Castle Hill (Ipswich, Massachusetts)

Castle Hill
Nearest cityIpswich, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°41′6.52″N 70°46′45.14″W / 42.6851444°N 70.7792056°W / 42.6851444; -70.7792056
AreaHome 56,881 square feet (5,284.4 m2)
Estate 165 acres (67 ha)
Built1926–1928
ArchitectHouse: David Adler
Gardens: Olmsted Brothers
Architectural styleStuart
NRHP reference No.77000183
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 2, 1977
Designated NHLAugust 6, 1998

Castle Hill is a 56,881 sq ft (5,284.4 m2) mansion in Ipswich, Massachusetts, which was completed in 1928 as a summer home for Mr. and Mrs. Richard Teller Crane, Jr. It is also the name of the 165-acre (67 ha) drumlin surrounded by sea and salt marsh that the home was built atop. Both are part of the 2,100-acre (850 ha) Crane Estate, located on Argilla Road. The estate includes the historic mansion, 21 outbuildings, and landscapes overlooking Ipswich Bay on the seacoast off Route 1, north of Boston. Its name derives from a promontory in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, from which many early Massachusetts Bay Colony settlers immigrated.

The estate is a relatively intact work from the Country Place Era of the turn of the 20th century, when wealthy families built extensive country estates. The Crane Estate includes architectural and landscape designs from at least seven firms or individuals of national reputation, including the Olmsted Brothers and Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, and it is extensively documented. In recognition of its state of preservation and design, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. The property has been owned by The Trustees of Reservations since 1949 and is open to the public.