The Story
Mrs. Eddy had been living at Pleasant View, her home in Concord, New Hampshire, for over 15 years when she made the decision to move back to the Boston area. In late January 1908, she and her household staff took up residence here at 400 Beacon Street. Her home was a center of activity for the Christian Science movement and continues to stand as a testament to her role as its Leader.
The layout of her second-floor study here closely mirrors her former work space at Pleasant View, with her desk surrounded by a bay of windows looking out across the grounds. From this study in July 1908, just months after arriving here, Mrs. Eddy directed the officers of her church to immediately set about publishing a daily newspaper. And five months later, on November 25, 1908, this is where she opened and read the first issue of The Christian Science Monitor.
Here, she also made final edits to many of her writings, including the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Additionally, she published a collection of poetry, authorized the first translation of Science and Health into another language (German), and produced a stream of pastoral letters, articles, and messages to her church and the world. With the addition of final By-laws to the Manual of The Mother Church, she also helped cement in place the structure that would carry her church forward when she was no longer present to guide it.
This would be Mrs. Eddy’s final home. She passed away here in her ninetieth year, on December 3, 1910.
