News

Newton Historical Society Takes Walking Tour of Longyear Neighborhood

September 28, 2009

A September 13 tour of the Chestnut Hill area observed the dramatic changes that have taken place in the neighborhood since Mary Baker Eddy was a resident there.

About ninety participants from Newton, Massachusetts, and surrounding communities toured the Chestnut Hill neighborhood where Mary Baker Eddy lived from 1908 to 1910.

walking tour

Co-sponsored by the Newton History Museum and Longyear Museum, this September 13 walking tour, led by local historian Anne Smith, examined the dramatic changes that took place in this important suburb six miles west of downtown Boston, as the area's rich farmland was turned into private estates and the Boston College campus.

After exploring the neighborhood, the focus shifted to Longyear's Mary Baker Eddy Historic House at 400 Beacon Street. Preservation Specialist Kerry Vautrot of Historic New England gave an overview of the home's architectural history. Tourists learned that the house, designed by the prestigious Boston firm of Peabody and Stearns, was built circa 1880. Purchased by Mrs. Eddy in 1907, it was then remodeled under the supervision of Chicago architect Solon S. Beman, who had previously collaborated on The Mother Church Extension.

Finally, the group toured the interior of the house with Longyear guides and heard the story of the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science and her three years in Chestnut Hill.