Wakefield Estate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Davenport Estate Historic District
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1465, 1485, 1493 Brush Hill Rd., Milton, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 22 acres (8.9 ha) |
| Architect | multiple |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 100002421 |
| Added to NRHP | May 17, 2018 |
The Wakefield Estate, also known as the Davenport Estate, is a historic country property located on Brush Hill Road in Milton, Massachusetts. The Davenport family owned and developed this estate for over 300 years. Today, a special group called the Wakefield Trust manages the estate. They use it to teach people about nature and history. You can visit the grounds by making an appointment or on special days that are announced. This important estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
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About the Wakefield Estate
The Wakefield Estate covers about 22 acres (about 9 hectares) of land. This is just a part of what used to be a much bigger property. It is located on the west side of Brush Hill Road in western Milton. The estate has three houses and several smaller buildings. These smaller buildings were historically used for farming and gardening.
The Estate's Historic Houses
The oldest house on the property is the John Davenport House. It was likely built in the early 1700s. This house still shows parts of its original design from that time.
The main house, often called the mansion, was built around 1794 by Isaac Davenport. This house has been changed and added to many times over the years. These changes show how the Davenport family became more successful and used the property in new ways.
The third house is known as Red Cottage. It used to be a farm building. Around 1920, it was changed into a home.
The Davenport Family's Legacy
The land that makes up the estate today was bought by John Davenport. He moved here from nearby Dorchester around 1707. This is also when the first house was likely built.
John Davenport's grandson, Samuel, was a silversmith. He was famous for being on the jury during the trials that happened after the Boston Massacre.
Samuel's son, Isaac, was a very successful businessman in Boston. His success helped turn the property into a beautiful country estate. Over time, the property eventually went to a cousin. This cousin was also a descendant of the original John Davenport.
The Estate Today
After Mary "Polly" Davenport Wakefield passed away in 1994, the property was given to a special group called a charitable trust. This trust was created to protect the estate. Its goal is to use the property for teaching people about plants and nature.
The Wakefield Estate is especially known for its many Kousa dogwood trees. These trees have lots of beautiful flowers in early June.
