Our wreath-making workshops are sold out!

This popular workshop sells out every year and this year is no exception. Put the dates on your calendar for next year and hopefully you will be able to join us.

Holiday Open House, December 12th through the 15th, 12:00PM to 4:00PM

Come enjoy a festive stroll through the Davenport Mansion, built in 1794 as the "county seat" of Isaac Davenport. Wander through the historic mansion's renovated first floor decorated in festive trimmings for the holiday season and highlighting Georgian and Federal architectural details. The stunningly beautiful panoramic landscape wallpaper, Les Vues d’Écosse, originally produced by Zuber & Cie in Rixheim (Alsace, France) has been fully restored on the walls of the dining room and is now available for viewing. The gardens and grounds will also be open to show off their winter beauty.

The Davenport Mansion will be open from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Tuesday, December 12 through Friday, December 15th.

Holiday Open House Party, Saturday, December 16th, 11:30AM to 3:00PM (RSVP Required)

On December 16th we will again open the decorated mansion house and invite you to enjoy light refreshments and libations and a warm fire and meet our staff. The gardens and grounds will also be open for an outdoor stroll.

This event is free but registration is required to accommodate space constraints. Only registered guests will be admitted. You may click here to register until Saturday, December 16th, 9:00AM.

Volunteer Arborist Greg Dorr is back in Action

Greg, is an ISA Certified Arborist and has been volunteering at Wakefield Arboretum for many years. He has climbed some of the most important trees in the collection, pruning them and providing tree health assessments. In this image, he is high up in our Rehder Wing nut Tree (Pterocarya × rehderiana) originally cultivated by Alfred Rehder at the Arnold Arboretum. Polly Wakefield received this specimen from the Arnold. Not particularly interesting in the winter this tree has lovely long yellow panicle flowers in late spring.

Construction on the Lane

If you've driven by or visited lately, you will have seen a lot of work being conducted on the lane. The construction includes adding new lighting and creating a wider entrance area for better visibility when entering and exiting the property. New cobblestones will line the entryway along with improved surfacing of the drive. In the lead-up to this project we dug up and moved many small trees and perennials that used to line the drive. The construction team carefully worked around the majestic oak that gently leans across the lane. As with any construction, appearance can look a little worse before it gets better. We appreciate your patience. This work is planned to be completed in the next few weeks. In the meantime, event participants should use the alternate entrance at the mansion.

Volunteer Matt Harmon helps re-roof the Woodland Shelter

Matt Harmon a volunteer experienced in carpentry, joined staff member Matthew Noiseux in replacing the cedar shingles on the roof of the woodland shelter. After several months of work removing damaged shingles, reinforcing the roof structure and installing the new cedar shingles, the roof is ready for winter weather. A walk through the woodland behind the farmhouse will bring you by this simple and historic outbuilding.