Book details Hildene and how it was Saved, 1975-1978

12:00AM / Tuesday, November 20, 2001Print Story | Email Story

A new book by Arlington, Vt. resident Donald Keelan chronicles the perseverance of a group of residents who helped preserve the historic Hildene House in Manchester, Vt. Keelan, a certified public accountant and real estate developer in Arlington, has just published Robert Todd Lincolnâ€™s Hildene and How it was Saved, 1975-1978, which shows how people can work together to achieve dramatic results. Robert Todd Lincolnâ€™s Hildene House on Historic Route 7A in Manchester Village, Vt. is a museum and the home of many public events, including a polo series, annual antique auto show, needlework contest and many wedding ceremonies. Located on 412 acres and including 27 structures, the 24-room, Georgian revival manor house was built in 1905 as a summer home to Abraham Lincolnâ€™s eldest son, Robert Todd, a wealthy lawyer who made a fortune as counsel for, and later president of, the Pullman Palace Car Company, the largest U.S. manufacturer of railroad cars during the Gilded Age. â€œMy wife and I first came up to Hildene in 1983 for an auction,â€ explained Keelan. â€œAt that time, we were part-time residents of the area. I fell in love with the property, and worked as a volunteer there for several years.â€ Keelan subsequently has served on the finance, development and planning committees, and as chairman of its Board of Trustees. He is still a frequent visitor to the property. The book focuses on the three years that started in July 1975 when Mary Lincoln Beckwith (â€œPegâ€), Robert Toddâ€™s granddaughter and next-to-last surviving descendent of Abraham Lincoln, passed away, and ended on July 27, 1978 when the Friends of Hildene, a local nonprofit group of local residents, closed on the property. He provides some background of the events leading up to Pegâ€™s death. A summer home Robert Todd Lincoln, the only of Abrahamâ€™s four sons to survive into adulthood, built Hildene when he was in his early sixties as a summer retreat from his busy law practices in Chicago and Washington, D.C. Writes Keelan, â€œIt became a ritual each May, from 1905 until his death [in 1926], for Robert Todd Lincoln to come to Manchester Depot in his private railroad car, often followed by a dozen or more servants, to open up Hildene. They would leave before the first snow.â€ Robert Todd was described as a wealthy gentleman who had little to do with the local people of Manchester, and who enjoyed the area for its seclusion. His wife, Mary Harlan, was the daughter of a former governor who became a close personal friends of Mary Morse Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science Church. In Maryâ€™s will, she had asked that when her last descendent died, that one-third of the property and its assets be donated to the church. Robert Todd and Mary Harlan had three children: a son, Abraham II, who died as a teenager; Mary, and Jessie. Mary, the older sister inherited the estate in 1936 when Mary Harlan died, but she then passed away two years later. Jessie, Pegâ€™s mother, did not inherit the estate as one would expect. Keelan writes that her choice of a husband (she ended up marrying three times) infuriated Robert Todd, who decided not to include her in the will. Instead, proprietorship of Hildene went to her daughter, Peg. â€œPeg was a character,â€ said Keelan. She lived at Hildene continuously for 37 years as its mistress, never marrying, and unlike her grandfather, becoming involved with the local community. She befriended many of the servants and neighbors who were a part of the Manchester Village, played golf at the Ekwanok Country Club. These same friends of Peg became those who formed the Friends of Hildene organization. Peg followed her grandmotherâ€™s wishes, including in a will written in 1950 the provision to give the property and most of its assets to the Christian Science Church. She had begun to update her will a couple years before her death, stipulating that she wanted the property to be used by the Church â€œas a memorial to her mother and grandparents,â€ but she never signed it. Saving the Hildene After Pegâ€™s death, things became complicated. Hildene was filled with family treasures, and several historical foundations called up to pick through documents and other mementos. A couple of surviving relatives argued over different items, some of which were missing from the house. Meanwhile, Manchesterâ€™s town manager at the time, Henry R. Lambert, had learned that the church would likely sell the property, because holding on to it meant expensive repairs and a large operating budget. He assembled a group of Pegâ€™s friends, local attorneys and other prominent Manchester residents to form a group to consider buying the Hildene to be used as a museum. In 1975, Manchester was not the thriving commercial village it is now. The Equinox Inn had been boarded up in 1972; the outlet shops were a decade away. There was little interest to acquire a decaying property that had been valuated in 1975 at $625,000. Soon after, an attorney representing the Christian Science Church came to Manchester and gave residents an ultimatum: it was planning to sell the property to the highest bidder, and would give them only 90 days to come up with a plan to purchase it. What followed was the formation of Friends of Hildene; designation of the Friends as 501(c)3 nonprofit, tax-exempt group to which donations would be tax-deductible. Then a stroke of luck hit the group: an anonymous donor pledged $200,000 toward the effort. For nearly a year, the Friends of Hildene held back-and-forth negotiations with the Christian Science Church, which had also received more than $1 million in assets as well, and with Pegâ€™s brother, Robert Lincoln Beckwith, the last surviving member of the family who was not directly involved in the will. They were finally able to reach an agreement with the church, which accepted a purchase offer of $200,000, donating the remaining $425,000 of value. The church stipulated that in doing so, the property must be kept intact and never sold for at least 20 years, used as a medical facility or sell alcoholic beverages on site. The book ends with the ribbon-cutting of the new museum in 1978, the beginning of another era for the property. â€œThere are really four stories here,â€ said Keelan. â€œThereâ€™s the story of Robert Todd, and of Peg, and both of those have been written about. Thereâ€™s this story, and now the current use of the Hildene House, which many of us are still living today.â€ When asked why he chose to write the story, Keelan said, â€œBecause it was there. When I came up here full-time I learned more and more about the story of the acquisition, and it was fascinating. But understanding it was difficult, because the stories I heard were different. This is not that people were trying to distort the facts, just that there were many different understandings. So I decided that the time was right, with everyone still around, to interview people and piece it together. I interviewed 40 people. Then I took a few years off to write my novel, The Secret of Camp David. Then I went back to it again, and realized that I needed to get the other side. So I got into the files of Robert Lincoln Beckwith [who died in 1985], and the Christian Science Church, and that was the real treasure trove.â€ â€œ[Making a purchase deal] was a tough process, but at no time was there any malice,â€ said Keelan. â€œPeople were hard negotiators, and they were very emotionally involved in the issue. In hindsight, the biggest gift that Hildene ever got was the $425,000 from the church.â€ â€œThis project reminds me of so many that are going on, like the restoration of the Edith Wharton House [in Lenox]. People, often working against all odds, find a way to persevere. This is an inspiring story for people who are trying to rescue historic places. When people have the wherewithal to acquire and restore these historical buildings, they are preserving something that goes beyond any monetary value.â€ Keelan noted that the Hildene House continues to adhere to Pegâ€™s wishes. It focuses on the lives of Robert Todd and his family, rather than the more famous Abe and Mary Todd. Recent symposiums have focused on the Lincoln women, and the life of Robert Todd. Keelan will be hosting a book reading and signing party at Northshire Bookstore in Manchester on Monday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. He will also be contributing the book to Hildene next May, where it will be sold on site and proceeds will go to benefit Friends of Hildene.

