Boston Notes 22 – Louisa May Alcott’s House (Author of Little Women)

Tucked away on Lexington Street in the town of Concord lies the former home of Louisa May Alcott—the beloved author of Little Women! 📚 Before stepping into the house, you can stop by the nearby philosophical school first to learn more context—and here’s a fun fact: this school was founded by Louisa’s father, Amos Bronson Alcott! Amos Bronson Alcott was an aspiring philosopher and educator, but his dream of running a school never took off—he lacked enough supporters, and the venture ultimately failed. If his name sounds familiar, that’s because he’s the real-life inspiration for Mr. March in Little Women! 🎭 Still, he had famous friends: he was close with transcendentalist writers Ralph Waldo Emers on and Henry David Thoreau. In fact, it was Alcott who placed a stone marker at the original site of Thoreau’s cabin—such a cool link to literary history! These thinkers’ ideas deeply influenced Louisa, and you can see that in her character Jo March (the second daughter in Little Women). To help support her family, Louisa started working at a young age: she was a governess, elementary school teacher, hospital nurse, and even traveled across Europe as a lady’s companion. She valued freedom above all and chose to remain unmarried for life—and Jo March, the bold, independent protagonist of Little Women, is modeled after Louisa herself! 💪 Inside the house, there’s a special touch: a guide dressed in Jo’s iconic clothing leads tours in the first person! They’ll walk you through every room, sharing stories about the Alcott family’s daily life—what Louisa and her sisters did for fun, how their parents lived, and little anecdotes that make the family feel so real. It’s like stepping right into the world of Little Women! 🚪 #Travel #History #Boston #LittleWomen #Movies #Stories #ChineseFood #InternationalStudentEats #Concord #ConcordFood