1992 Spring Quarterly News

Quarterlyflws VOL. 29, NO. 1 PUBLISHED BY LONGYEAR MUSEUM AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY SPRING 1992 PLEASANT VIEW- A HOME FOR MARY BAKER EDDY Mrs. Eddy's residence on Pleasant Street in Concord, New Hampshire and after his collaboration with Mary Mary Baker Eddy, Discoverer and This June, 1992, marks one hun Baker Eddy on Christ and Christmas. 2 Founder of Christian Science writes dred years since Mary Baker Eddy These are indeed valuable resources on page 58 of her major published moved to the home she was to occupy in this centennial year considering work Science and Health with Key to longer than any other in her experi that the home itself was taken down the Scriptures, "Home is the dearest ence. For fifteen and one-half years in 1917 to be replaced by the structure spot on earth, and it should be the this quiet, rural setting on the out that remains there today. The new centre, though not the boundary, of skirts of Concord, New Hampshire, building was constructed and used for the affections." On another occasion which she named appropriately many years as a sheltered care institu she was heard to say to members of "Pleasant View" would, along with tion for Christian Scientists, and was her household, "Home is not a place a household of dedicated workers, named Pleasant View Home. In more but a power. We find home when we enable her to accomplish what would recent years, there has been some con arrive at the full understanding of advance her and her discovery from fusion between these two "Pleasant God. Home! Think of it! Where sense national to international recognition. 1 Views." has no claims and Soul satisfies. " To gain an understanding of what Mary Baker Eddy's "Pleasant View" Of this significant part of Mrs. meant to her and to history it is impor Eddy's life the world has today only tant to examine briefly some events Quarterly News Spring 1992 the historic record- including pho leading to her residence there. Most CILongyear Foundation 1992 Vol.29,No.1 tographs, postcards, first-hand recol importantly, why had Mrs. Eddy felt lections, and a book of photos and the need to move from Boston, the Sent without charge to Members of Longyear engravings that was prepared by center of activity for the religious James Gilman and a colleague during movement she had founded? 433 Biographer Clifford P. Smith writes, Irving Tomlinson, student and biog as those on the main house: " ... an "As reasons for this change and its rapher of Mary Baker Eddy later re original polychrome scheme in yel incidents, she spoke of desiring to live lates, '"A home should be something lows and yellow-oranges ... followed apart from the world, of transferring more than four walls,' Mrs. Eddy by two polychrome schemes in many tasks to others, and of taking said to me. 'There should be about green and white, then a scheme more time for her writings. "3 Another it noble trees, beautiful shrubbery, with gray.... "11 biographer, E. Mary Ramsay, likens flowers, vines clambering over the Even with the improvements and the experience to that of a "wise house, and a rose garden.' And that additions, though, the dwelling place mother" who "saw that the time had is what she made of the desolate spot of this remarkable religious leader was come when her students must carry transformed into Pleasant View.... "9 to maintain the humble atmosphere on the work on the lines laid down by her, with less supervision, depending less on her and more on God. She longed to retire from the pressure of the life she had been leading, to revise Science and Health, to have time for meditation, to learn more of the life of the Spirit, to be able to see the future steps which must be taken to safe guard and establish the cause of Chris tian Science. "4 Mrs. Eddy herself writes, "I left Boston in the height of prosperity to retreat from the world, and to seek the one divine Person, whereby and wherein to show others the footsteps from sense to Soul. To give me this opportunity is all that I ask of mankind. "5 Mary Baker Eddy's first residence upon leaving Boston was 62 North State Street in Concord, New Hamp shire, to which she moved in June of 1889. She needed the distance from Boston in order to rethink Chris tian Science teaching and the church organization, and by October had Front entry gate at Pleasant View closed and dissolved her thriving Of the physical changes made to that reflected her concept of home. Massachusetts Metaphysical Col the original structures, another biog Arthur Brisbane, a writer who had lege6 and by the end of the year had rapher says, "The original house was occasion to interview