The Estate under Medford's Ownership

Back of Shepherd Brooks house on Acorn Hill, West Medford

October, 1885. By Sarah L. Brooks. Courtesy Medford Brooks Estate Land Trust

In 1942 the City of Medford purchased the remaining 82 acres of land from the Brooks heirs, which included two mansions: the Peter Chardon Brooks Mansion built in 1859 and the Shepherd Brooks Mansion built in 1880. The two brothers, Peter Chardon and Shepherd, had built their summer homes on the Brooks Estate. Their primary residences were in Boston (Collidge, R. & Collidge, 1939).

It was originally proposed that the City acquire a portion of the Estates for the cemetery and a portion for the Park Department. This proposal would have required two bond issues for repayment. However, the City decided to issue only one bond for $55,000 under the title "for cemetery purposes," since the Park Department had no means to repay the $55,000 purchase price. The repayment of the bond was predicated upon the future sale of lots and graves at the Cemetery (City of Medford, Council Resolution Order in the Board of Aldermen, September 29, 1942). Therefore, from the beginning of this proposal, the Park Department proposition was flawed, since the Park Department had no means to pay back the city.

The nature of Medford's 1942 purchase has been a major source of the controversy regarding the property's future use. Since the Estate is adjacent to the Oak Grove Cemetery, the inherent use of future cemetery expansion is at issue.

The September 1945 Committee Report on Brooks and Development of Oak Grove Cemetery, along with a later report dated March, 1975, offered by the Medford Conservation Commission entitled Brooks Pond / Oak Grove Development Committee, both raised the question of the future development of Oak Grove Cemetery. The 1975 Conservation Commission report clearly states:

Since the purchase of the Brooks Estate, the City of Medford has used the Brooks Estate land for different purposes. In 1946, using federal funds, the City of Medford built the Brooks Village, temporary housing on the Brooks Estate for WW II veterans and their families. The construction caused some damage to the trees and grading of the land. Ironically, the erection of Brooks Village prevented even greater damage to the Estate. Use of this portion of the property as veteran housing through 1954 meant it was not available for northward expansion of the Oak Grove Cemetery.

A few months before construction began on Brooks Village, the City announced its intention to demolish both mansions. The Shepherd Brooks Mansion was only saved because it could be converted into apartments for nine veterans' families. The Peter Chardon Brooks Mansion had suffered from vandalism and would have been extremely expensive to repair. In 1946 the Mansion was dynamited and the remains were buried at the site prior to the opening of the Village (Tom Lincoln, 1995). Today, the only remaining dwelling on the property is the Shepherd Brooks Mansion.

The city has done little to maintain this Queen Anne style home designed in 1880 which in 1956 the Cemetery Board of Trustees turned over to the City's Department of Public Welfare. Included in this turnover was 2.2 acres of land and the Carriage House according to current City solicitor, Robert Blumsack (letter of April 27, 1992).

In the early 1950's the Shepherd Brooks Mansion was used as a city nursing home, and from 1980 to 1985 the Dorothy Hegner Center operated it as a home for physically challenged adults. Since 1992, caretakers have occupied the Mansion.

In the first few years the caretakers have lived at the Mansion on an expense-free basis. In the last few years they have paid for all utilities, but do not pay rent. This arrangement is still in place to this day. The caretakers of the early 1990's claimed frequent incidents of people trying to break into the carriage house or the mansion itself were prevalent during their time living there.

However, once the word got out that someone lived on the property, vandalism declined significantly.

One thing is clear, if no organization or individuals had challenged the City of Medford for this historical revitalization, the Shepherd Brooks Mansion would be long gone due to neglect and an even larger portion of the remaining acreage would have been used as an addition to the cemetery.

From the bachelors thesis: Case Study of the Brooks Estate, by Linda M. Penta. American Studies Program, Leslie College