This eclectic brick-ended house by a bend in the Sudbury River is one of Concord's stateliest homes. It was built in 1880 by Franklin B. Sanborn, one of Concord’s most accomplished characters. Red Hawk Studio assisted the current owner with restoration of the exterior and reconstructing the front entry porch, as well as planning for future improvements on site.
Sanborn lived a long life (Dec 15, 1831 – Feb 24, 1917). He was mentored by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson Alcott, Ellery Channing, and Henry David Thoreau. An active supporter of the abolitionist, John Brown, federal officials attempted to arrest him in 1860, but Concord citizens rioted, thwarting his arrest. He was an educator, biographer, and helped found several social service institutions including the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, Massachusetts. Sanborn’s first wife, Ariana Walker, died four days after their wedding, but her name is memorialized on a plaque on the gable end of the house.
