Tufts University

Tufts University occupies the summit of Walnut Hill, a prominence that defines the skyline of this part of Medford. When Charles Tufts donated this land in eighteen fifty-two, he was asked what he intended to do with the barren property. He famously replied that he would put a light on it. This commitment to illumination remains embedded in the university motto, Peace and Light, and the original building, Ballou Hall, continues to anchor the academic quad at the top of the hill.