Waltham
Land Trust
Guide to
Open Spaces

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Park Overview

Stonehurst, the Robert Treat Paine Estate; the Storer Conservation Lands; and the Chester Brook Woods are owned and operated by the City of Waltham, Massachusetts. The wide and well groomed trails cover 134.5 acres.

The trails pass through woodlands that contain a variety of forest flora including white pines, red oak, maple, beeches, and mature hemlocks, vernal pools and other wetland areas.  In the woods, meadows, and estate grounds, there are wild flowers in season, a variety of native shrubs and plants, and estate plantings such as mountain laurel, azalea, rhododendrons, and wisteria. The Western Greenway Trail traverses the property.

History

The country home of social reformer and affordable housing advocate Robert Treat Paine, Stonehurst is an American masterpiece crowning the career-long collaboration between architect Henry Hobson Richardson ad landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, leading designers who deeply influenced the way Americans live and relate to their environment.

Stonehurst is the most intact example of Richardson’s approach to country house design and the only one that is open to the public. The convention-breaking house crowns a spectacular rise selected by Olmsted, founder of the parks movement nationwide. Stonehurst is a museum offering unique lessons in architecture, landscape design, and community planning through public tours, programs and events throughout the year.

The National Historic Landmark house and 109-acre Storer Conservation Lands were donated to the City of Waltham in 1974 by Theodore Storer, a grandson of Robert Treat Paine. The non-profit Friends of Stonehurst was founded in 1991. In 2001, the City of Waltham acquired the 25.5-acre Chester Brook Woods (located between Beaver Street, Forest Street, Chester Brook Road, and Jack’s Way). Though landlocked, the property consists of undisturbed woodlands and once was a part of the Paine Estate. The Chester Brook Woods contain important wetlands that drain into Chester Brook, a perennial stream flowing from Hardy Pond and continuing south to the Charles River.

 Site Facts

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The Waltham Land Trust (WLT) disclaims responsibility for damages or liability that may arise from the use of our maps.  Maps and information are provided by WLT as a public service. All information is provided without warranty of any kind.  Information is derived from many sources and due to reasons outside of our control, may or may not be correct, complete or current.  It is the responsibility of the user to confirm the data, which may be totally wrong.

Neither the City of Waltham, DCR, GIS, WLT nor anyone else warrants the accuracy of the information, data or maps.