Greycourt State Park

Greycourt State Park is a public recreation area covering 24 acres (9.7 ha) atop the partially restored ruins of the Charles H. Tenney estate in Methuen, Massachusetts. The state park is a satellite of Lawrence Heritage State Park managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the City of Methuen.[1]

Greycourt State Park
Grey Court
Grey Court
Tenney Gatehouse
Tenney Gatehouse
Map showing the location of Greycourt State Park
Map showing the location of Greycourt State Park
Location in Massachusetts
Map showing the location of Greycourt State Park
Map showing the location of Greycourt State Park
Greycourt State Park (the United States)
LocationMethuen, Essex, Massachusetts, United States
Coordinates42°43′46″N 71°10′51″W
Area24 acres (9.7 ha)
Established2001
Governing bodyCity of Methuen
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
WebsiteLawrence Heritage State Park

History
Main articles: Charles H. Tenney § Grey Court, and Tenney Castle Gatehouse

The construction of Grey Court, also known as the Tenney Castle, was begun in 1890 and completed in 1892.[2][3] The mansion, which was modeled after the Château d'Yquem, stood on the hilltop until it was destroyed by fire in 1978. A small portion survived when the majority of the ruins were razed in 1985.[4] The Tenney Castle Gatehouse, which is associated with the property, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to the Methuen Historical Society.

In 2001, the Massachusetts legislature approved $1,750,000 for the rehabilitation and repair of Greycourt State Park, including public safety improvements and courtyard renovations.[5]

Activities and amenities

The park offers wooded walking trails and scenic landscape from dawn to dusk and hosts city activities such as the annual Fall Festivals and other events.[1][6]

References
  1. "Lawrence Heritage State Park". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  2. Gagnon, Dan (2008). Methuen: An Eclectic History. The History Press. p. 128. ISBN 1-59629-422-1.
  3. William Richard Cutter, ed. (1913). New England Families. Vol. 2. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 567. Retrieved July 9, 2010. The town of Methuen, Massachusetts, where [Charles H. Tenney] makes his home in summer, has been largely benefited by his generosity. This picturesque little town has been greatly beautified by Mr. Tenney. His magnificent estate, laid out by modern landscape artists, is a beautiful park in itself and is always open to the public. The mansion, modeled after the Chateau Yquem, the ancestral seat of the great Montaigne, crowns a sightly hill, and is approached by a winding driveway, a mile long. Southwest of the mansion is an unenclosed quadrangle in the Italian style, two sides of which form an open corridor, its roof supported upon pillars of richly colored marble. The view from the hill overlooking the city of Lawrence and the Andovers is superb.
  4. "Historic Sites: P through R Streets". Methuen History. August 22, 2008. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  5. "Chapter 410". Acts, 2000. Massachusetts Legislature. January 11, 2001. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  6. "Methuen Business and Community Guide 2016" (PDF). Global Design & Publishing/City of Methuen. p. 9. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
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