Lyman Estate History

1790-1839:  Theodore Lyman's Federal Country Estate

1839-1880:  George Lyman's Inheritance

1880-1915:  Arthur T. Lyman's Victorian Renovations

1915-1951:  Arthur T. Lyman Jr. and Susan Cabot Lyman's Colonial Revival Renovations

1951-Present:  The Lyman Estate's Preservation and Use

1790-1839: Theodore Lyman's Federal Country Estate

Theodore Lyman (1753-1839) was born the son of a minister in York, Maine. He established himself in shipping before moving to Boston after the American Revolution. He expanded his business interests from the Northwest fur trade into the China Trade, acquiring sufficient wealth by the time he was forty years old to support a country estate and gentleman’s farm. Theodore Lyman began to acquire land in Waltham in 1790 through the purchase of small farms. In 1793, he commissioned famed architect Samuel McIntire of Salem, Massachusetts, to design and build an elegant country house in the Federal style. The formal name, "The Vale," was chosen as a reference to the estate’s location in a slight valley, with a brook running through it. Mr. Lyman married twice. His second wife was Lydia Pickering Williams from Salem’s prominent Pickering family, and it was through his wife’s Salem connection that McIntire was hired.

Beginning with Theodore Lyman, each successive generation to inherit the estate had a passion for horticulture, as well as agriculture. In addition to a 600-foot-long Peach Wall, the estate contains a completely intact historic greenhouse complex which was begun in 1800 with the construction of the Ancient Greenhouse. In 1804, the three-part Grape House was built to house citrus, figs, pineapples, bananas, and forced native fruits. This was followed in 1820 by the creation of the Camellia House, and in 1840 the Grape and Camellia Houses were connected, thereby creating another greenhouse. By 1839 the estate contained 400 acres and included meadows, ponds, pleasure grounds, woodlands, a deer park, gardens, greenhouses, a working farm, as well as the mansion, carriage house, gardener’s cottage, and various farm buildings.

It was used as a summer retreat for his family, who lived on Boston’s Beacon Hill the rest of the year. Large expanses of open countryside, together with proximity to Boston, made Waltham an attractive location for country retreats. The estate was enjoyed by four generations of the Lyman family until 1952, when the fifth generation donated the property to Historic New England.

1839-1880: George Lyman's Inheritance

Following Theodore Lyman’s death in 1839, the property was inherited by his son, George Lyman (1786-1880). George continued in the shipping business, with ships trading in China and Europe. However, following the 1807 embargo and the War of 1812, with shipping prospects diminishing, George turned his attention to new pursuits. During his lifetime, he was involved with a group called the Boston Associates in the creation of New England’s textile mills, a director of the Boston and Lowell Railroad, a director of the Columbian Bank, president of the Massachusetts Hospital Life Insurance Company, and president of the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture. His first wife was Elizabeth Gray Otis, the daughter of Harrison Gray Otis and Sally Foster Otis, prominent Bostonians who built a Federal-style mansion in Boston's Bowdoin Square, now owned by Historic New England.

Upon his death, the estate was bequeathed to his son by his second wife, Arthur Theodore Lyman (1832-1915). Placing him in the historical context, he started his business career during times which included the Panic of 1857, the Civil War, and the post-war recovery years. Following in his father’s footsteps, he worked in the textile industry. He became highly successful, serving in high positions of responsibility for many of the textile mills located in Lowell, Lawrence, and nearby communities.  

1880-1915: Arthur T. Lyman's Victorian Renovations

With marriage to Ella Lowell, followed by an expanding family of seven children, Arthur Theodore and Ella felt the mansion in need of significant enlargement. They hired Boston architect Henry W. Hartwell of the firm Hartwell, Richardson, and Driver to undertake this large project. The alterations included a large kitchen wing with a maid’s dining room and laundry; the creation of an entire third floor of bedrooms for children and maids; the relocation of the main staircase with its prominent Palladian window; the addition of two-story bays along the south elevation; and new bathrooms. All of these changes were thoughtfully integrated with the original Federal architecture.  The couple chose to leave unchanged the ballroom and oval parlor – both pristine examples of Federal period design.

Upon Arthur Theodore’s death at age eighty-three in 1915, the Lyman Estate was inherited by his son, Arthur T. Lyman, Jr. (1861-1933). Arthur, his wife Susan Cabot, and their five children continued the tradition of summering at The Vale. Arthur’s business interests included positions as director and officer of textile manufacturing companies, as well as the Massachusetts Life Insurance Company. He served on the boards of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Waltham Hospital. As the New England textile industry became more problem-ridden, Arthur became increasingly drawn to politics, most specifically to the Massachusetts Democratic Party. He became active in Waltham politics as chair of the Board of License Commissioners, Waltham (1894), then as mayor of Waltham in 1896.  Among his other accomplishments, he was president of the Democratic Club of Massachusetts, chairman of the State Democratic Committee, then director of finance for the Massachusetts branch of the National Democratic Committee.

1915-1951: Arthur T. Lyman Jr. and Susan Cabot Lyman's Colonial Revival Renovations

The final changes to the mansion’s architecture were made by Arthur and Susan in 1917. The couple hired Nina Tupper to make minor alterations in the, then fashionable, Colonial Revival style. In the interior, these are most evident in the dining room and east parlor; the exterior changes included removing Victorian embellishments. In 1930, another greenhouse was built for the purpose of growing cut flowers. Arthur T. died in 1933 and The Vale was inherited by his widow, Susan Cabot Lyman.

1951-Present: The Lyman Estate's Preservation and Use

Upon Susan Cabot Lyman's death in 1951, the Lyman Estate was bequeathed to Arthur T. and Susan’s five children. Seeking to preserve it for others to enjoy, they generously donated it to Historic New England. The estate now consists of the mansion, historic greenhouses, carriage house, gardener’s cottage, and thirty-seven acres of gardens and grounds. The estate is used primarily for private functions, such as weddings, parties, and corporate events. Group tours are available by appointment, and the mansion is occasionally open for self-guided tours and public programs. The Lyman Estate Greenhouses are open year-round for casual visitation, group tours, and plant sales.