Concord’s History

This is the third excursion on or near the Battle Road between Lexington and Concord Massachusetts. We started on Lexington Green and proceeded up the road to the Hartwell Tavern and its wonderful wooden buildings.

Concord's Old North Bridge in fall — Concord’s Old North Bridge in fall

Today we’re going up the road a little further to see the autumn colors surrounding Concord’s Old North Bridge. There’s also a bonus photo op when you go to the Old North Bridge Historical Park. You also have the Old Manse which was the home of Ralph Waldo Emerson and for a short time, Nathaniel Hawthorne lived there.

Directions

Here is a link to Google Maps with the coordinates so you can find your way. (coordinates are 42.469109, -71.350155, in case that link doesn’t work for you. Just type those in the Google Maps search bar.)

Fall foliage over New Englands Old Manse — William Emerson’s Old Manse in Concord

We’ll start by leaving the Hartwell Tavern which is just off the North Great Road (2A). you come out and make a right-hand turn heading West and proceed until you come to the Y split where Lexington Road and the Bypass Road (2A) split, stay to the right on Lexington Road.

This will take you down into Concord and at about the 2.1-mile point, you will be in the center of downtown Concord at Main Street and Route 62, stay to the right following Route 62, and in the next block, you will turn right onto Monument Street.

You will only travel for about a quarter-mile when you will see the signs for the Historical Park and a large parking lot on your right-hand side. (park) 🙂

Shooting recommendations

I’ve never shot the bridge in the morning so you can run by after photographing The Minuteman on Lexington Common. (don’t forget to check the morning light at Hartwell Tavern also) and then proceed to the Old North Bridge and see what it looks like for a morning shot.

If it’s not good in the morning you could travel over to several other historical locations in this area (the homestead for Louisa May Alcott is on Lexington Road) and save the Old North Bridge for the afternoon.

Old North Bridge in Concord Massachusetts, View in my gallery

I shot the Bridge, once in September and while it’s a nice shot, fall color is pretty much nothing in September. Another time I was here was on October 13th and I actually think that the colors around the Old Manse were much more impressive than the actual colors up-and-down the river on either side of the old North Bridge.

After I photographed the Old Manse, I walked down to the river along the footpaths and I found a ramp down to a floating dock. From here you can photograph the old North Bridge from an unusual angle.

Jeff Foliage Folger

Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage

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