Preserving Southborough’s Historic Legacy: The Burnett-Garfield House

Written by Kaitlin Butler

One of the main goals of CPA is to provide the means for cities and towns to protect their unique character and history, and the stately Burnett-Garfield House in Southborough is rich in both. Built with locally quarried stone by entrepreneur Joseph Burnett, a descendant of the town’s first settlers, this regal, 165-year-old manor is an essential piece of Southborough’s history. With the help of CPA, that history is now being preserved for generations to come.

In the spring of 2016, this historic and architectural gem was on the brink of being leveled and replaced with a sterile subdivision. Mere days before the wrecking ball was due to destroy the landmark, a group of teenagers staged a protest at the property to call attention to the impending demolition. Their protest drew enough attention to delay the project, allowing time for the Friends of the Burnett-Garfield House group to form. The group’s purpose is to raise awareness of the property’s historical worth.

“This house, this land, and the Burnett family represent a very significant part of the history of Southborough,” a representative from the group explained. “We must respect and cherish our history—once historic buildings are gone, they are gone forever.”

The Friends of the Burnett-Garfield House group began to collaborate with the Southborough Community Preservation Committee in order to save the structure. Working together with the owner of the house and the town, $970,000 in CPA funds were used to purchase a Historic Preservation Restriction that saved the house from demolition. The current owner of the home has since undertaken both interior and exterior renovations and restorations and plans to open the home as a bed and breakfast.

The Burnett-Garfield house is particularly significant to Southborough’s history going back several generations. The house itself was built in 1849, with locally quarried stone and meticulous attention to detail in the Second Empire style. Joseph Burnett, who built the home, was a descendant of one of the town’s first settlers. In addition to building Deerfoot Farm, which was the town’s largest employer for years, Burnett was a successful chemist and entrepreneur. His nationally known company, Burnett’s Extracts, created and sold the first commercially produced liquid vanilla extract. Burnett’s legacy lives on in Southborough, as he founded the St. Mark’s School and St. Marks Episcopal Church, helped to establish the Fay School, and was the principal benefactor of Southborough Town Hall and Library.

After 100 years in the Burnett family, the home eventually changed hands. In 1947 it was sold to Irvin MacDowell Garfield Jr., grandson of President Garfield and family friend of the Burnetts. Up until very recently, the home remained in the hands of the Garfield family, which is why the home is often referred to as the Burnett-Garfield House.

Communities treasure their histories and the unique assets that help to form it. CPA can be a savior when it comes to preserving the community’s history and character. Freddie Gillespie, Chair of Southborough’s Community Preservation Committee, says it best:

“This is a wonderful story of community collaboration, but the without CPA to fund the $970,000 price tag, the historic home would have been lost.”

For updates on this project (and some great photos), check out the Friends of Burnett-Garfield House’s Facebook page.