Named in 1635, Concord is an old historic town on the western axis of
suburban Boston. Located at the junction of the Concord/Sudbury/Assabet
Rivers, Concord was settled early by the English as a frontier outpost of
the Massachusetts Bay Colony and was the first interior, non-tidal water
town in Massachusetts. The community had also been the site of seasonal
Indian camps because of the plentiful runs of shad, salmon and herring.
Concord still retains many well-preserved colonial houses, nine of them on
or near Concord green and witnesses of the famous Battle of Concord. In
this historic battle which ushered in the Revolutionary War, a column of
British infantry was badly mauled by colonists during a 16-mile long
running battle that saw 273 British and 95 American dead. Concord also has
a significant literary history, having been the home of the leaders of the
intellectual movements of 19th century America. Louisa May Alcott, Bronson
Alcott, Emerson and Hawthorne lived in Concord at one time or another and
Thoreau wrote his internationally known philosophical treatise at Walden
Pond in Concord.
Concord evolved from a frontier town into a prosperous regional center with
a mixed society including small yeoman farmers, affluent gentry and
immigrants from Italy and Norway. There are high-style, handsome houses as
relics of this affluent society along with some country estates. One of
the well-preserved sights in the community is the Victorian Gothic state
prison built in 1878 and still housing prisoners.
Skyrocketing land prices in the real estate boom of the 1980's resulted
from Concord's proximity to Boston and the 128 technical/industrial
corridor, coupled with a vigorous regional economy. Considerable concern
is felt by Concord residents about the pressures on the town from its
significant tourist industry and suburban development.
