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Peacock Farm — Massachusetts modernist enclave
Peacock Farm house, Lexington — Wikimedia Commons

Peacock Farm

Walter Pierce's first modernist development, on Peacock Farm Road.

Peacock Farm was architect Walter Pierce’s first modernist development, laid out beginning in 1952 along Peacock Farm Road in Lexington. The 33 split-level contemporary homes share a tight design vocabulary: low-pitched roofs, walls of glazing facing private rear yards, integrated carports, and tongue-and-groove cedar siding. The plan established the Compass Homes prototype Pierce would later scale at Turning Mill.

Pierce worked with developer Danforth W. Compton to subdivide a former poultry farm into curvilinear lots that respected the topography and stands of pine. Setback covenants and architectural review provisions in the original deeds have kept the streetscape intact, since alterations require neighborhood association sign-off. That is one reason the enclave still reads as a coherent 1950s ensemble rather than a mosaic of teardowns.

The Peacock Farm Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, the same year as Five Fields, in recognition of its role as one of the earliest builder-developer Mid-Century Modern subdivisions in New England. The Peacock Farm Association maintains common land and the original community pool.

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Current listings (1)

National Historic Landmark

Federally designated as nationally significant — the highest U.S. historic recognition. Section 106 review applies to federal undertakings affecting the property.

National Register

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Owners may qualify for the 20% federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit on certified rehabilitation work.

State Register

Listed on the Massachusetts State Register of Historic Places.

Local Historic District

Inside a Local Historic District. Exterior changes visible from a public way require approval from the local historic district commission.

Local Landmark

Individually designated by the town as a local landmark. Exterior alterations require commission approval.

MACRIS Inventory

Documented in MACRIS, the state historic inventory. Informational only — no regulatory constraints.

Article 85 (Boston)

Subject to Boston Article 85 demolition-delay review, which can pause demolition of buildings 50+ years old for up to 90 days.

Ch. 91 Waterways License

An active MassDEP permit for a dock, pier, seawall, or other structure on or over a Massachusetts waterway. Many older licenses are not digitized; this record is provided for reference only.

Massachusetts Great Pond

A Great Pond under M.G.L. Ch. 91 — the Commonwealth retains public rights to fish and navigate these state-designated waters. Private docks and other waterfront structures require a Waterways License from MassDEP.

Likely Great Pond

The MLS listing describes this property as being on a Great Pond, which would be a state-designated water body under M.G.L. Ch. 91. GIS data did not independently confirm the pond name — verification needed.