North Shore – History Quester

Flashback to last October, on Massachusetts’ North Shore: Ipswich, not far from the New Hampshire border, is a gem of natural and historical sites. We drove (approximately a two hour drive from Boston) with the intention of visiting the famously beautiful Castle Hill on the Crane Estate. However, when we arrived, the gate was shut. The park was closed in order to clean up trees that had fallen in a recent wind storm. But we were determined to still enjoy Ipswich, and we most certainly did.

Looking Back Towards the Beach Parking Lot

A park employee, advised us to drive to the nearby – and apparently popular – Crane Beach. The day was sunny, windy, and bone-chilling, but the beach was magnificent. Sand dunes speckled with brush spilled toward the water, where the water thrashed in the wind. Islands and promontories were visible, and marshes spread out on our right.

If we peered closely at the hill behind us, the mansion was just visible in a clearing of the trees. So, other than opulent beauty, what makes the Crane Estate such a cool place to visit? First, there’s a wonderful beach nearby, but the Trustees (the organization in charge), list several other reasons.

Fun Fact: the Crane Estate was used for scenes of Europe in the 2019 movie, Little Women.

Look Closely – the Estate Lies on the Hill’s Left

To start, Castle Hill and Castle Neck were first owned by John Winthrop, the first governor of Massachusetts, beginning in 1637. Two centuries later, the estate was bought by the Brown family. They added roadways and planned plantings to the property. They also renovated what was a farmhouse into the so-called “cottage.”

But in 1910, Richard T. Crane Jr. purchased the land and determined to change it dramatically. Crane was a wealthy industrialist from Chicago, who owned a company manufacturing valves, pumps, and bathroom pieces. He used his wealth extravagantly. The property was landscaped, and even included a completely-functioning farm.

The most striking of the estate’s new features was the house. At first, the Cranes built an Italian-style villa, which was finished in 1912. But they soon changed their minds, and had an English-style mansion constructed in its place! With 59-rooms, it must be impressive.

However, even though we didn’t get a chance to view this monstrous palace up close, now it’s just an excuse to go back. After our fun at Crane beach, it was time for lunch, so we drove into the downtown of Ipswich.

We elected to dine at the Heart and Soul Cafe, a warm, tasty little restaurant right in the center of town. Once we had filled up on a delicious salad, pancakes, and a burger, we set out to walk around. We had passed by a tiny old bridge, visitor center, museums, and cute shops. Unfortunately, I didn’t snap a photo of the streets downtown, but you’ll have to believe me that it was a perfect example of a quaint, bustling New England town.

Everywhere there were signposts and plaques revealing the history of the town. The Visitor Center had some great signs about the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, which is huge, with a lot of places to discover. Zoom in on the photos below to see for yourself 🙂

The Choate Bridge, originally completed in 1764, and a small dam crossed over the Ipswich River, which runs right by the downtown. There was also a fish ladder nearby.

A pamphlet we picked up at the Visitor Center listed all the First Period (before 1725) Homes in Ipswich. A great idea! Though designed to be a walking guide and map, we used it to drive past a bunch of houses before we headed home. This one town has 60 First Period Homes! And there are 46 listed on the map.

We briefly walked around the John Whipple House. But it was closed at the moment, along with the Ipswich Museum, which lay right across the street. Judging from their website however, I’m sure they’d both be interesting to go inside.

So. I most definitely would like to return to Ipswich, and I hope you’d like to go too. There’s so much more that we didn’t even get to last time. I’m sure you could make a very full day out of everything. And even if you can’t – or don’t want to – go to the Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, there’s plenty to do that is fun and doesn’t even cost a penny.

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate | Ipswich, MA | The Trustees
Experience the grandeur of a seaside estate and its marvelously landscaped grounds, notable for a broad, undulating lawn running down to the shore. What makes Castle Hill a special place? Centuries before becoming a grand summer estate owned by one of America’s wealthiest families, Castle Hill was well known by Native Americans, who called the area Agawam, referring to its rich fishery.

