Photo by Krista Photography
Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, several thriving organizations operate alongside a large parcel of beautiful open space.
Drawing its name from a geographical ‘moraine’ created by moving glaciers forming swells and valleys in the landscape, this Frederick Law Olmsted-designed property along the shores of Wenham Lake capitalizes on this ancient topography. Rustic stone walls, lawns, ledges, meadows, forests, and vistas are incorporated among a 40-acre farm, estate house, and gardens.
Completed in 1882, Olmsted integrated the latest advances in farming and forestry with a landscape of leisure to be something you explore, with views at each turn of the road on the 275 acres owned by businessman and merchant John C. Phillips. Today, with the fields, forests, and estate grounds clearly defined, Olmsted’s three carriage loops are now walking trails for visitors.
Olmsted & The TrusteesMoraine Farm is co-owned as part of a groundbreaking partnership between The Trustees and the Cape Ann Waldorf School. Sixteen acres are also currently farmed by New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, an initiative of Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, which works locally, regionally, and across the country to strengthen local food systems by supporting new farmers.
The property is permanently protected, thanks to the generosity and foresight of the family that has owned the land since the late 1920s. Two other nonprofit organizations that share a stewardship interest in Moraine Farm are Essex County Greenbelt Association, which monitors the conservation restriction on the property, and the Friends of the Olmsted Landscape, a volunteer group dedicated to preserving the farm’s unique Olmsted heritage.
Stroll along the carriage paths and forested trails to discover the beautiful Olmsted landscape, complete with rustic stone walls, rolling meadows, Wenham Lake views, cultivated gardens, and an estate house.
Walking trails connect to the City of Beverly’s John C. Phillips Nature Preserve, which abuts Moraine Farm, so you can continue your journey to varying vistas of the lake. Bring your dog or pack a picnic, but be aware that the property is carry-in, carry-out related to litter and personal items.
Lake Wenham is a public reservoir, so please take care to protect this critical resource by not swimming or wading, and do not allow dogs to wade or swim in the water either. The area around the estate house also has limited public access, so please follow the designated signs.
When to Visit
Open year-round, daily, from sunrise to sunset. All other times are for the wildlife only.
Admission
FREE to all visitors.
779 Cabot St.
Beverely, MA 01915
Telephone: 978.689.9105
Get directions on Google Maps.
From Rt. 128 (exit 45), take Cabot St. (Route 97) north for about one mile. Go past the entrances to both the Cape Ann Waldorf School and New Entry Sustainable Farming Project before finding the parking lot entrance on your right at 779 Cabot St.
The ground floor and grounds surrounding the main house may be rented for weddings and other private functions. Please contact us for further information by visiting our website.
There is a trail map posted on a kiosk in the parking area.
Take a photo of the map on your phone to refer to during your visit or download a trail map before you head out.
There are over 4 miles of paths and trails at Moraine Farm and the adjoining John C. Phillips Nature Preserve owned by the City of Beverly.
Originally designed in 1880, Moraine Farm has been hailed as “the finest existing example of Olmsted’s approach to planning a country estate” by pre-eminent Olmsted scholar Charles E. Beveridge, and it was a testing ground for ideas the noted landscape architect would later execute on a grander scale at the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina and at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.
