A town with so much to offer.
West Concord has a vibrant village center full of independently-owned shops, small businesses and public resources, including a commuter rail station, library, post office, playgrounds and a pond. There is also a thriving artisan community, educational and community facilities, and an engaged population. West Concord benefits from the town’s historic roots in farming, and is home to a variety of traditional and organic farms. It is also a short drive to Emerson hospital, a full-service non-profit community hospital.
West Concord is committed to preserving the historic and rural character of the area, and the town offers a rich variety of cultural, historical, educational and outdoor activities that make day-to-day living a truly unique experience.
Concord’s Place in History
Concord has played pivotal roles in America’s revolutionary, literary and industrial history:
- An early skirmish of the American Revolutionary War was fought at Concord’s Old North Bridge, which is today part of the Minute Man Historical Park (US National Park Service) that weaves through Concord.
- Concord at various times was home to Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, and Henry David Thoreau.
- Welch's, the first company to sell grape juice made from the now ubiquitous Concord grape, still maintains a small headquarters in Concord.
- Historic Damon Mill is over 200 years old, and was one of the first mills to harness the Assabet River. It produced its unique ‘domett cloth,’ a light wool-cotton flannel invented by Calvin Damon, for troops during the civil war.
Living on the Assabet
Living on the Assabet River is a beautiful and ever-changing experience, with wonderful opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking and bird watching.
The Assabet is one of three rivers in the greater Sudbury, Assabet and Concord River watershed, known as the SuAsCo. The Assabet flows into the Concord River in Concord, which in turn flows into the Merrimack River in Lowell, and ultimately into the Atlantic ocean at Plum Island.
In 1999, last four miles of the Assabet—including the river segment that flows along Concord Riverwalk—were designated as ‘Wild and Scenic’ by the federal government, recognizing the recreation, ecology, scenery, and historic/cultural resources of the river. This designation is intended to help preserve the character of the river.
The Assabet River is loved and stewarded by the Organization for the Assabet River (OAR), a non-profit organization located in West Concord whose mission is to protect, preserve, and enhance the natural and recreational features of the Assabet River, its tributaries, and the watershed. Established in 1986 by a group of concerned citizens, OAR has approximately 920 members, a 14-member Board of Directors, and 5 part-time staff.
