William Wellington House, Waltham, MA

The William Wellington House

The William Wellington House. at 735-775 Trapelo Road, is a historic house in Waltham, Massachusetts. It is one of the finest examples of Georgian Architecture remaining in Massachusetts. A prominent Waltham citizen, Wellington fought in the Revolutionary War and served as a town selectman for 17 terms. A working farm from the 18th century into the 1980s, the surrounding lands were used for livestock, wheat, produce, and fruit orchards. In the late 1700s, the Wellington Farm, also known as Elm Farm, was among the five most valuable estates in the town of Waltham. The house was built in 1779 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The house stayed in two families until somewhere around 1930 when it was acquired by Middlesex County Hospital. Prior to renovations, it had been abandoned for over 20 years.

The home was purchased as part of a development of condominiums nearby now known as "Wellington Crossing". The developers donated the house along with $100,000 for its renovations to the city of Waltham in 2005. Renovations of the exterior were undertaken after some $367,000 were raised by the Waltham Historical Commission. Archie Bennett, director of the commission, said that William Wellington and his family were among the founding families of Waltham and that their Georgian home deserved attention.

The Waltham Land Trust was instrumental in restoring the grounds that constitute the rest of the farm. The land owned by the City of Waltham around the historic Wellington House at 735 Trapelo Road has gone from a jungle of invasive plants to a place where neighbors and residents can walk and enjoy nature. This effort is the result of work by employees of the City of Waltham and many volunteers.The task of removing large trees was done by the City. The removal of invasive plants continues through weekly work parties organized by volunteers of the Friends of Wellington Fields, a project of the Waltham Land Trust.Mowed walking paths have been seeded with resilient grass species and plans have been made for incorporating flowering native species into the fields. Cheerful volunteers meet regularly to make this dream come true, but they need your financial help to continue the effort!