Occupying an entire drumlin in Brookline, the estate of Larz and Isabel Anderson featured an opulent mansion, elegant gardens (designed by Charles Platt), and sweeping pastoral views to rival any other residence of the period. The property was bequeathed to the Town of Brookline in 1948 and shortly after the mansion, which had fallen into disrepair, was demolished. A much loved skating rink was built within the walls that enclosed the formal garden, and the estate’s greenhouses and outbuildings were converted to Town carpentry shops and maintenance yards. The Town stabilized key structures and horticultural features in the late 1980s, and in 2015 KMDG was selected to lead the Master Planning for the next era of park investments.

KMDG work-to-date includes developing a master plan and phased implementation to rejuvenate the historic fabric of the estate while still serving the contemporary park needs of the Town on one of their most important and largest landscapes. Completed phases included identifying and improving key circulation, accessibility, drainage and lighting, as well as ecological restoration priorities in the park. We have also completed accessibility improvements to the lagoon pathways and architectural improvements to replace the historic structures around the lagoon with new reconstructions that were extensively surveyed, scanned and researched. Subsequent phases will focus on possible relocation of the skating rink, reconstitution of the garden, and a better re-use of the outbuildings.