Metro Boston

Governor Hutchinson’s Field

Milton

10 acres

Enjoy views of the Neponset River marshes and Boston Harbor from the hilltop site of the estate of the last Massachusetts Colonial governor.

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Plan Your Visit
  • Overview
  • Ideas for Your Visit
  • Admission & Hours
  • Directions & Contact Info
  • Facilities & Accessibility
  • Property Map
  • Regulations & Advisories

Overview

Governor Hutchinson’s Field is located in Milton, MA. In 1734, Gov. Thomas Hutchinson, the last royal Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, built a country estate on Milton Hill. His zealous loyalty to the crown made him an object of popular ridicule in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, and, in 1774, shortly after the Boston Tea Party, Hutchinson fled to England.

The site of his former estate, of which only the ha-ha (sunken fence) survives, boasts spectacular views of the Neponset River and its tidal salt marshes, the Boston skyline, and the Boston Harbor Islands.

Ideas for Your Visit

Take a short walk around the property; from the field, you can access the adjacent Pierce Reservation, a four-acre parcel of grassy slopes that runs down to the tidal marshes that border the Neponset River—an easy quarter-mile trail runs along the river embankment.

Admission & Hours

Admission is FREE to all.

Year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 1/2 hour.

Directions & Contact Info

Adams Street
Milton, MA 02186
Telephone: 781.784.0567
E-mail: greaterboston@thetrustees.org

Get directions on Google Maps.

From Points North: I-93/Rt. 3 South to Exit 10. Go 0.2 mi. At stop sign, turn right onto Adams St. Follow for 1.2 mi. to top of Milton Hill; entrance is on right.

From Points South: I-93/Rt. 3 North to Exit 9, Granite Ave. Follow north for 1.5 mi. through two sets of traffic lights. Turn left and drive over expressway bridge to stop sign. Turn right onto Adams St. Follow to top of Milton Hill; entrance is on right.

From Dorchester: Take Dorchester Ave. to Adams St. and follow up Milton Hill; entrance is on the left.

Public Transportation: Governor Hutchinson’s Field is MBTA accessible – take the Redline to Milton Station, exit the station to Adams Street, walk uphill along Adams Street and the field is approximately 1/4 mile up on the left.

Facilities & Accessibility

This is an open field with a couple of shade trees and picnic tables. Restroom facilities are not available.

Property Map

There is no trail map available for download at this time.

Regulations & Advisories

  • Hunting is not permitted at this reservation. Learn more about hunting on Trustees properties.
  • There is no designated parking area and road-side parking is not permitted. Just down the hill at Lower Mills, there is on-street parking within a 5-minute walk.
  • The Pierce Reservation sits behind a private residence; please respect the privacy of our neighbor.
  • PHOTOGRAPHY: We ask that photographers or their clients become Supporting Level Members before conducting portrait sessions at this property. Click here for more information, and to request permission for any portrait sessions. The Trustees of Reservations reserves the right, and may give permission to its designated photographers and videographers, or to outside media, to photograph or video visitors and program participants at all its facilities and properties.
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The field provides a link to revolutionary history.

Governor Thomas Hutchinson was the last Royal Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Born in Boston in 1711 and educated at Harvard, he was a prominent conservative, powerful and devoutly loyal to the British Crown. His over royalist leanings made him the object of public ridicule in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War. He found himself at great odds with the radical revolutionaries (soon to be patriots) of the day, namely Samuel Adams who, with others, mockingly dubbed him “Tommy Skin-and-Bones” Hutchinson presumably because of his gaunt appearance.

Learn more
The View From Here
See What People Say

There are quite a few places where one can get a good view of Boston and the Harbor; this is one of them. There are trails through the fields and joining woods and it is a great place for a nice roll (down the hill) and a picnic!

Veronica, TripAdvisor

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