Wheeler farm is a 54-acre property north of Lincoln Center that was settled in 1717 and farmed for nearly 250 years. A stroll through the former fruit and dairy farm reveals evidence of historic cultivation and orchards. The historic Lexington Road Cemetery also contains the oldest burying ground in Lincoln, the Precinct Cemetery.

Wheeler Farm was placed on the market in 1965. As a result, a group of Lincoln residents formed the Rural Land Foundation (RLF), a nonprofit conservation trust with ability to buy and sell land. The RLF purchased Wheeler Farm and subdivided 11 lots for sale, while transferring 54 acres for conservation to the LLCT. This land transaction is likely the first “limited development” conservation planning strategy in the country, in which private home lots are strategically clustered to ensure the greatest amount of land can be conserved. RLF is nationally recognized for its creative approach to land conservation.