The Old Manse

The Old Manse, 269 Monument St. next to the North Bridge, was built in 1770 by the grandfather of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who spent some of his boyhood at the home. Nathaniel Hawthorne lived here 1842-45 and gave the house its name. His “Mosses from an Old Manse” was written in the study. The home contains the original 18th- and 19th-century American furnishings that belonged to the Emerson-Ripley family.

Guided tours are available.