To the editor:
Lynnfield’s legendary builder and longtime member of the Lynnfield Historical Society, Charlie Wills, died in May at the age of 101. He and his wife, Arnie, who passed away in 2023, shared almost 77 years of marriage. They both loved Lynnfield and contributed to its civic and social life for over 72 years before moving to a retirement community in North Andover in 2021.
Charlie and Arnie were always invested in the history of Lynnfield. Prior to the 1976 American Bicentennial, they led a team to catalogue and research the oldest buildings and homes in town from the Colonial period onward. These 45 structures were then professionally photographed and included, with appropriate descriptions, in A HERITAGE PRESERVED 1895-1976. Meanwhile, Arnie Wills spearheaded a quilting project whereby some thirty-six residents each contributed a hand-sewn “square” depicting a local scene. This quilt, a labor of love, still hangs in the upstairs balcony of the Lynnfield Public Library.
A few years before his death, Charlie completed three leatherbound portfolios containing pictures of the 615 houses that he and his partner, Roger Harris, constructed from 1947 to 2000. Of those, 388 were built in Lynnfield. Ever mindful of posterity, Charlie gifted these volumes to the Lynnfield Public Library, where they can be perused at leisure or studied online. Charlie’s “Wills built” homes remain a significant legacy in the history of Lynnfield.
Charlie’s Memorial Service will be held on Friday, July 18, at 10:30 a.m. in the Centre Congregational Church. A reception will follow at the Meeting House.
Helen Breen
Lynnfield Historical Society