IPSWICH MUSEUM | Ipswich Museum | Long and Rich History of Ipswich
The Ipswich Museum offers an array of exciting lectures, exhibits and classes that are open to the public. Check back throughout the year for the most up to date list of events.

So you’ve been to Salem, Mass. You’ve seen the Salem Witch Museum, the House of the Seven Gables, the Peabody-Essex Museum, and the other various attractions. All worthy endeavors. But, have you been to the Phillips House, resting serenely over on Chestnut Street?

Well, last week I was searching for something novel to do in Salem and came across this old mansion. On my way over, I got stuck in unexpected traffic (caused by road construction). Finally, I pulled into the wide, greenery draped drive. I visited at 3 o’clock on a Thursday and there was ample parking in front of the row of massive houses. Since I arrived later than I had planned, I hurried across the street and around the back of the house to the porch.

When I entered, I was greeted by a staff member who cheerfully asked if I was there for a tour. Lasting 45-60 minutes, tours start every half hour beginning at 11am; the last one starts at 4pm. I had just made it for the 3pm tour, and luckily for me, I was the only visitor there! She also inquired if I had any specific interests that I would like the tour to be focused on.

After a brief introduction to the people who lived in the old abode, we slipped on shoe covers. The disposable slippers protect the antique floors and irreplaceable carpets from wandering feet. Striding through the extravagant dining room, we reached the front door and hallway. My guide began to tell me about my surroundings.

The Phillips House is a 19th century mansion with really quite an intriguing story. It all started as a spite house. Back in 1800, Captain Nathaniel West and his wife, Elizabeth Derby West, constructed a house for themselves. Later, they were divorced, and the property was left to Elizabeth, and when she died, it was divided between their three daughters.

Sadly, the youngest daughter died early. Instead of her inheritance being distributed between her sisters, her property was given back to their father. Full of enmity, Nathaniel West chopped off his third of the house, which consisted of four chambers. In 1820, he used oxen and logs, and rolled the rooms about 5 miles down the road. The structure was placed onto its present location, and Captain West put on a few additions.

After the house’s unique change of scenery, the building spent many decades as a home, boarding house, and ladies’ finishing school. In the 1870’s and 80’s the mansion reached a square footage of 10,000 square feet, which is what it covers today.

In 1911, the magnificent house was purchased by the Phillips, an old Salem family. As new owners, they renovated their new acquisition with items such as electricity and a call system. The home is still filled with unusual artifacts from the Phillips family collection, which extends quite far back. There are dishes, carpets, pictures, furnishings and much more spread throughout the numerous rooms.

My tour guide was extremely knowledgeable. She welcomed any and every question I might have (there was perhaps only one she didn’t know), and knew the mansion’s history thoroughly. I was told that I could walk anywhere in the rooms. There were no roped off areas, which I found very cool.

I highly recommend taking the time to explore this fascinating estate. Prices seem to be very reasonable. The cost is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $4 for students. Since it is run by Historic New England, admission is free if you are a member of the group; tickets are also free for Salem residents.

Unfortunately, this house is not handicap accessible. There are multiple flights of stairs needed to traverse the house. A short one leads into the house, and there are two for climbing to the second and third levels, and one long, more narrow staircase to go back down.

The grounds also encompass a large brick building that the Phillipses only used for storage. I just received a brief overview of it because of my own time constraints, however, it would be interesting to learn more. Inside are housed several antique cars, one of which still runs today, and carriages.

So much information is contained in this old house; I look forward to visiting this site again!

Category: North Shore

Ipswich, Massachusetts

Fun Fact: the Crane Estate was used for scenes of Europe in the 2019 movie, Little Women.

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate | Ipswich, MA | The Trustees

IPSWICH MUSEUM | Ipswich Museum | Long and Rich History of Ipswich

The Phillips House

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