Brandegee Estate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Brandegee Estate
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Boston and Brookline, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 16.6 acres (6.7 ha) |
| Architect | Little, Browne & Moore |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| MPS | Brookline MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 85003244 |
| Added to NRHP | October 17, 1985 |
The Brandegee Estate is a really old and special property. It is located in both Brookline and Boston, Massachusetts. This estate was built over 100 years ago, around the start of the 1900s. It is one of the biggest and most complete historic homes still standing in the area.
The estate was first developed by Mary (Pratt) Sprague. She was a descendant of Joseph Weld, one of Boston's very first settlers. The estate is famous for its huge mansion, designed in a style called Renaissance Revival. It also has beautiful gardens created by Charles A. Platt. The Brandegee Estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. This means it is officially recognized as an important historical place. It got its name from Mary Sprague's second husband, Edward Brandegee.
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Exploring the Brandegee Estate
Where is the Estate?
The Brandegee Estate sits right on the border between Brookline and the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. It is a long piece of land. The western part is on Newton Street in Brookline. The eastern part is on Allandale Street in Boston.
Next to most of the estate, on its south side, is Allandale Farm. This is the last working farm in Boston. The main parts of the estate are the big house and its fancy garden. These are near the middle of the property. At the eastern end, there are other buildings. These include the stables and the estate office. The stables were used by the City of Boston's mounted police for many years.
A Look Back in Time
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For a long time, the property belonged to the Faulkner family. It was known as Faulkner Farm back then. Later, William Fletcher Weld II bought it. He was a cousin to Mary Pratt Sprague.
In 1890, Mary Sprague built a summer house here. It was a 2-1/2 story wooden house. Then, in 1897, she hired a team of architects called Little, Browne & Moore. They oversaw a huge expansion of the house. They turned it into a brick mansion in the Renaissance Revival style. This style was popular for grand homes.
The Mansion and Gardens
The mansion built in 1897 is 3-1/2 stories tall. It actually wraps around the original 1890 house built by Mary Pratt Sprague. She later became Mrs. Edward Brandegee.
The inside of the mansion is very fancy. The dining room is covered in beautiful mahogany wood panels. Another dining room is decorated with oak. There is also a ballroom with amazing candelabras and chandeliers. These are special light fixtures. The ballroom also has tapestries made by Gobelins. These are famous woven wall hangings.
The house stands on a small hill. From there, you can look out over a beautiful formal garden. This garden was designed by Charles A. Platt. Many parts of his original garden design are still there today. The garden once had a pool and an open summer house.
