Osgood Hill is one of the finest intact examples of the Aesthetic Design Movement of the late 1800's. Inspired by Oscar Wilde's 1882 North American lecture tours on the subject of the Aesthetic Movement, the "House Beautiful" at Osgood Hill was designed as a dramatic acknowledgement of the philosophy of the famed playwright, poet genius and social commentator; that the vital intensity of the aesthetic experience is the paramount goal in human life, that art needs no justification and need not serve a moral purpose.
The property has three times been saved from development: in 1951 it was donated to Boston University by the Stevens heirs to avoid that fate; and the town of North Andover purchased the property in 1995 when the university planned to sell it for development as house lots.[2] It is currently operated as a conference center and is a popular venue for weddings.[3]