The Bilfinger Property

In the mid-1990's Inge Bilfinger entered into an agreement with the Foundation to sell Woodland Farm consisting of an antique home, carriage house and 60 acres situated on two sides of Woodland Street. In order to make economic sense of this transaction, it was necessary to sell the farmhouse and three building lots. The end result is that the four properties, which have now been sold, have deed restrictions preventing further subdivision, the Foundation now retains ownership of approximately 40 acres of land, and the purchase loan has been entirely paid off. In addition, access easements have been put in place for town's people to be able to traverse this property. The open land is jointly owned with Upper Charles Conservation Land Trust, Inc., a regional conservation organization.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

This property has significant historical associations with the Leland (or Layland) family, one of the first to settle in Sherborn in the mid 17th century. "Woodland Farm" was part of the Hopestill Leland settlement. A portion of this residence may be the main house built by Hopestill Leland in ca. 1702. In that year he married Mary Bullard. Their son, Daniel, "inherited his father's place S.W. of Sewell's Meadow." Daniel's twin sons, Moses and Aaron, inherited his property. Moses owned the eastern portion which included this farm. Aaron's house, located to the west of his brother's burned, and remnants of the cellar hole are still visible. This house passed from Moses to his son, Col. Daniel Leland (b. 1781), who in turn passed it to his son, Frederick (b. 1813). An F. Leland is listed at this address in 1889. Several members of the family were musical and were active in the Sherborn band.

The house was was enlarged around 1715 and the main block assumed its present form ca. 1760. The east wing was added ca. 1820 and the west ell added ca. 1950.

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Maximillian Ferro's structural analysis of "Woodland Farm", undertaken in the fall of 1976, revealed that this house evolved from a ca. 1705 "Half-House" - a one room plan structure which was two stories high. An earlier, smaller house is indicated by the fact that the chimney is displaced forward. Max Ferro notes that "chimneys were built at the ridge so that a chimney in the forward slope of the roof indicates that the width of the house has changed". The house was enlarged ca. 1715 "using two available gunstock posts and a cased frame," A lean-to may have been added at that time. About 1760 the house was reframed to its present width. Its east wing was added ca. 1820 and the west ell was constructed ca. 1950.

This house's exterior is in the Georgian style. Its main 5 bay facade faces south as was the custom in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Its main entrance exhibits Greek Revival and Colonial Revival modifications - its front door is flanked by multi-pane sidelights and is surmounted by a triangular, dentillated pediment. Its 8/12 sash windows are simply enframed. Its 3 bay gable ends face east and west and feature ca. 1860 Italianate brackets. Unfortunately, this venerable house's clapboards are covered with shingles.

Noteworthy interior features include the east parlor's late chamfered frame, with 45 degree triangular lamb's tongues, and the west parlor's chamfered summer beam.

In the attic, the original rafters of the smaller house are still in place. This house's structural evolution might be compared to the Col. Nathan Stratton house on Brush Hill Road (No. 52) which evolved from a much smaller ca. 1680 nucleus, whose main block assumed its present size ca. 1760 and like Woodland Farm had its entrance remodeled in the Greek Revival style ca. 1840.

Woodland Farm's setting retains much of its pre 20tb century rural charm - the house is situated behind a picturesque fieldstone wall and is surrounded by trees of considerable age.

(Courtesy of the Sherborn Historical Commission)