On Sunday evening, Dave and I had the pleasure of
visiting the “Designer’s Holiday Show House Fundraiser” at the Endicott Mansion
at Glen Magna Farms, in our very own town of Danvers. Glen Magna, part of the Essex
National Heritage Area, is owned by the Danvers Historical
Society which was founded in 1889 “to
discover, collect and preserve objects which illustrate local history” which is,
of course, a passion of mine.
The original property was purchased during the period of the War of 1812
by Joseph Peabody, a wealthy Salem shipping merchant. From there he built a dwelling that he
described as “in
every respect well calculated for a gentleman’s seat.” The property grew to 330 acres and served as
the as the summer retreat for the family for one hundred and forty-four years. By 1892, Joseph’s granddaughter Ellen Peabody
Endicott further enlarged and embellished the house and grounds, and hired a
Boston architectural firm to expand of the Mansion to its current classic
colonial revival style. She also had the
gardens planted with rare and desirable ornamental trees and shrubs which resulted
in her winning a gold medal from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
In 1901 Ellen’s son William Crowninshield Endicott
brought the Derby Summer House, a two story Adamesque folly building built in
1794, to the property. The Summer House
was designed by the legendary architect and wood carver Samuel McIntire and is
listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
After 220 years of enduring New England’s grueling weather conditions,
the wooden building is in need of significant restoration, and with the help of
the participating interior designers, supporting vendors, and all who visit the
home, the “Designer’s Holiday Show House Fundraiser” will greatly help the Society
meet the restoration expenses.
We arrived at the estate on Sunday evening for a
special tour for design bloggers after the home had closed to the public for
the day. With the short days of
December, the sky was already getting dark at 4pm and the twinkly lights of the
home drew us in with their magic. It was
so wonderful having the chance to meet each of the designers in their space and
learn about their inspiration and design process. Unlike a usual show house, the designers were
charged with preserving the “Mansion’s historic fabric” and “melding their
designs to the 1890’s to 1930’s when the Endicotts were at the height of their
national and international prominence, and transformed this magnificent Mansion again to the height of elegance.”
So I hope that you visit, because you will not
only be viewing an amazing estate and stunning design work, but also doing
something good for the preservation of a historic jewel. The Designer’s Holiday Show House Fundraiser
is open until Sunday, December 15th… so you only have a few more
days! For more information please visit
the Danvers Historical Society.
Check back for more on the rooms and their designers!
All photographs property of Katherine Hawkins
