Concord School of Philosophy." Operating from 1879 to 1888, the School was one of the first highly successful adult education centers in the country. In 1877, Louisa May Alcott bought a home on Main Street for her sister Anna. After Mrs. Alcott's death in the same year, Louisa and her father moved into the home as well. The Alcott family were officially moved out of Orchard House by November 14. Orchard House was then sold to long-time family friend William Torrey Harris in 1884. Alcott said that she's "glad to be done with it, though after living in it for 25 years it is full of memories. But places have not much hold on me when the persons who made them dear are gone." Orchard House today Orchard House is open for guided tours daily, with the exceptions of Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and January 1 and 2. An admission fee is charged. The exterior looks much as it did in the Alcotts' day. Care has been taken to keep extensive structural preservation work invisible. All of the furnishings are original to the mid-nineteenth century—with roughly 75% belonging to the Alcott family—and the rooms look very much as they did when the Alcotts were in residence. The dining room contains family china, portraits of the family members, and paintings by May, along with period furnishings. The parlor is decorated with period wallpaper and a patterned reproduction carpet, while family portraits and watercolors by May adorn the walls. Abigail May's bread board, mortar and pestle, tin spice chest, and wooden bowls are displayed on the hutch table in the kitchen. Other original kitchen features include a laundry drying rack designed by Bronson and a soapstone sink bought by Louisa. The study is furnished with Bronson's library table, chair, and desk. The parents' bedroom contains many of Abigail May's possessions, including photographs, furniture, and handmade quilts. Orchard House has continued the tradition of Mr. Alcott's Concord School of Philosophy by hosting "The Summer Conversational Series" since 1977, and has recently added a "Teacher Institute" component. The Hillside Chapel is also used for youth programs, poetry readings, historical reenactments, and other special events. See also Transcendentalism List of historic houses in Massachusetts List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places listings in Concord, Massachusetts References External links Orchard House official site Historic house museums in Massachusetts Homes of American writers