The Wakefield Estate, known also as the Davenport Estate, was owned by the same Milton family for three hundred years. Its last owner, Mary May Binney Wakefield, left the estate in trust to be preserved. The 22-acre site tucked between Brush Hill and Blue Hills includes eleven buildings built for residential, agricultural and horticultural uses during the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries.

Our firm first became involved with the Mary M. B. Wakefield Charitable Trust in 2006 when we performed an initial conditions assessment. We were then asked to serve as project manager for the Estate, organizing a series of consultant studies, hiring staff, and managing operations and budgets. A visioning workshop led to a set of recommendations that have guided the development and operation of the estate. The basic premise addressed how the property could not only be restored to its former beauty, but how it could serve as a learning laboratory for students of all ages in the greater Boston area.

 

Restoration work on the buildings at the site began soon after the conditions assessment was completed. The exterior of the Mansion was restored, renovation of the Red Cottage as a residence was completed, restrooms and handicap access were introduced at the Carriage Barn, and most recently the exterior of the farmhouse was restored.