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Friday Front Porch Feature: A Charming House Like New

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:57PM / Friday, December 19, 2025

The home prior to renovations.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Are you looking for a newly renovated home with great space? Then this might be the perfect fit for you!

Our Friday Front Porch is a weekly feature spotlighting attractive homes for sale in Berkshire County. This week, we are showcasing 100 Autumn Drive.

This three-bedroom, two-bathroom split level was built in 1965 and is 1,396 square feet on 0.32 acres.

The house was completely renovated recently. It includes a one-car garage, and comes with appliances including a dishwasher and stove/oven, and other major appliances.

The house is listed for $359,500.

We spoke with owners Michael Zeppieri and Chris Andrews, who did the renovations. Zeppieri is an agent with Alton and Westall Real Estate Agency.

What was your first impression when you walked into the home?

Zeppieri: I purchased this home to do a full renovation flip and saw tremendous potential in this mid-century split level home that had not been updated since it was built in the 1960s, in a great North Adams neighborhood.

Andrews: The house was a much different house when we first purchased it in 2022 (photo attached is from about 2010.) The interior was painted all in dark colors and we brightened it up with neutral colors. The transformation makes you feel like you are in a totally different house.

What were the recent renovations, any standout design features?

Zeppieri: The house has had a complete reconfiguration including new kitchen with high-end appliances, ceramic tiled baths, hardwood floors, new windows and roof ... just to name a few. All a buyer has to do is move in and enjoy.

Andrews: Yes, we renovated the entire house. New windows, new roof, all new custom black gutter system, new blacktop driveway, hardwood floors were installed through out the house. New kitchen and bathrooms as well as painting the exterior and interior of the house. New paver patio in the back yard.

What kind of buyer would this home be ideal for?

Zeppieri: The buyer for this home could be a first-time homebuyer or a retiree ... the location is close to attractions in North Adams ... and the property is located in Autumn Heights, which is a very small residential development with several long-term owners.

Andrews: This home is truly ideal for a variety of buyers. Whether a first-time homebuyer, a small family or even someone looking to downsize from a larger home.

What do you think makes this property stand out in the current market?

Zeppieri: The location, price and move-in condition of this home make it a true market leader in the North Adams Market.

Andrews: This house is completely renovated and in a desirable location of North Adams. The natural light in the home really makes the interior pop. And with all the upgrades the home stays quite cool in the summer months.

Do you know any unique stories about the home or its history?

Zeppieri: This home was built for the Gould family in 1969 and they lived there till 2010. It was always a family home during that time in which the Goulds had two children ... and Virgina Gould managed Mohawk Forest Apartments and was a very active resident of North Adams.

Andrews: Built in about 1965.

What do the current owners love about this home?

Zeppieri: As the current owner it was a fun project to transform this home and get it ready for its next adventure with a new family to enjoy for many years.

Andrews: No one has lived in the house since we purchased the home. The new owners would be the first to live in the house since the renovations have been completed.

What would you say to a buyer trying to imagine their life in this space?

Andrews: I would suggest seeing the house either on a sunny day or at twilight to really get a vision of how special the home feels.

You can find out more about this house on its listing here.

*Front Porch Feature brings you an exclusive to some of the houses listed on our real estate page every week. Here we take a bit of a deeper dive into a certain house for sale and ask questions so you don't have to.

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