Castle Hill (Ipswich, Massachusetts) facts for kids
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Castle Hill
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Ipswich, Massachusetts |
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| Area | Home 56,881 square feet (5,284.4 m2) Estate 165 acres (67 ha) |
| Built | 1926–1928 |
| Architect | House: David Adler Gardens: Olmsted Brothers |
| Architectural style | Stuart |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000183 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 2, 1977 |
| Designated NHL | August 6, 1998 |
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Castle Hill is a huge mansion in Ipswich, Massachusetts. It was finished in 1928. This grand house was the summer home for Mr. and Mrs. Richard Teller Crane, Jr. The name "Castle Hill" also refers to the large hill, called a drumlin, that the house sits on. This hill is surrounded by the sea and salt marsh.
Both the mansion and the hill are part of the larger Crane Estate. This estate covers about 2,100 acres. It includes the historic mansion, 21 other buildings, and beautiful outdoor areas. These areas overlook Ipswich Bay, near Route 1, north of Boston. The name "Castle Hill" comes from a similar place in England. Many early settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony came from that area.
The Crane Estate is a great example of a "Country Place Era" estate. This was a time around the early 1900s when rich families built large country homes. Many famous designers worked on the Crane Estate. These include the Olmsted Brothers and Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge. Because it is so well-preserved and designed, Castle Hill was named a National Historic Landmark in 1998. Today, The Trustees of Reservations own the property. It is open for everyone to visit.
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History of Castle Hill
The story of Castle Hill goes back a long time. On December 29, 1634, leaders in Ipswich decided that the land where the "great Hill" stands should always be for the town's use. This hill was already known as Castle Hill.
In 1637, John Winthrop, Jr., who founded Ipswich, thought about leaving town. To convince him to stay, the town gave him Castle Hill. Later, in 1644, he gave the land to Samuel Symonds. Symonds then gave it to his son-in-law, Daniel Epps, in 1660. By 1745, the Brown family owned the property.
After John Burnham Brown passed away, Richard Teller Crane, Jr., bought the property. This was on January 10, 1910. Richard Crane, Jr. was the son of a very rich businessman. His father, Richard Teller Crane, started the Crane Co. in Chicago in 1855.
In 1998, the Crane Estate was officially named a National Historic Landmark.
Designing the Estate
Richard Crane hired the famous Olmsted Brothers to design the outdoor areas. These brothers were the sons of Frederick Law Olmsted. He designed famous parks like New York's Central Park. By 1912, the Olmsted Brothers had created beautiful terraced gardens. They also started work on a huge grass pathway called the "Grande Allée." This pathway is 160 feet wide. It is lined with evergreen trees and goes from the top of the hill down to the water.
Classical statues stand along this "Grande Allée." In 1913, Arthur Asahel Shurcliff took over the design and finished it in 1915. A fancy "casino" building was also built halfway down the path. It had a saltwater swimming pool, changing rooms, and a large indoor ballroom. Two main gardens, the "Italian Garden" and the "Rose Garden," once had beautiful plants, walkways, and Italian-style fountains.
At the top of Castle Hill, Crane built an Italian Renaissance-style house. It had stucco walls and a red tiled roof. The architects were Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge from Boston. This house sat on the highest point, looking out at the Atlantic Ocean. However, Crane's wife, Florence, thought the house was cold. She told him she didn't like it. Crane promised that if she gave it ten years, he would replace it if she still felt the same way.
In 1924, as promised, the Italian Renaissance-style house was taken down. A new mansion was built in its place. David Adler, an architect from Chicago, designed the new house. This new mansion has fifty-nine rooms! The front of the house looks like a 17th-century English home. It has a library with special wood carvings from an old English manor. It also has fancy wood floors and paneled rooms from an 18th-century house in London. Adler's sister, Frances Elkins, helped design the inside of the Great House. The back of the house, with its round towers, was inspired by Ham House.
This amazing mansion was finished in 1928. It still stands today. The beautiful outdoor areas designed by the Olmsted Brothers also look much the same. Two huge statues of griffins, made by the famous sculptor Paul Manship, stand at the entrance to the north terrace. These were a gift to Richard Crane from his company's employees in 1928.
Castle Hill Today
After Richard Crane passed away in 1931, his wife Florence inherited the estate. In 1945, the Crane family gave a large part of their private beach and sand dunes to The Trustees of Reservations. This is a group that works to protect land and historic places.
When Florence Crane died in 1949, the rest of the property, including the mansion, was also given to The Trustees. They still take care of the property today. You can take tours of the historic mansion during certain times of the year.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Castle Hill was a place for outdoor concerts. Famous jazz musicians like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald performed there. The stage was set up so that people could sit on the lawn of the Grande Allée and enjoy the music. The Trustees still host many public events throughout the year. These include outdoor picnic concerts on the Allée and special Christmas events. The beaches that were once private are now open to everyone as Crane Beach.
Since 1996, The Trustees have held outdoor picnic concerts every summer week. Different types of music groups play at these concerts.
Castle Hill in Movies
Castle Hill has been a popular spot for filming movies!
- The 1987 movie The Witches of Eastwick shows the grounds and mansion of Castle Hill a lot. It was used as the home of the unusual millionaire Daryl Van Horne.
- The 1987 movie Flowers in the Attic also used Castle Hill as its main filming location.
- In the 1994 movie The Next Karate Kid, Castle Hill was used as the Buddhist monastery. Mr. Miyagi takes Julie Pierce there.
- In 2004, it was shown as the home of Ben Gates and Dr. Abigail Chase in the movie National Treasure.
- The 2009 movie Ghosts of Girlfriends Past was mostly filmed inside and outside the mansion. Some fake windows, statues, and columns were added for the movie.
- In the 2014 movie The Equalizer, the Crane Estate was used as a Russian millionaire's mansion.
- The first episode of The Amazing Race 17 started from the grass mall at Castle Hill.
- The Crane Estate was also featured in several scenes of the 2019 movie Little Women.
Images for kids
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The Rose Garden
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The "Grande Allée" after restoration, 2011
