The Lyman Estate, "The Vale," was established in 1793 by Boston merchant Theodore Lyman. It consisted originally of the mansion, greenhouses, and 400 acres of grounds, gardens, woodlands, a deer park, and a working farm. One of the finest examples of a Federal period country estate in America, it was the Lyman family's summer residence for over 150 years. Today, the mansion, greenhouse complex, and 37 acres of land are owned and maintained by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities.

The greenhouses are a reminder of the fascination with horticulture prevalent among wealthy 19th century Bostonians. Typical of structures which adorned landed estates in the 19th and early 20th centuries, they shelter grapevines planted in 1870, 100-year-old camellia trees, and other exotic plants.