In 1902 a summer retreat was commissioned by Bradley Palmer and was designed by the Bostonian architect, Charles K. Cummings. The estate and over 700-acres of farmland served as the perfect place to stable his horses, and entertaining social and business connections. As a Harvard graduate, successful lawyer, and a long-standing member of the Myopia Hunt Club, Palmer welcomed many interesting visitors to the estate. He called the property “Willow Dale” and the property expanded with Bradley Palmer’s wealth; in the peak of its operation, there were more than 30 buildings along with gardens, fruit trees, and livestock.
By 1915 an additional wing was added to the southern side of the estate to expand the guest and staff rooms, and to expand the basement kitchen. The former coach house and stables were renovated and re-purposed as a Dining Room and Great Room, the perfect place for entertaining.
In an effort to plan for the preservation of his bucolic setting, in 1944 Bradley Palmer donated all of his lands to the state of Massachusetts, leading back the acres surrounding his estate. Eventually, he would give the estate along with all of the structures to the Commonwealth so that people could continue to enjoy the property.
1946-1999 Transformation to State Park
After Bradley Palmer's death in 1946, the land around Willow Dale became what is now Bradley Palmer State Park, while the State of Massachusetts began using the mansion as a civil defense training academy in 1949. The formal dining room became a recreation room with a ping-pong table, while the once grand ballroom was used for drills and the occasional conference. Due to lack of funds, the building fell into disrepair over the next fifty years, eventually being deemed unfit for use for anything besides storage. The mansion was added to the Department of Conservation and Recreation's list of threatened historic properties.
1994-Present: Willowdale Estate
In 1994, the DCR began its Historic Curatorship Program designed to restore properties threatened by neglect and vandalism. In the program, a curator leases a property rent free from the DCR for a duration of twenty or more years, agreeing to front the money for the restoration and open the property to the public on at least a biannual basis. In doing so the "DCR secures the long-term preservation of threatened historic sites and Curators exchange their hard work and unique skills for the opportunity to live or work in a one-of-a-kind location."
In 1999, the Forsythe-Fandetti family signed a fifty-year lease with the DCR with the intent of turning the property into an events venue. The Forsythe-Fandettis had already restored multiple historic properties in Cambridge, Massachusetts and entrusted the forthcoming operations of the property as a venue to their daughter Briar Rose Forsythe.
In 2007, Briar Forsythe opened her own events, catering, and planning company calling the property "Willowdale Estate". Willowdale Estate hosted its first event, a wedding, on 7-7-2007. Today, the estate offers full-service event planning for both corporate and private events. A full-time catering staff is present along with events coordinators.
Willowdale Estate has been awarded many times from both local and national wedding and event companies like The Knot, WeddingWire, The Boston A-List, Northshore Magazine, Unique Venues, and Luxury Travel Guide.
We are proud to not only maintain our beautiful historic property, but to carry on the tradtion of hospitality in our welcoming environment.
In 2017, Willowdale Estate celebrated it’s 10th year in business and announced the formation of Bramble Hospitality, and sister-property called Briar Barn Inn. Briar Barn Inn will open in Rowley, Massichusetts in the fall of 2018 and will welcome guests year round at a Restaurant, Inn and Spa all just 10 miles away from Willowdale Estate.
We look forward to many more years of great hospitlatiy!
https://www.willowdaleestate.com/
