Brookwood Farm facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brookwood Farm
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Old Barn in center, Great Blue Hill behind
Location in Massachusetts Show map of Massachusetts Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Blue Hill River Road, Canton, Massachusetts
Built	1800
Architectural style	Cape Cod
MPS	Blue Hills and Neponset River Reservations MRA
NRHP reference No.	80000655
Added to NRHP	September 25, 1980

Brookwood Farm is a historic farm located in Canton, Massachusetts. Some of its fields are in nearby Milton, but the main buildings are in Canton. The state of Massachusetts owns this farm. It is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

Exploring Brookwood Farm's Buildings and Land

Brookwood Farm has several interesting buildings. The oldest one is the Old Barn, which was built a very long time ago, in 1690! There's also a house from 1800, built in the classic Cape Cod style. A larger house on the property was once a hunting lodge. It was changed into a home in 1954. This bigger house was even thought of as a possible home for the Governor! Besides these, there are also other smaller buildings on the farm.

How Big is Brookwood Farm?

The farm covers about 70 acres, which is like 70 football fields! About half of this land is covered in woods, and the other half is open fields. You can also find three ponds on the property.

The farm is surrounded by different things. To the south, there's a big road called Route 128 / I-93. On the east side, there are houses. To the west, there's land owned by a company called Meditech. And to the north, you'll find Blue Hill River Road. Right across this road is a famous landmark called Great Blue Hill.

A Look Back at Brookwood Farm's History

Brookwood Farm has a rich history with interesting owners.

Who Owned the Farm?

One important historical owner was General Samuel Parker. He was known for his role in a big event in Boston in 1919.

The last private owner of the farm was Henry Saltonstall Howe. He was an insurance executive. Mr. Howe bought the farm in 1951. He built the main house and lived there as a "gentleman farmer" until he passed away in 1994. In 1976, he generously gave the property to the state. He arranged it so he could live there for the rest of his life. After he died, the farm officially became managed by the Metropolitan District Commission. This group later became the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

Farming Today at Brookwood

In 2006, the DCR gave permission to a non-profit group called Brookwood Community Farm, Inc. This group started farming one acre of the land using organic methods. They grow food and flowers there. This organic farming has continued for many years.

Brookwood Farm is so important historically that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 25, 1980. The old barn was also added to the list at the same time.

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