Whispers linger here in Chestnut Hill. They tell of a woman who defied convention. That woman was Mary Baker Eddy. This is her last home. It stands at 400 Beacon Street.
Mary Baker Eddy Historic House holds stories within its walls. She bought this estate in 1907. Extensive remodeling happened under Chicago architect Solon S. Beman.
The prestigious Boston firm of Peabody and Stearns originally designed the house around 1880. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
Before Eddy, William Richardson Dupee lived here. He had the main house built in 1880. The Dupee family sold the estate in 1895. R. Ashton Lawrence then owned the house.
Mary Baker Eddy did not move in until 1908. This was after the addition had been completed. She used it as her home. She also oversaw church management from here. She founded the Christian Science movement.
Eddy directed her church officers to publish a daily newspaper from her study in July 1908. Months later she opened the first issue of The Christian Science Monitor here. That was on November 25, 1908.
Her second-floor study mirrored her workspace at Pleasant View. Pleasant View was her home in Concord New Hampshire. Her desk faced a bay of windows. It overlooked the grounds.
She made final edits to many writings here. This included the Christian Science textbook Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. She published a poetry collection here too. She authorized the first German translation of Science and Health. She produced letters and messages for her church.
She helped cement the structure of her church. This happened through the addition of final By-laws to the Manual of The Mother Church. This ensured the church would carry on without her.
Mary Baker Eddy passed away here. She died in her ninetieth year. The date was December 3 1910.
Eddy bequeathed the estate to her church. The church maintained it for decades. It remained as she had left it. The house was open to the public for many years. Costs and needed repairs led the church to close it.
In April 2006 the church announced it would sell the house. This was part of a plan to reduce real estate involvement. They wanted to focus on spiritual priorities.
Longyear Museum purchased her last home in December 2006. The museum advances the understanding of Mary Baker Eddy’s life and work. The sale price was over $13 million. The sale did not include furnishings. These were removed by the church.
Longyear Museum later paid $156000. This was to obtain furniture rugs and carriages. Longyear hopes to buy more personal property later.
The main house has three stories and a basement. There are 25 rooms and four chimneys. It contains over 17000 square feet of space. The exterior walls feature puddingstone granite and blue stone blocks.
A major renovation occurred from 1907 to 1908. Solon Spencer Beman designed it. The renovation transformed the layout. Two elevators were added. A new wing was added in the original style.
The gate-carriage house has over 6500 square feet of space. The garage has only 670 square feet.
Grand Light restored the historic lighting fixtures. They also manufactured new period lighting. The renovation ensured historically accurate restoration. This relied on period photographs and blueprints.
Today the Mary Baker Eddy Historic House stands as a testament. It reflects her role as the Leader of the Christian Science movement. The house reopens to the public. It allows us to glimpse into the life and work of a remarkable woman.