Our History - MIT Endicott House

Endicott House History

The site encompassing the MIT Endicott House traces its history back to the late 1800s, to Civil War hero Brigadier General Stephen Minot Weld, Jr. He was the direct descendant of a Puritan who came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1632 seeking religious freedom. General Weld, an author, successful businessman and a civic-minded gentleman, was also an avid horticulturist. He later became president of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

After the war, Weld established a successful cotton brokerage business, and married Eloise Rodman, of Milton, MA in 1869. He proceeded to buy up large tracts of land in town, amassing 1,000 acres to the Westwood line. He built an imposing mansion, which he named Rockweld, on 25 acres of a rocky hilltop on the property above the Charles River.

The General’s Vision

The Endicott House’s Historic Start

Weld had a vision for his new estate, a blending of natural landscape with more formal, planted areas. He created an irrigation system using a man-made pond and five natural ponds on the property, built greenhouses, and erected a water tower. One of the ponds still irrigates these gardens today. His most significant accomplishment was the creation of a formal rock garden, with an estimated 500 different species on spectacular display, including rhododendrons, azaleas, primrose, candytuft, auricula, imported alpines, Star of Bethlehem, spring wildflowers and Trout Lily. It was considered the first great rock garden in North America. The existence and use of rock throughout the estate is apparent everywhere, making the name Rockweld appropriate.

Rose Weld Baldwin with Priscilla and Bradford Endicott

The original house, Rockweld, was built by the grandfather of Rose Weld Baldwin (far left), with Priscilla (far right) and Bradford Endicott (center), siblings whose father later built Endicott House on the site where Rockweld once stood.

New Ownership = New Vision

The Endicott House’s Historic Start

The estate was passed down to Weld’s heirs, then sold to Francis Saltonstall, who sold it in 1931 to a close Dedham friend, H. Wendell Endicott, a descendant of another prominent Massachusetts family, which operated the very successful Endicott Johnson Shoe Company. Endicott was more sophisticated and worldly than Weld, but they shared an appreciation for horticulture. A private investor, Endicott was a member of the Board of Trustees of Public Reservations, a member of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and a member of the Board of Directors of Chase National Bank, R.H. Macy & Co., the First National Bank of Boston and Sears Roebuck. His cultural interests included affiliations with the Metropolitan Opera Company and the Boston Opera Association.

Wendell preserved the gardens, but razed the Weld mansion, replacing it with a French manor style mansion designed by prominent New York architect Charles Platt. The house took five years to construct. Workmen were brought in from Italy to paint the ceiling in the Living Room, and many of the fireplaces in the house are European antiques.

Wendell was also an avid outdoorsman and he traveled to many parts of the world on hunting and fishing expeditions. A portrait of Wendell, in sporting attire, along with his prized trophies and sporting equipment are on display in the Gun Room.

Many of the Endicott’s original furnishings including rare paintings, antiques, tapestries and oriental rugs still grace the halls and rooms of the mansion. Among the more interesting antiques are a pair of gothic choir stalls, on the ground floor, and the Flemish tapestry on the main staircase.

Today’s Endicott House

The Endicott House’s Historic Start

Wendell, his wife, Priscilla, and their three children, Bradford, Priscilla and Martha, lived in the mansion until Wendell’s death in 1954. Wendell specified in his will that the mansion and 25 acres, including the rock garden pond, be donated to an educational, scientific or religious organization; they were offered to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, which in 1955 opened the Endicott House as a conference center.

MIT horticulturists, who grow all plants and flowers in Endicott’s greenhouse, maintain the site’s magnificent gardens.

In 1983, the modern Brooks Center was built to accommodate MIT’s expanding conference programs. The center was named after Edward Pennell Brooks, the founding dean of MIT’s Sloan School of Management and a close friend of Wendell Endicott. Although the Endicott House is owned by MIT, it operates as a self-sustained department, and is overseen by a Board of Governors drawn widely from the administration and various schools of the Institute. The Endicott House is available to the MIT community, and private organizations and corporations, for meetings, conferences and special events.

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Wow. Just…wow. Just absolutely wonderfully perfectly wow. There has never been a better weekend in the history of the planet…absolutely every single thing was perfect. The rooms were fabulous, and Joe and John and Kenny were on the spot and attentive and smart and endlessly helpful. In the kitchen, Chef is always a star, people were gasping with delight about the food, I mean—gasping!  And [the] crew were wonderful and helpful and truly, beyond responsive to some of the guests’ incredibly specific requests…it was wonderful in every way, and truly unforgettable. Everyone was so generous and so thoughtful, and we cannot thank you enough…We do know some of the attendees came from your mailings, so that’s wonderful. Again, my endless thanks. You are all rock stars, and it was beyond our wildest dreams wonderful.

– Hank Phillippi Ryan

Went here for a work function. The staff were friendly. The cocktail hour was held in a rustic lodge room which had an interesting feel. The dining room was beautifully decorated. Unbelievable experience! A great place to bring a team together!

– Jennifer Moseley

I have had the opportunity to work with the staff at the MIT Endicott House for decades, as a business manager, as a management consultant and as a professor, and my events have always been perfectly managed. From our multi-day boot camps of 40 attendees to my most recent experience of hosting one of our quarterly strategy planning meetings for seven senior managers, the care and adaptability of the staff has always exceeded my expectations. From the food to the IT requirements to all of those special nuances that define success, the uniqueness of the MIT Endicott House will always be our first choice for meetings!

Jack Derby
CEO, Derby Management

Everything went excellent! The facility was perfect and the staff was great.  5 star review! I am so glad we had it at the Endicott house – brought back memories of when we used to have our summer outings there years ago eating in the gun room and the kiddos swimming in the pool – I don’t think the conference facility was even built back then. Everyone I spoke with so far had rave reviews as well. We will definitely keep you in mind for future meetings.

– Caroline Jackson
Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation

Thank you and the entire staff for the great setup and service today; everyone really enjoyed themselves and the food was great! Thank you so much for all of your help!

– Merck Oncology Team

Thank you. We were extremely pleased with everything, and hope to have future events there. I’ve had to plan quite a few retreats in the past, and I’d say this was by the far the best one.

– Julia

We had a great time at the Endicott House. It was a really nice change of pace and my team loved it both inside and out. The room was perfect, AV worked seamlessly, and the snacks were just right. We all enjoyed lunch on the Veranda and the opportunity to play a little cornhole made for a good work/play balance. We definitely will be back in the future.

– JDRF

I have worked with the team at the MIT Endicott House for over eight years, and they are by far my favorite vendor. The professionalism and outstanding level of service they provide is second to none. When you work with the Endicott House, you can rely on the answer being “yes” before you even ask the question. They pride themselves on exceeding expectations and ensuring every event – no matter how big or small – goes off with a smile and without a hitch. Every level of staffer is dedicated to your satisfaction, and they deliver!

Leslie Baum,

Director of Global Learning, Entrepreneurs’ Organization