CENTENARIAN Charlie Wills continues to embrace longevity with grace and vigor. For some time, he has proudly included his birth year, “1924,” in his email address. (Courtesy Photo)
By HELEN BREEN
Charlie Wills enjoys the respect and affection of hundreds of Lynnfield residents, as evidenced by the outpouring of well wishes on a recent Facebook post.
And with good reason – Charlie and his partner, Roger Harris, built 388 homes, including Center Village, in Lynnfield from 1947-2000. The Wills distinctive footprint is all over town. More than half of their homes are two-story Colonials, followed by split entries, ranches and capes. Many feature sturdy four-square chimneys, spacious breezeways, narrow dormers, and garage doors without window panes.
Charlie and Roger were sticklers for proportion. They dug basements deeper so there would be less foundation visible on the facade. Reflecting on his years in the building business, Charlie says, “If you really try to make something right, people will believe in you and will not sue you.” He kept this in mind during his career and concludes, “Pretty much it turned out to be true.”
Charlie and his wife Arnie raised their children in four different “Wills built” homes in town, the last at 7 Smith Farm Trail, where they resided for decades. The couple was involved in many Lynnfield social, civic and church organizations through the years, including the Bicentennial Celebration of 1976.
Neighbors recall Charlie cruising around town in one of his several antique cars. He often displayed these beauties at gatherings for car enthusiasts. Through the years, he and Arnie traveled extensively in Europe. Their favorite vacation spot, however, was at Great East Lake in Acton, Maine, where the Wills family has summered since Charlie’s father, the famed architect Royal Barry Wills, built a house there in 1932.
In 2021, Arnie and Charlie moved to Edgewood, a retirement community in North Andover where they enjoyed many new friendships. Sadly, after nearly 77 years of marriage, Arnie died last September.
Party of the Century
That’s what the Wills family called Charlie’s 100th birthday celebration held on the weekend of Feb. 16-19 at the Garrison Inn in Newburyport.
Charlie, his four children, seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and six spouses, gathered for the occasion. They traveled from nearby Rowley and Portsmouth, and as far away as Virginia, Colorado, Idaho, Ghana and Papua New Guinea.
The weekend culminated on Charlie’s actual birthday, Sunday, Feb. 18, with a cake and champagne party for 60 at the Mission Oak Grill in downtown Newburyport. Guests included many friends from Lynnfield and from the Edgewood Retirement Community in North Andover. The New Black Eagle Jazz Band, a longtime favorite of Charlie’s, played music for the birthday party’s attendees.
The family chose Newburyport for the festivities since the Wills clan had lived and prospered in that city from 1770 until 1868. Years ago, Charlie’s wife Arnie wrote an extensive genealogy of the family, including many seafaring adventures of the Wills men and several of their sturdy wives who joined them in their East India locales.
After the party, his daughter, Cynthia Harriman, who planned the birthday celebration, said, “Dad is an inspiration to everyone in the family.”
“He played tennis and skied downhill until he was 92, and served on the Lynnfield Planning Board until he was 96,” said Cynthia. “His memory is still sharp, and despite speech limitations from a few strokes, he regaled us with some great stories over the weekend.”
Facebook tributes
Charlie was delighted with some 140 responses to his daughter Martha Rausch’s post on Facebook’s “You know you are from Lynnfield if…” group regarding his big day. Many tributes described fond family memories of growing up in “Wills built” homes in town.
One of the best emails was sent by Karleen Heinemann Escobar, who concluded by saying, “God bless you, Mr. Wills, for your ethics, the quality of your workmanship and the people you hired. You’ve made the world a better place.” She also included a drawing of the family home at 20 Fernway that Karleen and her siblings commissioned after their parents retired to Florida. The home cost $39,900, in the 1960s.
Roger Harris, Charlie’s partner/eventual owner of C B Wills & Co Inc for nearly 70 years, also sent his friend a note congratulating him on his 100th birthday.
“I remember most if not all of the homes, we built in Lynnfield and surrounding towns, and appreciate all the great comments made by the owners and subsequent buyers,” Harris wrote. “Love to all!”
The following are a sampling of other posts:
“Loved our home at 22 Fletcher Road. Lived there for more than 40 years,” stated Barbara Nelson.
“Charlie remembered me by name after years of not seeing him, when I was working at his house,” wrote Luke Kimball. “It was a privilege to work for him. He is brilliant.”
“Happy Birthday, Mr. Wills! Bill and Mary Wilkinson built 14 Daventry Ct. Loved that house,” stated Linda Wilkinson Disesa.
“Happy Birthday — I never owned one of your houses, but always wished I did,” wrote Barbara Harwood.
“Hi Charlie. Candy and I want to wish you all the best on your special birthday,” stated Bruce Siegel. “Have a great day my friend. We love you!”
“Happy 100! We lived on the corner of Summer Street and Archer Lane, and good friends with Roger — your homes were amazing,” wrote Tom Johnson.
“Happy Birthday Charlie, I baby sat for you 70-plus years ago,” stated Fay McCall. “I lived 1 Locksley Rd. I now live in Essex Village. Have a super Birthday!”
“Mr. Wills built our house and was our neighbor on Smith Farm Trail,” wrote Kate Cronin Devlin. “He and his wife were so kind to the Cronin gang.”
“You built my family home for Jo and Ron Buchanan at 25 Edgemere in 1970,” stated Scott Buchanan. “Loved that house! (my home in Maine incorporated some of my favorite features!)”
“We built two beautiful homes with you on Bluejay Road and Stafford Road! Thanks for the memories,” wrote Pam Tracia.
“I’m in my second ‘Wills Built’ home,” stated Tony Boston. “I’ve yet to see anything comparable to the solid quality of Mr. Wills’ homes. Happy Birthday, Sir!”
“Happy, Happy, Birthday Charlie,” wrote Pam Dvorak “We didn’t have the good fortune of living in one of your beautiful houses, but we have so enjoyed getting to know you at the weekly coffee get togethers! You are one amazing person!!!”
“Hi Charlie, never lived in any of your homes but thanks for all you did for Lynnfield,” stated Mark McDonough.
“I grew up hearing ‘that’s a Wills home’ and knew that was a statement of quality and pride,” wrote Coleen Gioioso. “Happy Birthday Mr. Wills — well done!!!!”
“Happy birthday Mr. Wills,” stated Renee Villane Ulcickas. “My parents are still in our beautiful home on Pocahontas Way! They send their love.”
“Happy birthday, Charlie from the Lynnfield Historical Society,” wrote Linda Gillon. “We are so very proud to have you as a member and thankful for your many contributions over the years to both the Society and the town of Lynnfield. You and your family have set, through your award-winning designs and standards of quality, the benchmark for the overall character of Lynnfield.”
Charlie, thanks for documenting, with photographs, the 388 houses that you and Roger Harris built in Lynnfield from 1947-2000. Those volumes are available at the Lynnfield Public Library and will soon be online. I believe that these houses are like children to you – you remember and love each one of them. All the best on your 100th and beyond!
— Send comments to helenbreen@comcast.net.