School embraced new ideas, lifelong learning

Its five-week terms ran from July to August, and classes originally were held in Orchard House, the Alcott family home. When enrollment exceeded expectations and more space was needed, courses were moved to a barn-like building behind the house. The sparsely furnished, minimally decorated wood structure still stands today.

The school offered a series of classes and lectures - Alcott preferred to call them "conversations" - on topics that included the origin of evil, eternal life, Platonic philosophy, the human body, education, the nation, memory, the birth of American literature, "the making of freedom," and philanthropy and public charities. There were also courses on Greek, Spanish, Italian, and German art. The discussions often tilted toward the philosophical, and students were encouraged to share their views.

In its first season, the school enrolled about 400 students, three-quarters of whom came from outside the town, according to "Concord: Historic, Literary and Picturesque," an 1885 book authored by George B. Bartlett. Those early participants, who ranged from teachers to clergymen to artists to social reformers, came from at least 22 states, Bartlett wrote.

A Connecticut native, Alcott began his professional life as a salesman before becoming a teacher, and his educational philosophies were far ahead of their time. He was fascinated by how people learn, and devoted himself to changing traditional methods, which were rooted in the maxim that children should speak only when spoken to.

Alcott took a radically different approach. He believed that students should be treated with respect and kindness, not beaten regularly to keep them in line. He allowed them to ask questions in class, a policy some other teachers considered inappropriate. He incorporated art, music, nature studies, field trips, and physical education into his curricula; he encouraged self-expression and prodded students to keep journals.