From a tea house that looks like a diminutive Federal-style mansion to a castle overlooking the Atlantic, from an oddball paper house to glorious twin lighthouses, the North Shore’s architecture speaks enthusiastically of the region’s history, its creative spirit and its passion for wonder. Plan your architectural exploration on the North Shore starting with these suggested venues. You’ll learn about the trials and triumphs of maritime history, the ingenuity and brilliance of architects, and the pinnacle of grandeur found on Boston’s beautiful North Shore. This entry is funded, in part, by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism.
The House of the Seven Gables, Salem, MA – An American treasure
Built in 1668 by wealthy sea captain and merchant John Turner I, The House of the Seven Gables is one of the largest timber-framed mansions left in North America standing on its original foundation. The original home had a two-over-two floor plan surrounding a central chimney. As Turner’s businesses prospered, he made two additions, including a perpendicular wing or “ell.” Later, his son, John Turner II, modernized the interior with high-style Georgian wood paneling. In 1782, the property was purchased by Samuel Ingersoll, another wealthy ship captain, who removed four of the gables giving the home a more boxy, Federal-style appearance, popular at the time. After Ingersoll’s adopted son lost the house to creditors in 1879, it passed through various owners until being purchased by the Upton family. The Uptons used the property as a residence and business, giving the first tours of the property. In 1908, philanthropist and preservationist Caroline Emmerton purchased the property and worked with noted architect Joseph Everett Chandler to restore it to its perceived original appearance. Thanks to the efforts of these preservationist pioneers, The Gables is one of many 17th-centry properties you can visit on Boston’s North Shore.
The Derby Summer House (McIntire Tea House), Danvers, MA — A unique garden respite
This U.S. National Historic Landmark resides on the lush grounds of the Glen Magna Farmhouse in Danvers, Massachusetts. Designed by famed Salem housewright and carver Samuel McIntire in 1793, it is one of the finest examples of American Federal-style architecture still in existence. True to federalist form, its solid, blocky appearance is adorned with decorative features — Grecian urns, swags, and pilasters — often found in McIntire’s work. On the roof are reproductions of some of the earliest examples of American sculpture — a Shepherdess (Milkmaid) and Reaper – originally carved by John and Simon Skillin of Boston. Typical of the time, the Tea House was used as a place to relax and enjoy light afternoon meals. It was originally located on the Derby’s Andover Street farm but was later relocated to Glen Magna in 1901. It is now owned by the Danvers Historical Society. The gardens and grounds are open to visitors. Visit website for details. Visitors can see more fine examples of McIntire’s work in the McIntire Historic District in Salem, Massachusetts.
Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, Ipswich, MA — Grandeur on the sea
The grandest estate on Boston’s North Shore can be found overlooking the ocean in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Awe-inspiring and day-trip worthy, this 2,100-acre estate features a 59 room, Tudor Revival-style mansion built by wealthy Chicago industrialist Richard T. Crane. The architect, David Adler, modeled the exterior after two English country homes – the façade after England’s Stuart-style Belton House and the rear after the stately 17th century Ham House. The Great House is surrounded by lush, landscaped grounds, which include two newly renovated gardens, a recently restored entertainment area or Casino behind the house, and a dramatic half-mile undulating lawn, the Grand Allée, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Tours of the Great House are available, including a new rooftop tour, along with special programs throughout the year. Learn more at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, Ipswich, MA – The Trustees of Reservations.
Lighthouses up close
The twin lighthouses on Thacher Island, 2 miles off Rockport Harbor, can be seen from great distances. Lighthouses, essential navigation tools, alerted sailors to perilous coastlines. These identical twin beacons are 124 feet tall with 156 steps to the top. The exterior walls are granite blocks (up to 10 tons each); the interior 2-foot walls are brick.
Thacher’s twin lights welcome visitors seasonally, either by private boat or through launch reservations starting in mid-May. A museum inside the keeper’s house tells of a 1635 storm that took the lives of 21 people. The 50-acre island was named for the surviving couple who watched helplessly as their children washed out to sea. Of course there is a bright side to this island adventure. Trails span the island and picnic benches offer striking views. Thacher is a National Historic Landmark, overseen by Thacher Island Association.
Fresnel lenses were the crown jewels of lighthouses’ illumination, writes historian Eric Jay Dolan in “Brilliant Beacons.” The elegant Fresnel lens at Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, once shone in the southernmost of the twin lights on Thacher Island! Of the many lighthouses on Massachusetts’ coastline, about 11 still stand.
Beauport and the Paper House: From the dazzlingly eclectic to fun and quirky
Two houses on Cape Ann speak joyfully of the ingenuity and creativity of those inspired by this light-infused promontory on the Massachusetts coast.
Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House, Gloucester, MA — Dazzlingly eclectic
Beginning in 1907, a small seaside cottage quickly evolved to a 40-room masterpiece of design wizardry. One of America’s first interior designers, Henry Davis Sleeper used his ever-evolving work of art as a professional showcase and to entertain lively friends like the collector Isabella Stewart Gardener. A number of tours — Arts and Crafts Landscape, Gay Pride, Nooks and Crannies, Twilight, House Tour and Terrace Reception — are themed to focus on key aspects of Beauport’s famously eclectic architecture and collections. Tours will take you from a Roaring Twenties-inspired dining room to an early American kitchen built with materials from Sleeper’s mother’s 1600s ancestral home. Curiosities, folk art and rare artifacts glint and glimmer from every shelf, table and closet in this one-of-a-kind creation.
The Paper House, Rockport, MA — Fun and quirky!
Mechanical engineer Elis F. Stenman decided to build a summer house out of newspapers on a back road in Rockport. He began the curious project in 1924 at 52 Pigeon Hill St., and he and his wife lived there until 1930. From the 1920s until now, visitors have been invited to enter and inspect what is now a museum. Stenman even made some of the furniture out of newspapers. The house is framed with wood, but the walls are layers of compressed newspapers, donated by friends and neighbors. He made his own glue out of flour and water, and varnished everything. Plans to install clapboards on the exterior never materialized. Some of the newspapers are legible, still. The house had running water and electricity when the Stenmans occupied it. Their outhouse was in the woods. A visit, between spring and fall, is $2 a person; $1 for children, up from 10 cents when it first opened. Email paperhouse52@hotmail.com to confirm your visit in advance.
FUNDED, IN PART, BY THE MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM
