Lydia Hart Wentworth Obituary (2003)

Lydia Hart Wentworth, 98, of Lebanon, Maine, formerly of New Haven, Connecticut died February 21. Miss Wentworth graduated from West Haven High School and was awarded a scholarship to an introductory library sciences course and then accepted a position with the New Haven Public Library. In 1929 she took a job in the picture collection of the New York Public Library where she did research for such well-known figures as Robert Ripley of Ripley's Believe It or Not as well as many prominent artists and academics. After her service in New York Miss. Wentworth began her 40-year career at the Art and Architecture Library of Yale University from which she retired in 1970 with full faculty status as head librarian. During her tenure at Yale she was acquainted with and did research for some of the most important architects of the twentieth century including Louis Kahn and Louis Sullivan as well as the artist Willem deKooning. In the 1930's Miss Wentworth founded the popular swimming and picnicking facility Fernald Shore located in Lebanon Maine on the property of her eighth generation family farm. She was a charter member of the New Hampshire Farm Museum and the Lebanon Historical Society and was an avid environmentalist with membership in the Audubon Society of Maine, National Audubon, and the Nature Conservancy. Miss Wentworth also served as the inspiration for a character in "The Moffat's", a series of children's books written by her lifelong friend, the award winning author, Eleanor Estes. Miss Wentworth is survived by a sister, Marjorie Goodyear; her nephew and niece Ernest Goodyear and Martha Saverese; as well as grand-nephews and nieces Donald Saverese, Marcia Perkins, Lisa Guzda, Michael Saverese, and Donna Petrecz. A memorial service is planned for the spring of 2003.