A once-contaminated industrial property that sat abandoned for decades has been transformed into a symbol of environmental renewal and community pride. The former Cadillac Paint and Lacquer facility at 409 Eliot Street in Ashland is now home to the Ashland Arboretum, a public green space focused on sustainability, education, and ecological restoration.

The property’s history dates back to 1938, when Cadillac Paint and Lacquer began operations as a chemical manufacturing plant surrounded largely by farmland. Over time, the area transitioned into a residential neighborhood. During the plant’s operation, hazardous materials were improperly disposed of, leading to significant contamination of the site.

Concerned residents spent decades pushing for action. The Cadillac Paint Working Group was formed to formalize those efforts, with longtime neighbor Ed Hart becoming the public face of the cleanup campaign. Hart advocated tirelessly for more than 30 years to ensure the site would one day be restored and reused for the community.

In 1977, a series of fires destroyed several manufacturing buildings on the property. The site was abandoned and left to deteriorate, becoming both an environmental hazard and an eyesore. By the 1980s, growing concerns over contamination led to the plant’s closure. In 2012 and 2013, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Program conducted a formal assessment of the property. EPA worked alongside local and state partners, including environmental consulting firm Nobis Group, to evaluate and remediate the contamination.

A major breakthrough came in 2014, when a four-agency partnership formed between the EPA, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), MassDevelopment, and the Town of Ashland. The partnership helped secure funding and move cleanup efforts forward.

In 2015, Weston Solutions, Inc., working on behalf of the EPA, carried out extensive removal actions at the site. Cleanup efforts included excavating and disposing of more than 1,800 tons of PCB-contaminated soil, removing crushed drums left behind from earlier excavation activities, clearing trees and stumps, and disposing of hazardous liquids.

Additional investigations and remediation work continued over the following years. In late 2016 and early 2017, Nobis conducted groundwater testing, soil borings, and laboratory analysis to further assess contamination. In 2018, another 189 tons of contaminated soil were excavated and removed from the property.

The cleanup process faced significant financial and legal obstacles, including a $338,000 MassDEP lien on the property. In 2017, town officials successfully negotiated a lien waiver, dramatically reducing the financial burden. That same year, residents voted at a Special Town Meeting to authorize acquisition of the property through eminent domain, waive $677,000 in back taxes, and approve $200,000 to demolish buildings and clean the three-acre site.

With ownership secured, Ashland continued remediation efforts in partnership with the EPA. Senate President Karen E. Spilka and State Representative Jack Lewis secured $50,000 in state earmark funding to support the project. By 2019, demolition, excavation, and stabilization work had largely been completed. Nobis Group continued testing and monitoring the property through 2025, when the site finally achieved regulatory closure milestones.

While cleanup progressed, residents and town leaders began planning the property’s future. In 2023, the Town invited the public to help envision a new community space. A call to action in the Town Manager’s newsletter connected officials with Erica Grasberger, then a student at the University of California, Berkeley. Grasberger worked closely with town staff to develop a vision for the future arboretum.

In October 2023, the Select Board unanimously endorsed plans to transform the site into the Ashland Arboretum. Early improvements included removing invasive plant species through volunteer efforts led by Conservation Agent Becca Solomon and Ed Hart. Their work also inspired the Ashland chapter of the SuAsCo CISMA “Weed Warriors,” who continue maintaining and beautifying the property. Additional improvements included walking trails, sidewalks, and a small parking area.

The project was designed as a space for passive recreation and environmental education, featuring carefully selected trees, shrubs, and grasses that promote biodiversity and ecological resilience. Research for the project included archival studies, GIS mapping, and field surveys, which identified more than 80 existing plant species on-site.

The arboretum now contains 81 new cultivars across 60 native species. Among the most recognizable are Eastern Redbud, Eastern Columbine, and Paper Birch. Other native species introduced to the site include Eastern Bluestar, Sweetfern, Bluestem Grass, Purple Love Grass, River Birch, Christmas Fern, Summersweet, Mountain Mint, and Bee Balm.

Today, the Ashland Arboretum stands as a powerful example of what can be achieved through persistence, collaboration, and community vision. Once a polluted and neglected industrial property, the site has been reborn as a vibrant public landscape where residents can connect with nature, learn about ecological restoration, and take pride in their community.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new space will be held on June 9 at 4 p.m., and residents are invited to attend.