Glen Magna Farms (4.5 ha / 11 acres) is a historic country estate located at the end of Ingersoll Street,
Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts. The suburb is a fairly short ride from Boston and is also in close proximity to the renowned beaches of Glo ...
. It is currently owned by the Danvers Historical Society and open daily. An admission donation is suggested. Guided tours of the house and gardens are offered from May to July and includes a box lunch.
The estate began during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
when Joseph Peabody, a leading
Salem merchant, bought a property with house. With additional purchases, the estate eventually grew to . In 1893, Ellen Peabody Endicott, his granddaughter, hired the Boston architecture firm of
Little, Browne & Moore to expand the house to its current form. In 1926 she was awarded the
Massachusetts Horticultural Society
The Massachusetts Horticultural Society, sometimes abbreviated to MassHort, is an American horticultural society based in Massachusetts. It describes itself as the oldest formally organized horticultural institution in the United States. In its m ...
's Hunnewell Gold Medal for the estate's plantings. Her son, William Crowninshield Endicott, Jr., continued to improve the grounds, most notably in 1901 by moving the
Derby Summer House
The Derby Summer House, also known as the McIntire Tea-house, is a summer house designed in 1793 by architect Samuel McIntire, now located on the grounds of the Glen Magna Farms, Danvers, Massachusetts. Since 1958 it has been owned by the Danver ...
(built 1794 to designs by
Samuel McIntire
Samuel McIntire (January 16, 1757 – February 6, 1811) was an American architect and craftsman, best known for his work in the Chestnut Street District, a classic example of Federal style architecture.
Life and career
Born in Salem, Massachus ...
) to the property. In 1963 the Danvers Historical Society purchased the central of the property for restoration and preservation. Much of the remainder of the estate, some , is now the public Endicott Park.
Today the grounds are open to the public for viewing and special events. Key features of the grounds include the striking
Derby Summer House
The Derby Summer House, also known as the McIntire Tea-house, is a summer house designed in 1793 by architect Samuel McIntire, now located on the grounds of the Glen Magna Farms, Danvers, Massachusetts. Since 1958 it has been owned by the Danver ...
with its enclosed rose garden designed by
Herbert Browne; Cushing
pergola
A pergola is most commonly an outdoor garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are trained. The ...
with wisteria; flower garden with small fountain and
geranium
''Geranium'' is a genus of 422 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants that are commonly known as geraniums or cranesbills. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world and the mountains of the tropics, but mostly in ...
s,
peonies
The peony or paeony is a flowering plant in the genus ''Paeonia'' , the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae . Peonies are native to Asia, Europe and Western North America. Scientists differ on the number of species that can be distinguished, ...
,
lilies
''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...
,
hosta
''Hosta'' (, syn. ''Funkia'') is a genus of plants commonly known as hostas, plantain lilies and occasionally by the Japanese name gibōshi. Hostas are widely cultivated as shade-tolerant foliage plants. The genus is currently placed in the fa ...
s, and
rose
A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...
s; old fashioned central garden; shrubbery garden of
rhododendron
''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nati ...
s,
hemlocks,
forsythia
''Forsythia'' , is a genus of flowering plants in the olive family Oleaceae. There are about 11 species, mostly native to eastern Asia, but one native to southeastern Europe. ''Forsythia'' – also one of the plant's common names – is ...
,
azalea
Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the genus ''Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections ''Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and '' Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and Octob ...
s,
fringe tree
''Chionanthus'' , common name: fringetrees, is a genus of about 150 species of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae.
The genus has a wide distribution primarily in the tropics and subtropics, but with three species extending north into te ...
,
dogwood
''Cornus'' is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are deciduous trees or shrub ...
, and weeping
beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
; and a carriage road and miscellaneous statuary.
Image:Glen Magna Farms - Danvers, MA - garden fountain.JPG, Garden fountain
Image:Derby Summer House - Glen Magna, Danvers, Massachusetts.JPG, Derby Summer House
The Derby Summer House, also known as the McIntire Tea-house, is a summer house designed in 1793 by architect Samuel McIntire, now located on the grounds of the Glen Magna Farms, Danvers, Massachusetts. Since 1958 it has been owned by the Danver ...
See also
*
List of historic houses in Massachusetts
This is a list of historic houses in Massachusetts.
Western Massachusetts
Berkshire County
* Lenox
** The Mount ( Lenox) – author Edith Wharton's estate; 1902
** Ventfort Hall ( Lenox) – Jacobean style mansion, built 1893 – George & ...
External links
Glen Magna FarmsDanvers Historical Society
{{coord, 42, 34, 25.14, N, 70, 58, 03.10, W, display=title
Farm museums in Massachusetts
Museums in Danvers, Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Essex County, Massachusetts
Gardens in Massachusetts
Parks in Essex County, Massachusetts
Peabody family