Mrs. Eddy and formally disorganized the church quite small and commonplace, but later wrote of his experience describes (although services continued to be Mrs. Eddy added bow windows and the house as "extremely simple and held).7 She needed quiet in order to wide verandas, built a porte-cochere unpretentious, a plain, little frame undertake a major revision of her book at the front of the house and a tower dwelling, situated rather close to a Science and Health, the 50th edition room with a balcony at the south-east country roadway on the side of a most published in January 1891. There was corner, whence the best view of beautiful New Hampshire valley."12 a brief period of residence in Roslin the hills and valleys was to be had. The house was actually situated dale, Massachusetts in May 1891, but Later on she bought more land, built about a mile southwest of Concord then back to 62 North State Street in a gardener's cottage, stables and on the south side of Pleasant Street, Concord until she could find a more out-buildings. "10 on acreage that sloped gradually tranquil solution.8 There were other smaller changes down to a river. In addition to the Then in the Fall of 1891 while out and alterations to be made over house itself there were other features on one of her daily drives, Mrs. Eddy the years there, and among those to this home, including two summer came upon a farm site on the rural there would be several exterior color houses (gazebo-like structures, one on outskirts of Concord. The group of schemes. The most frequently de the front lawn and one in the rear), a buildings was in need of repair but scribed is a pale, light, or soft gray fountain with fish, gardener's cottage had a pastoral setting and long view green. This description is supported and greenhouse, stone entrance and of woodlands, meadows, and the hills by a recent paint analysis done of gate, stables with carriage house, and of her childhood home of Bow, New the Pleasant View summerhouse flower gardens, orchards, and lawns.13 Hampshire. It was a scene that imme (gazebo) that presently sits on the There was a lovely pond that had been diately appealed to her sense of front terrace at the Longyear Museum, the gift of grateful students, with a "home." By December she had pur undergoing restoration. Since out windmill, footpaths, and boathouse; chased the property and begun plans buildings were customarily painted and a boat that had also been a gift to for the necessary adjustments that to match the main one, it is highly Mrs. Eddy.14 Also of note was a work would accommodate her own needs probable that the paint colors found ing farm and dairy that provided fresh and those of her household. on the summerhouse were the same vegetables and dairy products for the 434 honest opinion when she had asked for it .... Later I had the privilege of helping Mrs. Eddy in the work of re decoration. "18 It is interesting to read a description of these same rooms six years later in Sibyl Wilbur's 1905 account: "I have spoken of the mod est dimensions of the house, but the double parlors, which occupy the eastern half of it on the ground floor, are so arranged as to give an effect of stateliness. They are hung in rose-pink silk brocade, carpeted with white velvet, and curtained with filmy lace at the windows. They are full of sunlight .... " And of the library, across the hall, she notes, "The furni ture is of leather upholstery, and it is a comfortable, livable, old-fashioned sort of room." Later she adds, "We Stables with carriage house and garden passed through the dining-room and household. A Concord Monitor article and first-hand accounts by members kitchen, giving me the opportunity reprinted in the Christian Science of the household and visitors. Calvin to see that, to the last corner of this Sentinel of August 29,1901, mentions Hill, who later became a trusted house, order, simplicity, and absolute that Pleasant View had "one of the worker for Mrs. Eddy, made his first daintiness prevailed. "19 And accord best equipped model farms in New visit to Pleasant View as a carpet ing to floor plan drawings done in the England" utilizing the latest of meth salesman in the Spring of 1899. After 1950's from the recollections of sev ods, and that "every department of the being encouraged by Mrs. Eddy to eral individuals who had been mem estate of the modest owner is looked be straightforward in his advice on bers of Mrs. Eddy's household, other after with great care."1s what he would choose, he responded rooms on that first level included a Most descriptions of the house and "'In your front parlor, Mrs.

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