Concord, signifying agreement and harmony, was incorporated as the first inland settlement in Massachusetts through a grant from the Massachusetts General Court dated September 12, 1635.  As the scene of the first battle of the American Revolutionary War (War for Independence) on April 19, 1775, it is considered the birthplace of the nation, where the “shot heard ‘round the world” for liberty and self government was fired.

During the middle of the 19th century, Concord was home to some of the greatest literary and transcendental minds in America.  Authors Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson and Louisa Alcott, and Nathaniel Hawthorne all lived, worked and wrote in Concord, and signs of their presence in the community remain to this day through the abundance of historic and cultural resources offered.  Within walking distance of Concord Center are The Concord Museum, Orchard House, the Old Manse, the Old North Bridge, Minuteman National Historic Park, Emerson House, and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.  Walden Pond, which served as the inspiration for Thoreau’s Walden in 1854, is nearby and offers a variety of recreational opportunities and hiking trails.  The Concord Free Public Library, Concord Art Association, Emerson Umbrella studios for visual and performing arts, and the Performing Arts Center (which is home to the Concord Orchestra, the Concord Band, and the Concord Players) are all in the downtown area.