Henry Beston facts for kids

Henry Beston (born June 1, 1888 – died April 15, 1968) was an American writer who loved nature. He is best known for his book The Outermost House, which he wrote in 1928. This book is about his time living alone on a beach in Cape Cod.

Growing Up and Early Career

Henry Beston was born Henry Beston Sheahan in Quincy, Massachusetts. He grew up there with his parents and his brother George. He went to Harvard College and earned two degrees.

After college, Beston taught in France for a short time. He returned to Harvard in 1914. When World War I started, he joined the French army as an ambulance driver. He wrote about his experiences in his first book, A Volunteer Poilu. Later, he worked as a reporter for the U.S. Navy. He was the only American reporter to travel with the British Grand Fleet and witness a naval battle. He wrote about these adventures in his second book, Full Speed Ahead.

After the war, Henry Beston started writing fairy tales for children. He used the name "Henry Beston." His books The Firelight Fairy Book (1919) and The Starlight Wonder Book (1923) were published during this time. He also met Elizabeth Coatsworth, who was also a children's author. They later married and had two daughters, Margaret and Catherine.

The Outermost House: A Year by the Sea

The Outermost House is a famous book about nature. Henry Beston wrote it after spending a whole year living on the Great Beach of Cape Cod. He had been deeply affected by his experiences in World War I. He went to the beach at Eastham to find peace and quiet.

Beston believed that "Nature is part of our humanity." He felt that understanding nature was very important for people. Because of his writings, many people see him as one of the early leaders of the modern environmental movement. His book The Outermost House even helped inspire the creation of the Cape Cod National Seashore, a protected natural area. Famous author Rachel Carson said that Beston was the only writer who truly influenced her own work.

Beston's small house was 20 feet by 16 feet. He called it "the Fo'castle." A local carpenter built it in 1925. Beston lived there on and off for about two years. He often stayed through severe winter storms. His house was right by the Atlantic Ocean, with Nauset Marsh behind it. His only neighbors were the Coast Guardsmen who patrolled the beach.

The Outermost House was published in 1928. It has been printed many times since then and is still popular today.

Later Life and Legacy

Henry Beston married Elizabeth Coatsworth in 1929. They bought a farmhouse called "Chimney Farm" in Nobleboro, Maine. Beston wrote more books while living in Maine, like Northern Farm and Herbs and the Earth. However, none of his later books became as famous as The Outermost House.

In the 1940s, Beston received special honors from several colleges. He also became an honorary editor for National Audubon Magazine, which is about birds and nature. He continued to write for magazines like The Atlantic. In 1952, he published a new collection of his children's stories called Henry Beston's Fairy Tales. He was recognized for his important writing and was given the Emerson-Thoreau Medal in 1959.

In 1959, Beston gave his "Fo'castle" house to the Massachusetts Audubon Society. This group works to protect nature. The house was used by other writers and nature lovers for many years.

On October 11, 1964, Beston returned to the beach one last time. His famous house was named a National Literary Landmark. This means it was recognized as an important place in American literature. Henry Beston passed away on April 15, 1968, in Nobleboro, Maine. He is buried at Chimney Farm.

Sadly, a powerful winter hurricane destroyed the "Fo'castle" house in February 1978. Even though the house is gone, thousands of people still visit the beach each year. They want to learn more about Henry Beston and his search for truth in nature. Many people carry his book with them, inspired by his sense of wonder and hope.

Books by Henry Beston

• A Volunteer Poilu (1916)
• Full Speed Ahead (1919)
• The Firelight Fairy Book (1919)
• The Starlight Wonder Book (1921)
• Book of Gallant Vagabonds (1925)
• The Sons of Kai (1926)
• The Outermost House (1928)
• Herbs and the Earth (1935)
• American Memory (1937)
• Five Bears and Miranda (1939)
• The Tree that Ran Away (1941)
• Chimney Farm Bedtime Stories (1941)
• The St. Lawrence (1942)
• Northern Farm: A Chronicle of Maine (1948)
• White Pine and Blue Water: A State of Maine Reader (1950) (editor)
• Henry Beston's Fairy Tales (1952)
• Especially Maine: The Natural World of Henry Beston (1972)