About Love Notes from an Old Manse

Passing secret messages and leaving notes to friends and loved ones is a tale as old as time. Stop by our tent to learn the art of the “puzzle purse” and write a note to someone in your life that unfolds before their eyes.

The Old Manse provided many couples with the space to make a loving home and foster a sense of community with those around them, from the Emerson-Ripley clan that lived here for generations, to the newlyweds—Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne—who rented here for several years. It also became a meeting point for revolutionaries, artists, and writers who strove to make the world around them a better place. We’re celebrating that spirit on the second Saturday of the month from July to September by inviting visitors to our grounds to create their own “puzzle purses.” A popular way to exchange notes in the 18th and 19th century, the puzzle purse consists of a letter that folds into its own envelope, creating a discrete way of passing on love notes to someone special. Visitors are welcome to write their own notes to the people in their lives they want to lift up, or to leave a note for someone to take home later, paying it forward to our wider community.

This is a drop-in program, please feel free to stop by any time. Advanced registration is recommended but not required.

Want to know more about the friends and lovers who called the Old Manse home? Reserve your tickets for a tour of the historic house and learn more about their stories.

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