A well-known 19th-century nurseryman and fruit breeder, John B. Moore cultivated a fine apple orchard of approximately forty trees that he put up for sale in 1857. The orchard captured the heart of Amos Bronson Alcott, who considered the apple the most perfect of fruits.
So taken was he with the property’s six apple varieties that he
named his new home Orchard House.
At the library’s public unveiling of the collections on March 28, 2026, renowned Alcott scholar Daniel Shealy observed that the new holdings encompass “numerous unpublished letters, hundreds of books, complete manuscripts, important presentation copies of books—most of them first editions—ephemera, photographs, first appearances of tales in periodicals, obscure and rare printings of books, and even unpublished journals.” According to Professor Shealy, the collections as a whole are “almost breathtaking in [their] scope and importance.”
Few places in the United States offer a wealth of history, literature, anthropological clues, and examples of Early American architecture along a one-mile stroll. Concord’s American Mile invites you to enjoy the great outdoors while learning about the town’s fascinating history. Begin your adventure at Monument Square and head east along Lexington Road.
