemeteries Gravestones Graves

Know Before You Go

You cannot drive all the way to author's ridge. They have a three-car parking area, and you must walk the rest of the way.

Community Contributors

Added By

st7n

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robvelella, e1savage, kaemaki, FWworldtraveler...

  • robvelella
  • e1savage
  • kaemaki
  • FWworldtraveler
  • spadaadjusting
  • SemiruralYeti
  • xcountryqt35

Published

September 2, 2015

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Sources
  • http://www.friendsofsleepyhollow.org/
  • http://www.concordnet.org/Pages/ConcordMA_Cemetery/sleepy
Author's Ridge
34A Bedford Street
Concord, Massachusetts, 01742
United States
42.465904, -71.340985
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Grave of Anne Rainsford French

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Explore the Destination Guide

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Concord

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Grave of Anne Rainsford French

Concord, Massachusetts

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Concord, Massachusetts

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Explore the Destination Guide

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Concord

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Stories 2

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