Dike and Blair Family Portraits
Below are portraits of several of the Blair and Dike ancestors featured in The Hawthorne Inheritance. The Cust and Blair portraits are by the itinerant painter Jacob Eichholtz and are part of the Blair family collection. The portrait of George Dike Blair is courtesy of the Blair Strip Steel Company. Portraits: Mrs. Thomas Blair (Florinda Cust Blair), mother of Thomas S. Blair. Mrs. John Cust (Mary Cust), grandmother of Thomas S. Blair. Tintype of Virginia Dike Blair, daughter of Nathaniel and Anna Dike, wife Thomas S. Blair, from the Blair Historical Society.
The Concord Connection
Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne lived in two houses in Concord: The Old Manse, which they rented, and the Wayside, which they bought from the Alcotts and renovated. Both houses have been preserved and are open to the public. Louisa May Alcott’s family’s home, The Orchard House, and the Emerson family’s home, “Bush” are also preserved and open to the public.
Alcott House
The Old Manse
Wayside Museum
Emerson House