When Linda Bean, granddaughter of L.L. Bean, died suddenly last spring, her goal of turning the N.C. Wyeth house at 178 South St. into a research library died with her.
“We were a month away from getting the shelves in,” said Michael Niden, a local realtor who is listing the 1.25-acre riverfront property. “Linda passed before she had a chance to transfer $3 million to endow the foundation.”
Bean created the N.C. Wyeth Research Foundation and Reading Libraries, which includes properties in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, where the artist and his family lived for many years, and Port Clyde, Maine, where they spent many summers. The foundation has decided to sell the Needham property in order to fund the other two locations.
Gloria Greis, executive director of the Needham History Center and Museum, was an advisory trustee for this project. She said she met with Bean several times to lay the groundwork for the research library on South Street.
Giving a tour of the house, caretaker Niden, who lives in the modern, detached studio, pointed out both historic and recently installed features, such as an elevator and exit sign that makes the space ADA compliant. Before the house was put on the market as a private residence, it had received certification as a public building.
Although the primary purpose of the library that would have been located at this historic home was research, artist Doug Allen was planning to house his Wyeth collection on site. “Allen’s art was inspired by the Wyeths” said Greis. “He has collected what is probably the most extensive collection of Wyeth materials.”
The four-bedroom house is listed at $2.7 million. It comes with sweeping views of the Charles River and more than its share of history. The house was on the Underground Railroad. It was here that Wyeth’s grandfather, Denys Zirngiebel, developed Needham’s flower, the Giant Swiss Pansy. And frequent guest Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is reputed to have written his ode “To the River Charles” based on the view from the backyard. The house is featured in many of Wyeth’s famous works, including one of Paul Revere on horseback spreading the word of the British Invasion. Revere never rode through Needham, of course, but Needham was never far from Wyeth’s mind, and he was often eager to recreate what he perceived as his idyllic Needham childhood.
“This place is a creative vortex,” said Niden.
Wyeth was born in the house next door, and Greis said there was some discussion about trying to acquire it as well to create a historical district on South Street. Wyeth left Needham when he was in his 20s, earning fame and some fortune as an artist and illustrator, and bought 178 South St. in 1921. According to Greis, his family — and ultimately Wyeth — were not happy to be back in Needham.
“He was not good with change. He thought he would be coming back to the same Needham he left in 1906. He complained about the same type of things we complain about now,” Greis said. “Farms were being sold and turned into house lots, and old houses were being demolished and newer houses were taking their place.”
Greis said she considers Wyeth to be tied for first as Needham’s most famous individual. “He’s now neck-and-neck with Sunita Williams.”
Niden said the best case scenario now, other than the town coming up with $2.7 million to purchase and preserve the property, is that the house is bought by people who understand the value of preservation.
Because of the asking price, said Niden, “It is unlikely it will be knocked down. But other than the town’s six-month demolition delay, there is nothing that would prevent that.”
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