Codman Estate

The Codman Estate, known as "the Grange," is a country house at 34 Codman Road in Lincoln, built around 1740 and shaped by five generations of the Codman family. Historic New England runs it. The grounds are free and open every day from dawn to dusk; guided house tours run on the second and fourth Saturdays from June to October, at $15 for adults.

Visiting the Grounds

Historic New England says the grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk and are free. Parking is next to the main gate, on the left.

House Tours

Tours run on the second and fourth Saturdays, June through October. Prices:

• Adults: $15
• Seniors: $13
• Students and children: $10
• Historic New England members: free
• EBT and WIC cardholders: $2, for up to four guests

A separate Servants Tour carries an additional fee.

The Story of the Grange

Historic New England traces the house to about 1740, when Chambers Russell (1713–1767) built it. During the Revolutionary War it belonged to Dr. Charles Russell and Elizabeth Vassall Russell. In 1790 it passed to six-year-old Charles Russell Codman, with John Codman as executor, and from 1790 to 1803 John Codman used it as his country seat and expanded it; Historic New England says the property reached 650 acres under him. Charles Russell Codman later inherited it and sold parts of it, and the estate was out of the family for 55 years.

In 1862 Ogden Codman Sr. and Sarah Bradlee bought it back. Their son, the designer Ogden Codman Jr., worked on its interiors from the mid-1880s into the early 1900s. After Tom Codman died in 1963 and Dorothy in 1968, the house and its immediate grounds passed to Historic New England. Inside are art and memorabilia the family collected in Europe.

Weddings and Events

The carriage house and grounds are available to rent for weddings and other private events through Historic New England. "Codman estate wedding" draws about 90 searches a month in Massachusetts.

Getting There From Drumlin Farm

The Codman Estate and Drumlin Farm are both in Lincoln. Mass Audubon's walking directions from Lincoln commuter rail station to Drumlin Farm cross Codman Road, so a train day can include both. See directions.

Nearby

• Gropius House, Historic New England's other Lincoln house.
• deCordova Sculpture Park.
• Minute Man National Historical Park.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

Good for: a free walk on historic grounds, house-museum fans, wedding scouting.

Maybe skip if: you want a house tour on a weekday or outside June–October; tours run only two Saturdays a month in season.