By Dr. Nancy Watson

Recent Articles

Arrowhead

Arrowhead

I’ve visited Arrowhead a couple of times over the years, and each visit leaves me with a deep appreciation of the home and the life that lived within its rooms. Nestled among the hills of Pittsfield, MA, this farmhouse holds an important chapter in American literary history. It was here, from 1850 to 1863, that Herman […]

Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Dorothy Quincy Homestead

Dorothy Quincy Homestead

Visiting the Dorothy Quincy Homestead in Quincy, Massachusetts was another chance to step back into the life of one of colonial America’s most prominent families. This landmark dates back to 1686, when it was built by Edmund Quincy on land settled by the family in the 1630s. The homestead was the childhood home of Dorothy Quincy Hancock Scott, […]

Quincy, Massachusetts
The Red Stone School

The Red Stone School

When Henry Ford purchased the Wayside Inn in 1923, he saw more than an old colonial tavern, he saw the beginnings of a “living village”. He wanted a place where the essential virtues of early American life could be preserved. He wanted a community in which each building represented a foundation value. This schoolhouse would be the place where discipline […]

Sudbury, Massachusetts
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s House

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s House

When you step inside Ralph Waldo Emerson’s house in Concord, MA, you can feel the presence of a man whose ideas helped shape American thought.  One of the objects in the entry hall of his home is his walking cane.  This is the same cane he carried on his daily walks that inspired so many of […]

Concord, Massachusetts
Rebecca Nurse Home

Rebecca Nurse Home

I am grateful that so many historic houses are still open to the public to explore and to remind us of the lives lived within them. One such home is that of Rebecca Nurse, a respected, elderly woman of Salem Village who became one of the most tragic figures of the Salem Witch Trials in […]

Danvers, Massachusetts
The Wayside Inn

The Wayside Inn

On a beautiful October day (2025), I drove to Sudbury, Massachusetts. There are so many places I’ve visited without taking a photo or leaving a written memory, so this time, I set out to capture the Wayside Inn, to record its presence and share it with you. Here in New England, we are surrounded by places that […]

Sudbury, Massachusetts