Covered Bridge Lane is a new subdivision in the Town of Wayland. The developers cutesy idea, to…read morehelp sell his development of over priced over sized cookie cutter houses on postage stamp lots, was to build a covered bridge over the stream which would help promote the "semi rural" feel of the town. Knowing that "semi rural" was the buzz word that would make town officials swoon. The developers then put up "private way" signs, discouraging riff raff like me from driving over this bridge and taking photos. I'm guessing my tax dollars pay for plowing and other road maintenance. As far as covered bridges go, this one is 100% new and modern. But was tastefully done so it kinda looks like it has been around forever. I'm trying to remember when it was built. My guess is it's around 5 years old. So 2012.

According to local legend, the founder of Middlesex University was traveling through Ireland and…read moresaw Lismore Castle. He was so impressed with the castle that he asked to bring it back with him. The owners denied his request. He then asked for the blueprints, only to be told no again. Not one to be stopped, he had drawings done of the outside of the castle. The Castle in Waltham was constructed based on these drawings. This is now Brandeis University and "The Castle" as it is called, was first used as an administrative space as well as a dining hall. It was used as a dormitory until the building was condemned and later partially torn down to make room for a new building. Some of the benches outside of the dormitory neighboring Usen Castle are made from materials of the demolished structure. The remaining part of Usen Castle is closed to visitors. Only the coffee house inside the castle is open to the public. Still, it's cool to check out the exterior if you're nearby. [Review 15210 overall, 712 of 2021, number 1073 in Massachusetts.]

I've been cleaning out my parent's house in Wellesley, and finding all sorts of treasures…read more Treasures that are too good for Savers! I brought some of the goodies I found to the Wellesley Historical Society, which is a win-win for both of us. They were very happy to receive my items, and gave me a donation receipt, where I could fill out all the details. I'm extremely concerned with helping to save Wellesley's architectural gems in any way I can. If you have things like china, heirlooms, silver, glassware, etc, that you don't need anymore, consider donating them to the Historical Society!

Libraries are excellent resources and there should be more of them. And they should be easily…read moreaccessible, like this one is. It's close to the Wellesley Square and the commuter rail station, there's tons of parking here for cars and bicycles and the entire facility is completely handicapped accessible. Wellesley's Free Library is a winner. This is a large library with a huge collection of books. I spent two hours at a study table upstairs which had a power outlet and access to a free and fast wifi signal. If only I needed books! [Review 10124 overall, 1710 of 2018.]

Lovely place. My only concern is that there are so many…read moreleft wing radical books on Palestine and left wing people who preach hate. I have not seen a book on display about our Great President Trump or any of the wonderful women he has hired. Many books are on all the left wing radical women and DEI people Biden has hired. I feel this is racist towards white people and conservatives. Maybe they have the books but they are very hidden. The radical democrat books are on display. This is shameful. The library should be so proud of the President of the United States of American.

What an impressive historical site. This family's home was crucial to the Underground Railroad. It…read morewas pretty fascinating to see how this historical site really believed in abolishing slavery to help those two go into freedom. I didn't realize how important this site is to history but it was really nice to see letters and photographs of that time and about Newton area that nobody really thinks about. It was pretty cool to see all the old fashioned toys and clothes of the time. There is a lot of literature posted on the exhibitions. I really recommend going here.

We planned a field trip to the Jackson Homestead with our homeschool group. We had nearly 30 people…read morebetween the ages of 7 and 50, and everyone enjoyed the visit. The attraction is reasonably priced for individuals visiting at $6 per person. The field trip was also very reasonable for up to 30 children and up to 10 adults. The foyer explains the background of the owners and their involvement with the abolition movement and the underground railroad in the 1800s. The children were able to look at source documents and work in teams to make inferences on the information and draw conclusions. Next, we moved to the lower level which is professionally outfitted with plaques explaining the history and a lot of fantastic artifacts. There were several interactive and "please touch" areas, which all the children (and even the teens enjoyed). There were boxes they could climb into to show what it was like to travel across the ocean as a captured slave, and the interesting story of Henry Box Brown. There was even an excavated well (covered with a grate, of course) that may have been used to hide fugitive slaves. On the main floor, the children were able to explore some of the other areas of the house, like "Newton's Toy Box," information on stained glass, and an extensive time-line of the house and history makers. Upstairs was a small area open to the public (due to their offices being on that floor) that had a flag on display from the civil war era. and envelopes used for propaganda during that time period. There were also pictures of the original rooms and textile samples with information about the dress at the time. The main floor also has a lovely little gift shop with a good variety of souvenirs. The staff was friendly and helpful. A most wonderful trip!

