Glen Magna Farms facts for kids
Glen Magna Farms is a beautiful historic country estate in Danvers, Massachusetts. The estate covers about 11 acres, which is roughly the size of eight and a half football fields. Today, it is owned by the Danvers Historical Society, which works to protect its history. The grounds are open for everyone to visit.
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History of the Estate
From a Small Farm to a Grand Estate
The story of Glen Magna Farms began during the War of 1812. A successful merchant from Salem named Joseph Peabody bought a 20-acre property that had a house on it. Over the years, he bought more land, and the estate grew to a huge 330 acres.
In 1893, Joseph's granddaughter, Ellen Peabody Endicott, decided to make the house bigger and more grand. She hired a team of architects from Boston to create the house we see today. Ellen loved gardening, and in 1926, she won a special award, the Hunnewell Gold Medal, from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society for the amazing gardens she created on the estate.
A Famous Summer House Moves In
Ellen's son, William Crowninshield Endicott, Jr., also loved the estate and continued to make it more beautiful. In 1901, he did something very unusual. He moved the entire Derby Summer House to the property. This special building was first built in 1794 and was designed by the famous architect Samuel McIntire. Moving a whole building was a major project!
In 1963, the Danvers Historical Society bought the central 11 acres of the property to preserve it for the future. A large part of the original estate, about 165 acres, is now a public park called Endicott Park.
Exploring the Gardens Today
When you visit Glen Magna Farms, you can walk through its stunning gardens and see many special features.
What Can You See in the Gardens?
- The Derby Summer House is a major highlight, with its own beautiful rose garden.
- A long, covered walkway called a pergola is draped with sweet-smelling wisteria vines.
- The flower garden has a small fountain and is filled with colorful plants like geraniums, peonies, lilies, hostas, and roses.
- A shrubbery garden features a variety of plants, including rhododendrons, hemlocks, forsythia, azaleas, and weeping beech trees.
- You can also walk along an old carriage road and see different statues placed around the grounds.
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A fountain in one of the gardens.
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The historic Derby Summer House.
See also
