The Case Estates, an endangered 62 acres of largely undeveloped land, is significant not only historically, but ecologically as well. The property’s worth can be seen in its collections of specimen plants and trees, in its unique rock walls, and in its value as a wildlife corridor for many species, chief among them migrating birds. While much of the property has been cultivated and managed over the last century, it continues to beat to the rhythms of the past. It’s a place where the sounds of crickets and cicadas drown out nearby traffic, meadows offer haven to bugs and birds, and shadows of handmade rock walls take the place of buildings.
When combined with the surrounding open acreage, the Case Estates becomes part of a contiguous swathe of 769 acres of relatively open land—a large chunk of Weston’s 2,000+ acres of already protected conservation land. This system is critical to wildlife and especially to birds, as noted in 1994 by Professor David Morimoto, Associate Professor of Biology at Regis College, who completed a two-year census of breeding bird communities in Weston:
Weston is very valuable as a resting place for migrating birds in spring, especially because it represents an extensive area of forests, still fairly connected and linked with neighboring town forests. Migrating birds especially like the stream and swamp vegetation, and even the smaller forests provide attractive resting areas if wetlands are present.
Research by Morimoto and others led to the following recommendation in the 1996 Open Space Report: "Weston's large town forests have regional importance as a habitat for migratory birds. Wildlife biologists stress the importance of planning to prevent forest fragmentation and preserve contiguous forested areas of wildlife corridors…." In addition, the Case Estates contains significant meadow habitat that is very scarce in Weston, as well as a variety of ecosystems—wetlands, mature forests, shrubby woodlands—that each provide habitat to various bird, mammal, reptilian, and amphibious species.
Think of New England and you think of stone walls. The use of native stone throughout the landscape is one of the most significant features of the Case land. Over the years the walls themselves have become part of the organic structure of the landscape, and are further decorated by lichens, mosses, or the grassy tufts that grow in between the rocks. Look closely in the walls, and you might 
even see cubbyholes, nests, or even "pantries" for the Case Estates’ tiniest critters.
Elmer Jones, longtime naturalist of Weston, notes in his book Conservation Land In Weston that the Case Estates “was part of Lake Sudbury…a glacial meltwater lake which formed as the glacier wasted away about ten thousand years ago. The lake ran from what is now the Wayland border east to Green Lane." As the glacier melted, rocks were deposited throughout the region. You can see one of these errant boulders, which also happens to be the geographic center of Weston, between the Case House and Field School. It is probably no accident the first Case mansion was called "Rocklawn."
Indeed, rocks aplenty accompanied the property when Miss Case first established her Hillcrest Farm experiment. According to former Arboretum Director and Weston resident Richard Howard, Miss Case spent "the first summer clearing the rather poor farm lands of rock…large boulders were hauled to one side and used to make two outstanding examples of the wallbuilders' art: the Hen's Tooth Wall along Wellesley Street and the freestanding wall which borders the Rhododendron Garden. Smaller stones were used or disposed of in the more common walls…around the rest of the property.” (Source: the Weston Historical Bulletin)
Constructed in 1911, the stone wall near 101 Wellesley Street is said to be the largest freestanding dry wall of native stones in New England. It stands ten feet high, six feet thick and 200 feet long. The inspiration for the wall came when Miss Case, on a visit to Tokyo, was deeply impressed with a vista “where pines towered over gray stone walls.” She thought of the wall as a division between the more cultivated part of her property—“the great lawn," with its formal garden beds—and the woods beyond. This juxtaposition of the cultural landscape and the natural landscape is an enduring theme of the Case Estates today.
In Stone by Stone, author Robert Thorson quotes architectural historian Simon Schama to help elaborate on the concept of "cultivated" and "wild," a theme that is especially fitting to the Case Estates:
There are places woven within the boundaries of a modern metropolitan sprawl where the boundaries between past and present, wild and domestic, collapse altogether: Below the hilltop clearing where my house stands are Dristan walls, the remains of a vanished world…. From the midst of this suburban wilderness, in the hours before dawn, barely a fairway away from the inevitably manicured country club, coyotes howl at the moon, setting off a frantic shrieking from the flocks of wild turkey hidden in the covers. This is Thoreau's kind of suburb.
And it could easily be Weston.
The Case Estates history is rooted in the trees, shrubs, and plants that were so valued by the property’s various owners. Today’s historical documentation and living specimens are reminders of the most recent past: the Case Estates Era, and the Arnold Arboretum Era.