Great place for learning about local history! Thank you for providing us with accurate information…read moreabout the history of the area. I especially appreciate the information on the local First Nations (Native American) communities.

From the owner: Founded in 1870, the Natick Historical Society (NHS) is one of the oldest local historical…read moresocieties in Massachusetts. Our mission is to build community by inspiring connections to local history. Today, the NHS operates the Natick History Museum and archives, which serves a growing number of community members, scholars, and youths by offering online and in-person programs, exhibitions, and research services, as well as by bringing local history to community projects and events. Since its incorporation, the NHS has remained an independent nonprofit that thrives on the generosity of donors and grantors and receives no municipal funds. At the NHS, we believe that understanding local history inspires stewardship of our communities and a more informed and empathetic understanding of each other.

We've bought and sold four homes over the last 20 or so years, and when it came to selling our home…read morein Sherborn, we weren't sure who to list our home with, so we canvassed several realtors, all very familiar with the town and schools etc. We asked each about the housing market and what needed to be done to make our place "ready". We discussed staging, photography, comps, marketing and listing price. Nora Lynch Smith saw more value in our home and in Sherborn than the other realtors; she impressed both of us the most with her strategy and planning. In the end our home sold for more than the other agents would have listed it for. While our home was on the market, we could see why Nora has earned such an excellent reputation; she consistently exceeds expectations in several areas: Communication: Nora has been a realtor for 19 years and now owns Landmark Residential. Her experienced hand led us comfortably through tests for Title V, water quality, lead safe certification, radon and smoke detectors (new Mass Fire code in Dec 2016). She immediately returns calls and texts any time of day - we always felt "in the loop". Organization: All tasks done well in advance. It was as though she had a "master checklist" tailored to our property; she even reminded me of items on MY to-do list that fell through the cracks. Resourcefulness: Nora regularly engages a professional photographer (4 visits over 3 months) to keep interior and exterior photos updated and fresh; she was always able to recommend a needed professional - carpenter, painter, plumber, electrician, window installer, rug cleaners etc. Nora has an interior designer on staff who advised us on paint colors and used staging furniture to outfit our entire living room, den, family room, master bedroom and sunroom. Has good instincts and goes the extra mile: Quick story: Our entrance hall was painted yellow, but I decided to not re-paint it another color as she had advised. After a few vocal buyers gave negative feedback on "that yellow," Nora revisited the topic with me and said: "Jane, I'm going to put my money where my mouth is," and I agreed to let her bring in painters at her own expense to change the color to a more neutral light grey. Huge improvement! The house sold shortly thereafter. On another note, one selling point for our property was access to the Bailey Trail behind our house; Nora walked a mile of it with me one day to get to know our property and its location better....how many realtors would do that?! I don't often write reviews, but when I find something that I know is absolutely the best, I share it.

Quinwell forwarded us flight information which was nice I guess, but that's about all they did for…read moreus. When it came down to needing live travel agent assistance because our connecting flight coming home got cancelled, our Quinwell agent sent an initial email saying she "talked to a Delta agent, and you should go into the line and get a hotel / food voucher." So we waited in like for over an hour, just for the agent to tell us that we don't get vouchers for weather cancellations. So we were quite literally screwed, and had to wait 2 days before we could catch another flight home. In NYC. Paying for our own hotel / expenses along the way. After that initial email, we never received another response. She never returned my call / voicemail, and still hasn't responded even weeks later despite my attempt to reach out multiple times. No apology for the incorrect information, or any help whatsoever. We had to get our own rental car, hotel, and find our own way home. Would NOT recommend. That type of support is a core aspect of their job, right?

Quinwell has always done a great job planning our vacations. My wife and I have gone to Quinwell…read moreseveral times for European trips and the attention to detail is excellent. Our agent, Caty, is patient with our many requests and puts together an excellent itinerary. She consistently finds excellent properties and attractions that meet our budget and has often found "hidden" deals that only an experienced agent is aware of. We look forward to may more vacations through Quinwell.