Willowdale Estate

Boston Weddings Magazine

Fall/Winter 2008 Issue

“For your reception, the Willowdale Estate, tucked away in Topsfield’s Bradley Palmer State Park, just underwent a $2 Million renovation.  The 1901 house is a fairy-tale setting worthy of a princess (with enough dark wood detail to appeal to your knight in shining armor).”

-Julie Saratt

For immediate release: October 30, 2007

Contact:
Wendy Fox, DCR, 617-626-1453
Pamela Jonah, Willowdale Estate, 781-956-6865

HISTORIC WILLOWDALE ESTATE OPENS
AFTER $1.5 MILLION RESTORATION
As part of DCR’s Historic Curatorship Program,
the mansion will host holiday events and weekly tours for the public

Willowdale Estate, the original Bradley Palmer mansion in Topsfield that once welcomed guests such as England’s Prince of Wales and President William Howard Taft, is once again opening its historic doors after the completion of a $1.5 million restoration.

The project is one of nine public/private partnerships in the Commonwealth under the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Historic Curatorship Program.Under the program, DCR enters into a long-term lease with a private curator/tenant who pays rent in the form of services, specifically the rehabilitation and maintenance of the property.

In the case of the Willowdale Estate, the Fandetti-Forsythe family of Cambridge entered into a 50-year lease with DCR in 1997, and began the process of rehabilitating the mansion and managing the estate as a locale for weddings and special occasions, as well as corporate, cultural, and community events. The family also owns two other historic hotels, both in Cambridge: the Mary Prentiss Inn in Harvard Square and the Kendall Hotel in Kenmore Square.

Bradley Palmer, a prominent Boston lawyer and industrialist, was an avid equestrian and nature lover who donated his 721-acre estate to the Commonwealth in 1944 to protect the property in perpetuity as a park. Although Bradley Palmer State Park became a popular recreation area, the historic mansion was underutilized and in need of rehabilitation.

“As preservationists, we fell in love with the Craftsman and Tudor Revival stone mansion and its rich history,” said Briar Forsythe, Willowdale’s executive director. “Our vision was to create an elegant but welcoming historical home to hold private and public events. We are delighted to have achieved our vision so that the graceful beauty of Willowdale can be enjoyed for generations to come.”

DCR’s Historic Curatorship Program is one of only a handful in the country and is among the most successful. Within the thousands of acres of the Commonwealth’s forests and parks are a number of historically significant buildings with enormous potential for reuse. Without direct public funding, many of these mansions, houses,and cottages have fallen prey to the elements and vandalism. In 1994, DCR introduced the Historic Curatorship Program as a creative solution to a multi-million dollar backlog of deferred maintenance on these historic properties. In the last 13 years, nearly $5 million in private funds has been leveraged toward the restoration of more than 30 of these properties. One requirement is that the reuse of these significant properties must be compatible with the surrounding community while enhancing the visitor’s experience of the public park.

“The Historic Curatorship Program demonstrates an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to preserving the history and culture of our park system,” said DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. “This partnership with the Fandetti-Forsythe family puts the historic Bradley Palmer mansion back into productive use, and its preservation makes it available for the public to enjoy for generations to come.”

More than 10 years and $1.5 million from the Fandetti-Forsythe family have been invested in the mansion. Renovations include extensive updating of electrical, plumbing, and septic systems, and detailed refinishing of woodwork and other unique architectural elements throughout the interior and exterior of the house. All the work was done according to a rehabilitation plan drawn up when the lease was signed, and has been approved and monitored by DCR in coordination with the Massachusetts Historical Commission. While adaptations were made to allow for modern building codes, the historic integrity of the mansion was preserved.

Built in 1901, Willowdale Estate was created toward the end of the Arts and Crafts movement, an era that emphasized craftsmanship, simplicity, and nature in design. Bradley Palmer, a well-known attorney who represented President Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference at the end of World War I, built and lived at Willowdale Estate. In designing the interior of the stone mansion, Palmer drew inspiration from the Arts and Crafts tradition; the wood paneling and wood floors throughout the house reflect the nature theme, and the stained glass and mosaic tiles reflect architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s geometric style.

In addition to providing a unique environment for special events, Willowdale offers eight private overnight guestrooms available to book in conjunction with an event. The facility can accommodate up to 240 guests with full catering and event planning services. In conjunction with DCR, Willowdale Estate will hold weekly public tours as well as holiday-themed celebrations and cultural events throughout the year. A schedule for 2008 will be finalized in December.

For more information on Willowdale Estate, call 978-887-8211 or visit www.willowdaleestate.com.

For more information on DCR’s Historic Curatorship Program, call 617-626-1361 or send an e-mail to .

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