At Mr. Hildreth’s marriage a summer home was built on the large Hildreth estate, which to him was a consummation of Harvard fine points in a view of Crescent Valley to the east, the mountains in the west and a full and absorbing view of the lake. This to him was a joy and he was loath to leave at the change of the summer season.
Stanley Hildreth obituary, January 12, 1947
It seems very much in the spirit of its creator that Hildreth House is being actively used today to benefit residents of the town of Harvard, particularly its senior citizens. In his
Memoirs of Old Harvard, Savage remarks, “...no one family has ever done so much for old Harvard every year as the Hildreth family.” In a way, Stanley Hildreth is still giving to the town.
Stanley and his brother Edwin were inventors and philanthropists, who gave most generously to the town, holding public offices and funding municipal projects. Stanley was responsible for the town center water system, including hydrants for fire protection. He and his siblings purchased and then donated the land on which the elementary school was built, and for over 20 years he oversaw the improvement program for the town common.
The house—now known as Hildreth House—was completed in October 1900. Built in shingle style, it was reputed to be a copy of Rudyard Kipling’s home in Vermont. Built on the highest point of the land, “Hilltop” nevertheless blended into the surrounding fields and pastures of rural Harvard. A local newspaper commented, “The situation is one of the best in town.” The grounds included a small rose garden and open lawns, featuring plants in the naturalistic style of the period. A network of gravel paths connected the house to the Common and to other buildings on the estate. Flowering vines entwined the porches and a sweeping driveway with a broad turnaround ran along the length of the house. A secondary drive and a narrow path led from the main drive to the steps at the service end of the house. At its peak, “Hilltop” housed eight servants on the top floor.
Hildreth died in 1947 at the age of 95. He left the house to his wife and only child, Dorothy. After her mother died, Dorothy continued to live in the house until 1974, when she was moved to a nursing home in Acton. The house sat empty while its fate was worked out between town officials and the Hildreth family. The selectmen wanted to take the house and 26 acres of land by eminent domain, a legal process by which the town acquires property for municipal use. Some selectmen argued that this was the last piece of property to which the town could expand its offices and that it was too good an opportunity to lose. The family wanted to sell only the house and 5.6 acres. In February 1979, a Special Town Meeting was called to vote on the acquisition of the Hildreth estate, but confusion and misunderstandings postponed a decision, and a fact-finding committee was formed. Finally an agreement was reached and in March 1979 a Town Meeting, almost full to capacity in the Bromfield gym, voted decisively to buy the house and surrounding 5.66 acres for $147,500. There was no clear and immediate purpose for the property but the prevailing idea was to use the house for elderly housing.
Meanwhile, a group of townspeople had formed a Sixty Plus Club, which had regular meetings at various locations in town, including a private home. In April 1981, a group of what Phyllis Newman calls “energetic elders” led by Charlie Perkins asked the selectmen to allow them to meet in the empty Hildreth house for the summer. With 100 members, and now incorporated with registered bylaws, the club needed a regular meeting place. The members wanted to run a drop-in center for the town’s older citizens. The town agreed, making sure the group knew that this might be only a temporary arrangement.
What the Sixty Plus Club found was a completely empty house that had been neglected for years. They rolled up their shirtsleeves and went to work cleaning and fixing up the building, and in June they held an open house for the public to see the beautiful old “cottage.” The selectmen gave $2,000 to cover the cost of removing boards from the first-floor windows, utility bills, and maintenance. Club members added to the town’s money with funds they raised from dues and an annual Christmas fair and made many repairs to the house. They sewed curtains, laid rugs, and accepted donations of furniture. In time, they bought a new stove to replace the old wood-burning one. Club members delighted in the hand-carved detailing in the cherry-paneled walls, the gracious staircase, the soapstone sink, and the swing-out bench in the cloak room at which the butler once shined the family’s shoes.
Foreseeing the eventual need for a coordinator of senior services, the club set up an office in an upstairs room. Over the years the club held Christmas parties complete with decorations and linen tablecloths, luncheons, and buffets. Today the group is still active with computer classes, cookouts, and socials. Long-time club secretary Ruth Perkins reported that there were recently 14 for lunch on a Wednesday.
With Hildreth House as a senior center, the Council on Aging sought funds from the state to support senior services. In 2000, the town hired a part-time coordinator of senior services and later expanded coordinator hours and employed an outreach worker. A handicap ramp and accessible bathroom were also added to the building. Today the COA shares Hildreth House with the Sixty Plus Club and town boards that hold meetings at the house.
The “situation” of Hildreth House is still “one of the best in town,” although the view to the pond has been obscured. It stands as a tribute to its generous benefactor: a grand old building doing its best to serve the needs of Harvard’s senior population.
Note: Susan Lee, Phyllis Newman, and Ruth Perkins provided information for this article.