Concord, Massachusetts, is the epitome of the great New England towns. Incorporated in 1635, the town offers all of the history and less of the commotion of nearby Boston. Located along the paths of three rivers -- the Concord, the Assbet and the Sudbury, this quaint town of approximately 14,000 residents is surrounded by natural beauty. Its streets of white clapboard and black-shuttered homes are lined with brilliant hues in the fall, when leaves turn the shades of red, orange and yellow that attract visitors here year after year.

No discussion of Concord is complete without mention of its rich history, much of which remains a mystery. And yet its evidence remains in the woods of Concord and the town's surrounding area. The first armed resistance to British rule took place in Concord. On the fateful day of April 19, 1775, the British moved to crush this organized resistance and destroy all ammunition the colonials had gathered for their protest. As the two opposing sides faced each other, "the shot heard round the world" fired at the North Bridge, and the American Revolution was born.

Much of this history remains in Concord. A walk through the woods will take you past fascinating artifacts, most of them made of stone: the foundations of old homes, stone walls, quarries and a series of odd stone structures. These configurations are too deliberate to be coincidental; made into neat piles, animal shapes, circles and other patterns, one can only wager a guess as to their intended purpose centuries ago. And yet it's clear that the woods of Concord were very significant throughout history.

Despite Concord's relatively small size, there's so much to see and do here that it's difficult to see everything if an itinerary limits you to a short stay. When staying in Concord, head to one of the town's historic bed and breakfasts for the quintessential experience. Many of them date back to the mid-1700s and have been impeccably preserved. Of course, no trip to Concord is complete without a visit to the inspiration of one of the town's two favorite former residents, Henry D. Thoreau. The revered author wrote "Walden," his most famous book, at his cabin alongside Walden Pond. Literary lovers by the hundreds make the pilgrimage here each year. The cabin and surrounding area is now a state park. While it's a bit more populated than Thoreau ever imagined, the land is well-preserved thanks to its state park status.

Concord's other favorite former resident is Ralph Waldo Emerson, who moved here in 1834. You can view Emerson House, his home from 1835 to 1882. You'll also want to visit the Bullet Hole House, where a shot fired during the battle at the North Bridge left a hole in history; the hole remains there to this day. A visit to the Concord Museum will take you through rooms authentically designed with artifacts from various periods, including the era of Concord's earliest residents, the Native Americans, through the American Revolution, Thoreau, and more. To view the final resting places of Thoreau, Emerson and other literary greats, visit Sleepy Hollow Cemetary. The grounds include "Author's Ridge," where Thoreau, Emerson, Alcott and Hawthorne all are buried. Along Main Street in downtown Concord, you'll find Old Burying Ground, where Revolutionary Soldiers and members of Concord's earliest families were laid to rest.

For those who read "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott, a visit to Orchard House will be meaningful. The Alcott family lived here from 1858-1877. And at Monument Square, visit Wright's Tavern, a structure built in 1747. It is here that the Provincial Congress convened on the eve of the Revolution. Concord's revolutionary reputation lived on; throughout the 1850s, sentiment against the practice of slavery grew here, and the town eventually served as a stop on the underground railroad, the secret passageway in which residents risked their lives helping slaves escape the bonds of slavery.

Throughout its history, Concord made its living from its surrounding farmlands. The town served as an agricultural center for many years. Its commerce has diversified greatly since then, of course (services, manufacturing and retail comprise the largest segments of the business community), but many relocators to Concord come here still because of the town's historical yet well-preserved past, its educational resources and its proximity to the cultural and educational wealth of Boston and Cambridge. At no time was this more true than in the 1980s, when land prices shot upward; people moved to Concord to take advantage of easy access not only to Boston but to the Route 128 corridor, a dense concentration of high-tech and industrial firms that spurred a healthy, vital regional economy.

Concord residents are a well-educated and relatively affluent bunch. Median annual household income here is $69,917, according to 1998 statistics. Residential tax rate is 12.86. The average price of a single-family home is a rather staggering $742,464. Many homes are priced just shy of $1 million, and many are priced within the six figures. The price of historical preservation appears to be steep home prices, but residents are quite willing to pay them, and property values are very likely to remain high. Concord reaps the benefits of quaint New England village charm coupled with access to big-city resources. It's the perfect mix of old and new -- a place where relics of the nation's birth and the fruits of its labors live side by side.