By his will written in 1907 John H. Pierce stated that on the death of his daughter Elsie he bequeathed his farm and house in Lincoln to the INHABITANTS OF LINCOLN to be used for a Hospital and Park. The will also provided that the Town receive from his estate an annual sum of $3,000.00 for the maintenance of the Hospital and Park.

By a will written in 1919, Elsie Pierce provided that on the death of the last to survive of her brother and his wife, the Town of Lincoln would receive the annual income from a trust fund of $25,000.00 to be expended in connection with the bequest made by John H. Pierce.

At a Town Meeting in 1927, the citizens of Lincoln voted to accept the legacies of John and Elsie Pierce provided the wills were modified so that the Town be not required to maintain the property as a hospital. It was also voted that, upon the fulfillment of certain conditions, Robert Pierce be granted the use of the house and property adjacent to it for the remainder of his life.

By a court decree of 1930, the Town of Lincoln was authorized to rent, sell or make such other disposition of the house left by John Pierce as the Selectmen considered advisable. The decree also provided that the Town of Lincoln was authorized to use as much of the annual income from the bequests of John and Elsie Pierce as the Selectmen considered necessary for the maintenance of the park and that the balance of the income be used to provide hospital treatment for the inhabitants of Lincoln who were in financial need.

Of interest to those who admire the Pierce House and Park as they exist today is the fact that on two occasions after the Town of Lincoln acquired the property, consideration was given to diverting the house and land to other uses.

In 1931 the Town voted that a committee be appointed to prepare a plan for development of the John H. Pierce land as a park. At that time the spacious area on the north side of the house was a hay field which was cut by the Town once or twice a summer. The committee employed a landscape architect who proposed an elaborate plan which included an athletic complex having a running track, baseball and football fields and a grandstand adjacent to the playing fields. Other athletic facilities were provided in the plan for the use of children and girls. The architect intimated that the Pierce House interfered with the total plan for an athletic unit and proposed that the house be torn down.

At a Town Meeting in 1932 the Lincoln citizens voted to eliminate the ballfield and track from the proposed park and to recommit the plan to the committee for further study. The plan apparently died in committee because it did not come before the Town again.

In 1932 the Selectmen confirmed the death of the athletic unit idea by planting native hardwood and evergreen trees along the borders of the Park so as to "frame" it. These trees are now approaching full growth.

In 1945 the Town appointed a committee for "investigating the Needs of the Lincoln Schools." The committee considered the Park as a site for a new school but reported that the John Pierce land should be retained as an open space for park purposes.

PRESENT USE OF HOUSE AND PARK

Following the death of Robert M. Pierce in 1949, his widow Grace Door Pierce resided in the Pierce House until her death in 1964 at the age of ninety six. From the time of Mrs. Pierce's death until the present, use of the House by Lincoln and out of town groups and organizations has become more and more extensive. In 1975 twenty-four wedding receptions were held in the House. In that same year, forty-six Lincoln organizations held single

meetings in the House and eight Lincoln groups met regularly during the year. The attendance of Lincoln adults and children usually took place on week days. The popularity of the House for receptions and sundry meetings with the consequent wear and cost of maintenance has caused some Lincoln citizens to raise the question of whether or not some restriction should be placed on the number and size of activities at the House.

It has been mentioned that for many years the Park was primarily a hay field. In recent years the grass has been kept short with the result that on warm days many people now gather at the Park for such varied recreational activities as kite flying, Frisbee throwing, picnicking or just sitting in the sun. The Town has encouraged use of the Park for these kinds of activity, but visitors who come to the Park after dusk are not welcome.

In closing, we wish to state that we are grateful to John H. Pierce for his beautiful and useful gifts and we hope that all who have occasion to visit the Pierce House and Park will appreciate and respect them.

This pamphlet was prepared in 1978 by the Lincoln Historical Society in an effort to answer many of the questions about the Pierce House and Park which are asked by Lincoln residents and visitors from out of town. For additional information reference is made to the paper written by John C. MacLean which is on file in the historical vault of the Lincoln Public Library.