Wander through an open field and enjoy a memorable view of the historic Paine House, with the broad estuary of the Ipswich River extending beyond.

Soon after arriving at the ordinary-seeming pasture at Greenwood Farms, its grandeur rapidly comes into focus. The reservation takes its name from Thomas S. Greenwood, who built the property’s 19th-century white farmhouse. To its rear, the Paine House (1694), a yellow clapboard, saltbox-shaped building, is a remarkable example of First Period (1620-1725) architecture. Six generations of the Paine family made their home here, including Robert Paine, foreman of the Salem witch trial jury. From 1916, the Robert G. Dodge family used the Paine House as a guesthouse and furnished it with a fine collection of American furniture and decorative arts.

Two and a half miles of trails are a gateway to the wonders of the reservation. On a typical summer day, you may see swallows, waxwings, and dragonflies swooping over the fields, hear the soft hooting of a great horned owl, or glimpse great blue herons and snowy and American egrets wading through the marsh.