A horse-drawn station wagon with a battery-operated speaker system? A kitchen with running hot water and an ice box for refrigeration? The historic estate at 400 Beacon Street in Chestnut Hill is a curious mix from the past when electricity and plumbing were moving into private homes.
The mansion, originally built in the 1880s, has been fully renovated to recreate the time period Mary Baker Eddy lived in it, from 1908 to 1910. Original furniture has been reupholstered, metallic art deco wallpaper recreated, wool strips of loom carpeting sewn together and relayed on the floors, and the whatnot, epergne, and circular Hammond typewriter placed in their original locations.
Mary Baker Eddy House in Chestnut Hill (photo: Dorothea Dolan) 
Pianola foot-operated player piano in Mary Baker Eddy House in Chestnut Hill (photo: Dorothea Dolan) 
Dining room in Mary Baker Eddy House in Chestnut Hill (photo: Dorothea Dolan) 
Kitchen stove in Mary Baker Eddy House in Chestnut Hill (photo: Dorothea Dolan) 
Hammond typewriter in Mary Baker Eddy House in Chestnut Hill (photo: Dorothea Dolan) 
Flat heater in Mary Baker Eddy House in Chestnut Hill (photo: Dorothea Dolan) 
Writing desk at Mary Baker Eddy House in Chestnut Hill (photo: Dorothea Dolan)
Mary Baker Eddy was the founder of the First Church of Christ, Scientist (Christian Scientists). At its height in the 1930s, 400 Beacon Street was the church’s executive office and her home. The unique building has skylights throughout, the original elevator, and a multi-floor fire hose system (to save the building while waiting for Newton’s horse-drawn fire engine to arrive).
After a meticulous six-year renovation, 400 Beacon Street has been reopenned for public tours. Visit the Longyear Museum site for details about visiting the mansion and a glimpse of the life of Mary Baker Eddy.