The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29
BROOK FARM As Ir WOW APPEARS
The Scene OF 1.-THE Bithednie Romance
Now IA German Home for Orphans Lit
tc Left OF Hawthorne Day Besides the
Charles River and john Eliots Puipit

Charles River aud John Eiiots Pulpit.
From the Springfield Republican.
II Is now nearly fifty five years ago lin
April. 1s4D that Hawthorne drove from Bos.
ton In a wintry snowstorm. out along the coun-
try roads, to the Brook Farm" settlem, mt in
West Roxbury, then recently started. The
half century that has elapsed since that time
has wrought. as might well lie expected, II
great change In the scene which then met llaw
thOrne's eye. Although there seems to be a
some what widespread opinion to the contrary.
says the Boston Transcript, yet 1t IL n fact that
no building that was thon used IL now stand
Ing, except the Margaret Fuller cottage" and
the Nest" which Hawthorne speaks OF In his
Notes" As n result Of this mistaken opin-
ion, scores Of persons at the present time visit
the plain. unromantic German orphan asylum
that Is now there. and move about II with n
half reverential air, wondering II this was really
the place where the famous Brook Farmers
lived their unique life. Many even ask, as
they enter the different rooms, II this was not
the self same chamber that Hawthorne was
sick in2 and some go so far as to peer out of the
window, in hopes OF getting the identical view
Of the distant Charles River that Hawthorne
got. Even in q recent number of n well known
magazine, a prominent writer has said that
large additions have been made to the solid
house associated with Prof. Ripley's literary
and philosophical community. then called the
"Phalanstery." This is not 40. That building,
which In reality was designated then as the
Hive" 1.-THE 'Phalanstery " was burned down
before being completely and the other buildings,
the Pilgrim House, the "Eyrie.'' and the
old barn. have long since disappeared.
From 1s47, when tho experiment ended. to
1850, Brook Farm was practically unoccu-
pied. although from time to time different per
sons lived in the small Margaret Fuller cot
tage." In 1850 the property was bought by
t them town Tm@ 1e hasSur UPON TO its se a SsSa IL a p tSe
$4,000 by the side Of the old Hive, that had
the Orphan Home, which so many persons
period. The Hive" itself was destroyed 10y
Are about 1884. The cause seems 70 have been
A farmer. with a lantern. going out to the barn
after dark to see II the cattle were all right
eow 'h sn d'f the b %sn set sa' fli san'S Ills f bsFs. Which iS (
had been the one used by the Brook Farmers,
was connected with viii the moo sHtie' by a long sit ROW
building, and they burned TO the ground. AS
was the case with the burning of the .Pha-
aines generously responded from the neigh,
boring towns. of Dedham, Roxbury, and New
plish anything. On the site Of the barn now
stands the printing shop Of q the home, while
a spI part art Of the orphans playground. It was
while the town of koxbury used the Brook
Farm for a poor asylum tnht the Morton or
n1.i. I a hSuseI 1o was ro %9Y Sstt from OF tits It's 9"! if11sl
n TT the ro. Icot MsSs +, to ,sr1e lS9G al 4 ys1 BY H. sids
Some years later, when unoccupied. It was &C.
cidentally set on fire by tramps,, who used it
town TO s1s'p Of Roxbury was annexed to Boston,
Brook Farm ceased to be a poorhouse.
lls Ths pf in ppdEych %ss ne Arn "IdS u. T Fl a Sa h but
before the deeds were transferred he sold 1t to
sanes toef have several Of his friends shs use e. It for
building purposes. This was never done. ana
n}ps q time In Ap 5hf a l"nf l i"y 1sle NTH If jay, fBS ro5f
Farm was used as a camping ground for the
second Massachusetts Regiment under Col;
Mexican war. The men, 900 strong. were
70, allowed to quarter in the b1ild,nss. as 'hs 9
sooner or later. and they might as we'll begin
then" The tents, were therefore pitched in q
step in the history Of this spot took place when;
q few years later: James treeman Clarke sold
until 1870, worked it for q produce farm. In
Munroe's time occurred the cutting down Of
t tine T Rsrm, 9t e'o of w ihcf iGns1i"sa ,a spe sTFap IN
,hhspttfHr v IL Of h Ihs st9"1 Eyy;r 9S@ t thS f bcen SniIt 6 of
slope shs nr of the hi behind the "iHive'"S and held
the reputation of being the most attractive
S Sassa uss it t' was VAS turned for in Munroe' S" Tine
it was torn down and its lumber used for a
pigsty. To-day nothing can Re seen but a
Quadrangular mound of turf, once the cellar
Of the '''Eyrie;'
G. +. Rurkhardt. n wealthy Roxbury brewer.
bought the property. which had diminished from
the original 200 acres TO about sixty acres, for
to the home. Since that time Brook Farm has
been the Martin Luther III her H Hormsn for ch German . OR.
lutheran societies PEI e ties. OF N Wh.t England; and in
regime worked so hard to bring about tn cir
cherished millennium is the Margaret Fuller
ture Standing on the further slope Of the hill,
nestled in front Of the nine woods, in ex-
s ago. Why il I Is called the Marsarot Fuller cot,
tage is still something Of a mystery; as Marga-
nifty. and never lived in It. Sh" was only a visi.
tor, In II today lives the farmer the present
silas Foster, who manages the husbandry de-
The second object that remains, and in all
ltfe any" Is T yhe ,%'PE EHiis o pa lf%n!6 Which shs l0 FYSwt
thorne speaks OF IN chapter Ia. 1t is a man.
moth rock of co%nglomerate or Roxhpry r,pud.
ding stone" mot OF granite, ms Hawthorne
writes, standing some twenty five feet high in
the pine woods a few minutes walk back OF the
dition saws the 4 Arostls Eliot used to p ,"%' h to
tho Indians TWO centuries ago, and upon which:
to lecture on the sabbath AFTERNOONS TO Zeno-
b!a, Priscilla, and Coverdale, Instead of the
stands q large pine, straight and ovcrshndow
ing; while beneath the rock is tho cave with
top Of the rock, through which the children
crawl In their pastimes,
The Charles River still flows dark and
sluggish in its winding channel through the
meadows, much the same as 1t did half a CEN
fury ago. The BLACK and placid pool" where
the ZenOhia of the "Blithndale Romance" is
made To drown herself although this did not
really occur here. but In another place at some
distance. and had no connection with Brook
serves as a swimming hole for The boys, about
a mile from the home across the meadows.
The writer in the magazine article already re
ferred to has given an illustration OF a small
pool by the roadside pasture where he sad
kenobia drowned herself, but IL is n mistake.
Hawthorne clearly states, near the close Of his
story, that ,nohia met her fate in tho river.
The old well, a. in 1871, still Yields its cool,
fresh water, but no Priscilla drops the big
gest pitcher thar the community owns down
II now. for the water to-day Is d drawn up by "A
windmill, The shady pine. grove wIero the
mRsqurTadeTs sounded In llawthornr'S ear as
IL "Iomus aud Az crew were hulding tLrr
rrvels In ono "t IL, lonesome glGd"s," Is SIN
used for the snlnr PURPOSES, hut, ius lead Of tie
pictuIcslueiy. attired masquerudrrs Of the
"Blithedalc Romance IL chance w~Hyfurcr ON
tho road would now cntch glimpses in he sum
mCr time of dirty, tagged German children,