Summary

View of Slow Pond from Shepherd Brooks piazza.

May 1884. Courtesy Medford Brooks Estate Land Trust

Through the efforts of caring people much has been accomplished in the protection and restoration of the Brooks Estate. By attending meetings, speaking to people, and reading information about the Estate, I have gained a clearer knowledge of why it has taken so long for the property to get to this stage. Money, politics, concerned citizens, abutters and many other facets prolonged the completion of this project.

My belief is that if it were not for The Brooks Estate Preservation Association, the Brooks Estate would have been reduced to a mere 2.2 acres of the Mansion and the Carriage House. This would have been a most unfortunate loss for present and future generations of Medford citizens. I have recently joined the Brooks Estate Preservation Association and would like to help in the process of preservation as well as encourage others to become involved.

On May 11, 1996, I attended my first clean up of the Brooks Estate. A group of over 70 volunteers donated their time to clean noticeable dumping surrounding the Brooks Estate. One of the projects I worked on was to help dismantle a large tree house and cart the wood to other volunteers who used their trucks to bring the slabs of wood to a nearby trash disposal. The trash disposal was donated for the clean-up by Waste Management Inc.. Along with the volunteers were professional arborists, citizens from various parts of Medford and a Medford Brownie Troop that planted flowers near the entrance of the Brooks Pond.

Working together that day made me appreciate the group's strong commitment in protecting this precious land.

Finally, writing this paper has enabled me to more fully understand the various players and their roles. Over the last four years I read various articles on the Brooks Estate, but it wasn't until I wrote this paper that I gained a true understanding of the trials and triumphs inherent in the long history of the Brooks Estate, as well as the wonderful potential of this rare jewel in Medford. I look forward to enjoying the Brooks Estate for the rest of my life.

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