       
 | Property Description | 91 acres | Established 1962 | Formerly known as Ashdale Farm, the Stevens-Coolidge Place was the summer home of John Gardner Coolidge and Helen Stevens Coolidge from 1914 to 1962. Mr. Coolidge, a descendant of Thomas Jefferson and nephew of Isabella Stewart Gardner, was a diplomat. Helen Coolidge devoted herself to preserving and improving Ashdale Farm, which her family had first acquired in 1729 and subsequently farmed for six generations. With her husband's support, she transformed the farm into an elegant agricultural estate that exemplified the gracious country living enjoyed then by wealthy Bostonians. Between 1914 and 1918, preservation architect Joseph Everett Chandler remodeled the two connected late-Federal period farmhouses. He incorporated dormers, bow windows, and other design elements to increase light, air, and living area, improve views, and augment flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. The house's collections include Chinese porcelain and other Asian artifacts, American furniture, and American and European decorative arts, reflecting the Coolidges' wide-ranging interests and frequent trips abroad. Chandler also enhanced the design of the landscape, which eventually included a perennial garden, a kitchen and cut flower garden, a rose garden, a French potager garden with a brick serpentine wall, and a greenhouse complex. Intermingling with the formal gardens are rustic elements, including hay fields, an orchard, and extensive woodlands. |
| | Facilities | | Public restrooms (seasonal). |
| | Tours | | Guided house tours offered Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4PM from May 31 through October 12. Last tour starts at 3PM. Members: free. Nonmembers: Adult $8, Child $5. Minimum age: 8 years old (16 without adult). Grounds free to all from 8AM-sunset. Group tours by appointment. Call 978.921.1944 x4009. |
| | Special Events | The Stevens-Coolidge Place hosts an annual plant sale in May. Consult the Events Calendar for details.
Due to the fragile nature of the gardens, we no longer hold private functions at the Stevens-Coolidge Place. |
| | Literature | | Self-guided landscape tour brochure distributed free from the bulletin board in the parking area and from a brochure rack on the verandah of the main house. You may also mail order this brochure in advance of your visit. |
| | Property Acquisition History | | Original acreage a bequest, with endowment, of Mrs. Helen Stevens Coolidge in 1962. Additional land purchased in 1980. Additional land given by Jane Whitehill in 1985 and Robert and Samuel Stevens through MLCT in 1999. |
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Telephone:
978-682-3580 E-mail:
neregion@ttor.org When to Visit:
Guided house tours offered Saturdays and Sundays, 1-4PM from May 31 through October 12. Last tour starts at 3PM. Grounds free to all from 8AM-sunset. Admission Fees & Permits:
Garden Tours: By prior appointment for groups of 10 or more: Members $4, and Non-members $8.
House Tours: Trustees members free. Nonmembers: adult $8, child (2-17) $5. Regulations / Advisories:
Photography is not permitted inside the house. How to Get There:
From I-93, take Route 125 (Andover By-pass) north 7.3 mi. At end of road, merge left onto Route 114 north. At traffic lights opposite Merrimack College (on left), turn right onto Andover Street (remains Route 125) and follow for 0.2 mi. Turn right at traffic lights (remains Andover Street) and follow for 0.5 mi. House and gardens are on left. From I-495, take exit 42 and follow Route 114 east 1 mi. Turn left onto Route 133 east and follow for 0.2 mi. to lights and straight over (becomes Andover Street). Follow for 0.5 mi. to house and gardens on left. Designated parking area (15 cars) located on east side of Chestnut Street directly across from house and gardens; overflow parking in adjacent field. Road Map:
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