Originally part of a region much used for farming and hunting by the Wampanoag people, the Warelands—so named because it was the home of the Ware family—was one of the first farms settled by Europeans more than 350 years ago in what later became the town of Norfolk. It was in more or less constant agricultural use through the mid 20th century, becoming a turkey farm, then a horse farm, and then eventually falling into disuse by the early 21st century.

Throughout its colonial history, it has often served an educational purpose, at one point housing the town schoolteacher and serving as the schoolhouse; in 1908, Charlotte Barrell Ware developed it into a scientifically advanced dairy farm and teaching facility, providing certified milk to local hospitals and teaching batches of local college students how to produce safe milk each summer. As one of the few remaining farms in Norfolk today, it is positioned to add a new chapter to this story, integrating historic preservation, agriculture, and environmental conservation into an academic curriculum.