botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
located at 135 Wellesley Street,
Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra
* Weston Park, Canberra, a park
Canada
* Weston, Nova Scotia
* W ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
. Measuring , the estates were at one time the active plant nurseries of the
Arnold Arboretum
The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is a botanical research institution and free public park, located in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale neighborhoods of Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1872, it is the oldest public arboretum in N ...
.
The estates began in 1863 when James Case acquired its core property. From 1909 onwards his daughter, Miss Marian Roby Case, acquired adjoining property to establish Hillcrest Farms, which she operated from 1909 to 1942 as an experimental fruit and vegetable farm intended to "work up the scientific side of agriculture and provide summer employment and practical education for local youth." In 1942 she left the estate to
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
's Arnold Arboretum, which subsequently sold most of its houses. The Case family mansion is now used as Weston school offices.
Today the property is a semi-private reservation with lovely gardens and rare plant specimens. The majority of the site is an evergreen forest in semi-natural state, with pleasant walking trails. It also contains a fine
rhododendron
''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...
display garden maintained by the Massachusetts Chapter of the
American Rhododendron Society
The American Rhododendron Society (ARS) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage interest in, and disseminate information about, the genus ''Rhododendron''. Members' experience ranges from novice to expert. The society provides a ...
.
One interesting feature of the property is its remarkable stone wall, which in 1911 was a birthday present from Miss Case to her sister Louisa. It is roughly high, up to thick, and long. It has been described as "the largest r longestfree-standing dry wall in
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
."
In 2006, Harvard University made the decision to sell the property, and on November 8, a Special Town Meeting of the Town of Weston voted to buy the estate for $22.5 million. Selectmen have said that the town may sell off as many as 10 parcels to recoup part of the cost.
The discovery of contaminants, dating back to 1900 when the land was used as an apple orchard, and disagreements over the remediation plan stalled the acquisition. In March 2015, the Arboretum and the Town of Weston announced that an agreement had been reached that allows for the sale of the Case Estates to the Town of Weston.Press Releas "Harvard University and Town of Weston reach agreement on Case Estates", Arnold Arboretum website, March 11, 2015, retrieved August 7, 2016 /ref>