Along Main Street in Waltham, just a few miles past the center of the city, sits a house that doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the neighborhood. It’s large and made completely of brick. The windows on each side are symmetrical, adorned with white trim. The Federalist-style home surrounded by acres of land was perfectly suitable for the federalist that inhabited it: Christopher Gore.

Born and raised in Boston, Gore served as the seventh governor of Massachusetts. Before his tenure in politics, Gore attended Harvard University, served in the Continental Army and became one of the most prominent lawyers in Boston.

Gore was wealthy and sharp. Gore’s contemporaries, including President John Quincy Adams, speculated that Gore was the wealthiest lawyer in the United States while he was alive, accumulating his wealth mostly through business ventures.

Gore’s affluence allowed him to purchase land in Waltham that would eventually become his family’s summer home, now known as Gore Place. He and his wife Rebecca purchased the nearly 200-acre property in 1786 which included the land, a house and a barn. Nearly a decade later, in 1799, the standing home burned down. Since the estate served as the couple’s summer home, there wasn’t an immediate rush to rebuild.

The construction of Gore Place as it is known today was completed in 1806. The new build was large, but the features of its exterior were simple and understated. Separated into five different sections, the mansion’s size was its flashiest asset. 

In the years following the fire, Gore was appointed as the diplomat to Great Britain by President George Washington. He and Rebecca spent several years living in Europe, and Rebecca Gore became acquainted with architect Jacques-Guillaume Legrand during a six-month stint in Paris. Legrand was a prominent Federalist architect and Legrand and Rebecca were able to sketch out plans for the new home.    

Like other Federalist-style homes, the interior of the Gore mansion is far more interesting than the exterior. The home is clad with bright patterned wallpaper, intricately carved trim and an impressive spiral staircase ornamented with portraits of the couple. The cabinets are full of porcelain dinnerware imported directly from China and each room is fully furnished with pieces made mostly from mahogany.

The space is visually impressive, but it was also technologically advanced for the time period. The home incorporated central heating, indoor plumbing and hot water. Despite all of these housing features being a baseline for most homes in the U.S. now, they were few and far between for much of the general public at the time.

Blueprints were not the only thing that the Gores left Europe with. In the eight years they spent traveling across the pond, the pair was inspired by the small farms of British aristocrats. “Gentlemen’s farms” were a staple on properties among the wealthy upper-class at the time. Classic traits of these farms included extravagant gardens, livestock and vast fields.

These farms were popular among affluent families and were often hobbies for them, as many of these families had several sources of income and they were able to farm for pleasure as opposed to farming out of necessity.

Inspired by the British, the Gores brought agricultural aspirations back home with them to Waltham. The estate, which, like many other colonial homes in New England, currently serves as a museum, is unlike other museums in that it also serves as a fully operational farm on the 50-acres of land that remains.

Both of the Gores had an affinity for farming and agriculture prior to their time in Europe. Christopher was one of the founders of the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture and was dedicated to learning the science behind successful farming.

Unlike most gentlemen farmers, Gore was less interested in proving his wealth and more interested in agricultural experimentation. Gentlemen farmers often did not actually work on the farms pushing plows, but were involved in the oversight. Gore was no different. 

According to the estate, “Gore had a large, artificially-heated greenhouse in which the full-time British gardener he employed propagated plants, experimented with different soils and compost, and grew exotic fruits like lemons, pineapples and figs.”

Now, the Gore Place Society owns and operates the estate, and has done so since 1935 after saving the property from demolition. The Gore’s farm not only produces a wide array of crops, but also herds of livestock.

Although the farm boasted various types of livestock, sheep became the staple of Gore's agricultural legacy. Thomas Roach, a program director at Gore Place, told Wicked Local in 2019 that, “We know that he moved towards cattle because there was more money in cattle. Gore was responsible for introducing a breed of cattle from England here that actually became called the ‘Gore steer.’”

Today, Gore Place is known by many for their annual sheep-shearing festival. The festival, which takes place every spring, hosts a plethora of local vendors and welcomes the community to join in the fun. Wicked Local also reported that as of 2019, the festival draws in a crowd of around 8,000 each year.

In addition to various community engagement opportunities, the festival also includes live demonstrations of hand-blade sheep shearing of sheep from the farm, the most prominent method of shearing during Gore’s contemporary era. 

The livestock and crops at the Gore farm are used for research and preservation of early American farming methods. Not only is the farm educational, but it also provides the community with access to local produce at their farm stand. Yarn made from the wool from their sheep is also available for purchase at their store.

Gore Place serves Waltham and the surrounding communities with a glimpse into historical life while also providing them with the ability to connect with local agriculture. Barely off the beaten path, the estate serves as a reminder of what the community once looked like and how it paved the way for the Waltham that we know today.

The museum is open to the public and tours are available for the mansion, the carriage house and the farm.