mccrea met thelma wood in 1928, when the latter was still in a relationship with djuna barnes. wood left barnes to live with mccrea. in "nightwood" by barnes, modeled the character jenny petherbridge on mccrea. the relationship was acknowledged by mccrea's family to the point that her son, addison metcalf, included references to wood in letters to his mother. mccrea and wood moved first to greenwich village and then in 1932 to florence, where wood studied art supported by mccrea. in 1934 they moved to sandy hook, connecticut, where wood launched a gourmet catering service, always supported by mccrea's money. mccrea remained with wood until 1943 and the relationship ended in a bad way, so much that mccrea rejected the death bed request of wood to see her. in the 1950s mccrea lived at 86 1/2 main street, newtown. she was member of the board of directors for the planned parenthood league of connecticut. in the 1970s mccrea let people farm four acres of her land in a project to have young people work together with their fathers in a rewarding activity.