Isabel Weld Perkins
'Isabel Weld Perkins' (1877-1949), mostly known as 'Isabel Anderson' after her marriage, was a
Boston-area heiress and author who left a legacy to the public that includes a
park and two
museums.
Ancestry
Main articles: Weld Family
On both sides of her family Isabel Weld Perkins was descended from wealthy
Boston Brahmin who traced their history back to
Massachusetts Bay Colony. Generations of ancestors and relatives on both sides had been educated at
Harvard, had traded with the
Far East, and had built stately homes in
Greater Boston (especially in what is now
Jamaica Plain).
Isabel's father was
Commodore George H. Perkins, the commander of the
''USS Cayuga'' during the
American Civil War. The commodore's father had grown rich building mills in
Contoocookville, New Hampshire and running a shipping firm in Boston that did business in
West Africa.
Her mother was Anna Minot Weld, a wealthy
socialite born to the
Weld Family of Boston. When Isabel was only five years old, she inherited $17 million dollars from her grandfather
William Fletcher Weld.
Larz Anderson
Main articles: Larz Anderson
The Andersons
In 1896, Perkins was a 20-year old
debutante on a world tour. She made a stop in
Rome and met
Larz Anderson, a young Harvard-educated diplomat from an affluent and prestigious
Cincinnati family.
They were married in Boston a year later and embarked on a life of luxury combined with public service and adventure. They traveled widely, making four trips around the world and throughout
Europe and
Asia. Anderson held a number of diplomatic posts, including a short stint as U.S.
Ambassador to
Japan.
Books
Isabel wrote a number of books; those that concern her family specifically are those of the most interest to historians. She also wrote several
travelogues and volumes of
poetry.
Her book ''Under the Black horse flag: Annals of the Weld family and some of its branches'' describes the transportation empire begun by her great-grandfather
William Gordon Weld and details his descendants up to the time of writing.
She also edited the papers of her
American Civil War hero father-in-law and published them as ''The letters and journals of General Nicholas Longworth Anderson; Harvard, civil war, Washington, 1854-1892''.
Among her other works are ''Circling Africa'', ''On the Move'', ''Spell of Belgium'', ''Topsy Turvy and the Gold Star,'', ''Yacht in Mediterranean Seas'' and ''Zigzagging the South Seas''. Most of her own personal papers are now part of the collection kept at
Larz Anderson Auto Museum. Others are stored at
New England Historic Genealogical Society.
Croix de Guerre
During
World War I, Isabel worked for the
American Red Cross as a volunteer of the District of Columbia Refreshment Corp. In 1918 she received the
Croix de Guerre for her contributions.
Anderson House
Main articles: Anderson House, DC
Weld money funded a luxurious
mansion at
Dupont Circle in
Washington, D.C. The Andersons made this their primary home. After Larz died, Isabel gave the property to the
Society of the Cincinnati, of which Anderson was a member.
Anderson House now serves as the society's national headquarters and a museum.
Anderson Memorial Bridge
Main articles: Anderson Memorial Bridge
Weld money also built a bridge across the
Charles River connecting Boston and
Cambridge, Massachusetts in honor of her father-in-law
Nicholas Longworth Anderson. The bridge stands next to
Weld Boathouse, a local landmark named after and paid for by her uncle,
George Walker Weld.
Perkins Manor
Main articles: Perkins Manor, Contoocook
In addition to her Weld inheritance from her mother's family, Isabel inherited a stately manor in
New Hampshire from her
commodore father. Larz and Isabel spent considerable time here and she even opened the doors of this regal mansion to the public for a few summers. This stately manor was called the Larz Anderson estate during this time but has since been divided into eight apartments and is again known as
Perkins Manor.
[1]
Weld Estate
A view of the gardens of Weld,
Brookline, 1911
Isabel purchased 64-acres in
Brookline, Massachusetts from her 1st cousin. To this estate, which had been in Isabel's family for generations, the Andersons added a twenty-five room mansion that they used for
summers and
Christmas holidays. The mansion, overlooking the Boston skyline, was remodeled to resemble
Lulworth Castle, an ancestral home associated with the Welds. They named the place "Weld" in honor of Isabel's grandfather. Isabel willed this property to the Town of Brookline and it is now
Larz Anderson Park.
[2]
Auto Collection
Main articles: Larz Anderson Auto Museum
Shortly after they wed, the Andersons began assembling an extraordinary collection of horse-drawn
carriages,
sleighs and
motorcars. In donating these along with the property, Isabel Anderson stipulated in her will that these be known as the "Larz Anderson Collection." Fourteen of the original thirty-two vehicles remain in the collection and are still on display as part of the Larz Anderson Auto Museum, the oldest collection of motorcars in the
United States.
[3]
Bonsai Collection
Main articles: Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection
After Larz's death, Isabel donated 30 of their
bonsai to the
Arnold Arboretum of
Harvard University along with the funds necessary to build a shade house for their display. Following her death, the remaining nine plants were donated to the Arboretum including an 80-year-old
hinoki cypress that had been given to the Andersons by the
Emperor of Japan.
[4]
The BC Eagle
Main articles: The BC Eagle
The Anderson's residence in
Tokyo was adorned with a gilded
bronze eagle sculpture which stood in front of their home. The Andersons brought the eagle back to the United States and it remained on their Brookline property after their death.
[5]
In 1954, the gilded sculpture was donated to
Boston College and is now considered synonymous with the "
BC Eagle", the university's mascot.
[6]
References
1. Perkins Manor
2. The Andersons
3. Larz Anderson Auto Museum
4. Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection at Arnold Arboretum
5. "The PDF Walking Tour Guide published by the Larz Anderson Auto Museum notes "The bronze eagle that perched on a stone plinth in the garden may reference the Anderson family’s military service. In Japan, the eagle is a Guardian (sic), warding off evil spirits. In this county, the eagle is used as a symbol of the United States. It is
also the symbol of the Society of the Cincinnati, of which Larz was a member."
6. Donovan, Charles F. "History of Boston College: From the Beginnings to 1990"; University Press of Boston College, September 1990, p.266
External Links
★
Biography of the Andersons
★
Society of the Cincinnati
★
The Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection at Harvard University.
Bibliography
★ Anderson, Larz: ''Letters and Journals of a Diplomat'', New York, 1940.
★ Anderson, Isabella ''Under the Black Horse Flag'', Boston, 1926
★ Del Tredici, Peter: "Early American Bonsai: The Larz Anderson Collection of the Arnold Arboretum", ''Arnoldia'' (Summer 1989)
Sources
★
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Larz Anderson and Isabel Weld Perkins
★
''Harvard Magazine'', "The Welds of Harvard Yard" by associate editor Craig A. Lambert
★
Historic Houses In Dorset, "Lulworth Castle"
★
Jamaica Plain Historical Society, "The Weld Family"
★
Larz Anderson Auto Museum, "The Andersons"
★
Project Gutenberg, ''Book of Annals and Reminiscences of Jamaica Plain'' by Harriet Manning Whitcomb
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