Waltham Land Trust Statement On City's Field Station Purchase

WALTHAM, MA —The following was submitted by the Waltham Land Trust:

The Waltham Land Trust extends its sincere congratulations and thanks to Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy, the Waltham City Council, and the Community Preservation Committee, on Waltham reaching an agreement with the University of Massachusetts (UMass) for the City to purchase the 28-acre Waltham Field Station property located at 240 Beaver Street.

The Land Trust would especially like to recognize the efforts of Mayor McCarthy, City Councillors John McLaughlin and George Darcy, State Representatives John Lawn and Tom Stanley, and State Senator Michael Barrett for their leadership, forward thinking, and dedication throughout this complicated process.

“It is a huge victory for the people of Waltham and for open space to see the City acquire this at-risk property and commit to preserving it with a permanent conservation restriction for farming and open space use. We are so grateful to the Mayor and other City leadership for their hard work to get this done.” said Executive Director of the Waltham Land Trust Sonja Wadman.

It is hard to imagine Waltham without the Field Station as a working community farm – it has been operated as one for nearly two centuries. A gift from the late Cornelia Warren to the then Massachusetts Agricultural College, the Field Station is known for both its high-quality soils and history as a site of agricultural innovation. However, in the last several years, the fate of the Field Station was far from certain.

While initially the state proposed to reinvent the site as a Center for Urban Sustainability, when funding was eliminated from a recent Environmental Bond allocation it became clear the property was at serious risk. The Waltham Land Trust, Waltham Fields Community Farm, and the public at large rallied to raise their concerns that development of this land would mean the loss of critical community resources and history and would radically change Waltham. Fortunately, the City responded with united efforts to ensure this did not occur.

As we approach the centennial of Cornelia Warren's death in June 2021, we are mindful of her remarkable life and her work for the benefit of the public as embodied by the land she so loved. A woman of wealth and privilege, she was recognized for her devotion to educational and charitable causes, especially with respect to youth. It is fitting that her legacy will be secured by this action from Waltham’s leaders today. The Land Trust is grateful for their partnership in its conservation efforts and applauds the City’s steadfast commitment to ensuring this land is preserved for generations to come.

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