While living at the Old Manse Sarah Alden Bradford Ripley was a devoted mother and grandmother, helping care for her family and the home while maintaining her own passions and interests.

Sarah was also well-respected botanist who often shared her love of flowers and plants with friends and family, leaving behind her collection of pressed flowers and other plant material known as an herbarium. Herbaria have long been used as both scientific tools and as a means of commemorating travel to different places, making them both a scientific and artistic phenomenon!

In this workshop we’ll discuss the fascinating histories of Sarah Ripley and herbaria, and then explore the grounds of the Manse just as Sarah did with her grandchildren, collecting leaves and flowers from around the property to create our own pressed floral arrangements.

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED: thetrustees.org

Be sure to check out Flipping the Script, our tour that dives into the lives of women at the Old Manse, right before this program!

DATE: Sunday, May 10

TIME: 3 – 4:30 PM

LOCATION: Old Manse, 269 Monument Street, Concord, MA 01742

ACCESS: The Old Manse grounds have limited dirt and gravel pathways as well as sections of uneven terrain. The house itself is not wheelchair accessible and has several steep flights of stairs.

This program is offered by Old Manse as part of the Hidden Treasures Festival of Nature, Culture & History, an annual month-long celebration showcasing events and activities hosted by local partners celebrating the unique places, objects, and stories of the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area. Hidden Treasures programs are free and open to the public. Click to discover more Hidden Treasures!