To revisit the Case Era and the time of Miss Case’s Hillcrest Farm, we can first read the Green Books of Miss Case and the Hillcrest Boys 
to learn about farm crops, gardens, and woodland paths. Today, if we tour the family homestead and start at the Case House, we notice one of the oldest trees in Weston, a beech tree planted by James Case. Further down Wellesley Street we find the rhododendrons that bloom each year planted by Marian Case. These plants are reminders of the other specimens around the property that were cherished by the family and still live today despite the horrendous 1938 hurricane.
The Arboretum Era is recognized by its emphasis on woody plant material and shrubs. However, the Iris Society and Herb Society created wonderful display beds to greet Boston’s horticultural enthusiasts with ever-new temptations. Also established were herbaceous specimens of tree peonies along the great wall, the ground cover collection of over 120 species, and the wonderful perennial garden near the wetlands area on the south side of Wellesley Street.
When Harvard first acquired the Case Estates, a remarkable collection of plants—some even sent from around the world—were selected for planting, testing, and study. The best varieties were transferred to the Arnold Arboretum or shipped to arboretums around the world. They were also shared with nurseries or horticultural enthusiasts through annual plant sales and member gifts. Each spring a packing tube would arrive in the mail with unusual specimens for the home gardener. Many New England landscapes contain towering trees that originated in just this way.
At the same time, research and documentation occurred under staff like Dr. Donald Wyman, horticulturist for the Arnold Arboretum for 37 years. Dr. Wyman authored numerous articles and books describing the process and plantings at the Case Estates location, and focused primarily on woody plant material. Richard Howard, an early director who also lived in Weston, took a special interest in the Case Estates. Today, thanks to the continuing stewardship of the Arboretum, we have an incredible opportunity to see the legacies of their work and that of others that still survive on the Case land.
For example, take a walk in the Pine Woods area, and you’ll find the remains of the Ilex holly collection gathered by Dr. Wyman. Behind the great wall is the rhododendron display garden developed as a resource of knowledge about the selection and cultivation of specimens suitable for the New England climate. There are individual trees that have special attributes for each time of year: cherries for blossoms in the spring, maples and dogwoods in the fall for leaf color, birches for winter with distinctive bark. At any time of year, and throughout the 62 acres of the Case property, a large variety of trees that have grown over time—many chosen from around the world to be propagated in this particular spot—can be appreciated in the fullness of their natural silhouette.
The beauty of the Case Estates is boundless. On the Case land, pick your time of year and you will find trees or shrubs to enjoy for their bark, their foliage, their bloom, or their "architecture." The self-guided walk of the property can lead you to many treasures: in the early fall, we recommend the hydrangeas near the yellow brick barn, which may still be blooming, and the Heptacodium, or “Seven Son Flower,” in the display garden with white blossoms and reddish sepals that seems to flower until November. And don’t forget to look up. The most breathtaking sights are the vistas of fall foliage and the ob
servation of abundant berries and nuts for our small (and large) wildlife neighbors.
Yet beyond the appreciation of the land’s natural heritage, we need only to look through the lens of a child's experience to see the wealth of wonders that await our discovery.
Imagine: a young family walks this landscape—only 20 minutes from Boston—and finds a place bursting with unusual natural features and cultural history. In just an hour's walk, a family can travel through a hundred years of history, see trees that have been brought from around the world, and retrace the steps of farmers, conservationists, and gardeners. The family can read the landscape in a variety of ways. Do they witness the devastation of the hurricane of 1938 in the Pine Woods? Do they follow the flight patterns of the flicker, or identify the call of the blue jay? Do they explore the way New England farmers used the rocks to build stone fences? Or, after picking up lovely fall leaves, do they begin to identify specimen trees sent from Japan or China? Who knows where a child's exploration will lead this family on a beautiful autumn day—the options are endless.
But our choice is clear.
What we do know is that the Case Estates, if preserved for public access, will remain a living treasure, an authentic place where people of all ages can witness history, nature, and community. Those who visit the land will be honoring the vision of Marian Case, the Arnold Arboretum and hopes of the many others who contributed to the property—simply by walking, breathing, touching, smelling, and observing. It is a place where layers of history and the complexities of nature are waiting to be discovered by all who visit.
The rest is up to you.
