Templeton Farm Colony

Templeton Farm Colony is a 2,600-acre district of hilltop farmsteads, fields, orchards and woodland in Templeton and Phillipston. The state purchased the first 1,660 acres in 1899 for the Fernald School of Waltham, which wanted a place where trained adult men with no prospect of outside living could do supervised farm work in a healthy setting. Seven existing farmhouses and three barns became the core of four colonies: Eliot, Brook, Narragansett and Farm. Architect William G. Preston added wings and dormitories that matched the scale and materials of the old houses, including the 1763 Church Farmhouse, a standout example of its type. Clearing, orchards and white pine plantings shaped the landscape, and its pattern survives remarkably intact. Later changes include modern dormitories built in the late 1960s at Narragansett and the loss of early dormitories at the Farm and Eliot Colonies. The district was recognized for its well-preserved agricultural setting and its role in the state school system between 1899 and 1940.