From the beginning when the very first immigrants filed across a now-disappeared land bridge to fill a continent, America has been a place of hope, of reinvention, and of myth. Throughout its history, when one frontier has closed, we have sought another. In 1890, the United States government formally declared the frontier closed. But a hundred years later, we planted an American flag on the moon. Who knows where the frontier ends?
In celebratation of our nation’s 234th birthday, let us revisit our roots and see how far the tree of liberty has grown, what nourished it, and how it flourished despite so many odds.
On the first Saturday of each month, the Norton offers a special tour at 2 p.m. All tours meet in the lobby. No reservation is required, though groups of 10 or more are asked to call ahead. This tour, like all tours and admission to the Norton, is free of charge.