Methuen Millionaires: Tenney LbNA #24321 (ARCHIVED)
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Add Location| Owner: | Beswick  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Aug 8, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Methuen |
| County: | Essex |
| State: | Massachusetts |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | wemedge |
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| Last found: | Nov 30, 2006 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFF |
| Last edited: | Aug 8, 2006 |
Pulled for maintenance - waterlogged box.....
In the 1800's Methuen was home to three mega millionaires; Edward Searles, David Nevins and Charles Tenney. This would be the modern equivalent to Bill Gates, Sam Walton and Warren Buffet living in the same town. With three large egos and large pocketbooks in close proximity, one upmanship was the order of the day. As a result Methuen was bestowed with some remarkable landmarks. This series honors these three that gave Methuen its unique charm.
Charles H. Tenney 1842-1919
Mr. Tenney became a millionaire thru the hat manufacturing industry. He started this career with his brother, J. Milton, in 1868 when they opened the CH Tenney & Co. hat factory in Methuen.
Fifteen years later Charles sold his interest in the business to his brother and moved to New York City. There he opened an office to established himself as a wholesale hat commission agent. He handled the vast majority of the hat industry in America, selling more than any other hat agent worldwide.
Charles never forgot his hometown, in 1890 he started building a 75 acre summer estate. Three years later, "Greycourt" was complete. During that building period the family resided in the "Gate House" at the beginning of the property.
Affectionately known as "Tenney Castle", the estate boasted a deer park, gardens with rare flora and fauna, ponds, a stock stable, and a palatial granite mansion, built in a style reminiscent to the castles in Europe.
By 1951 the ties to Methuen having wained, the Tenney family gave 26 acres of the estate to Methuen to build a High School. The remainder of the estate was sold to the Basilican Salvatorian Order of the Melkite Rite. The proceeds from the sale were put in trust to benefit Tenney High School graduates.
The mansion was used by St. Basil's as a seminary until they built their current seminary. In the 70's the mansion housed a drug rehabilitation center. In 1977-78 local businessmen were planning to buy the property and turn the mansion and property into a country club. Before that venture could be realized, a string of arson incidents reduced the mansion to a shell.
In 1981 the State of Massachusetts acquired the property and designated it as Greycourt State Park. The Gate House has been restored and now serves as a museum and home to the Methuen Historical Society. All that remains of Greycourt are the ruins of the courtyard.
Other contributions to Methuen from the Tenney family legacy are the Civil War Soldiers & Sailors monument, the park land it resides on and a public chapel at Walnut Grove Cemetery.
Directions:
Park at the Searles Building/Town Hall on Pleasant Street. To the right of the Searles Building will be the Tenney Gate House, between the two is a stone wall with a gate. Proceed through the gate and follow the driveway up to the ruins. When you are half way up the driveway and reach the first park bench - pause and look right. In the red chapel lies the remains of Edward Searles and his wife. Pay your respects and continue up the driveway.
Clue
Find the large circle, stand in the middle. If the set of stairs going up was 12 O'clock, your quest is at 11 O'clock. Look under the rock in the ground and rehide well - making it look as "natural" as possible, so the landscapers don't find it.
In the 1800's Methuen was home to three mega millionaires; Edward Searles, David Nevins and Charles Tenney. This would be the modern equivalent to Bill Gates, Sam Walton and Warren Buffet living in the same town. With three large egos and large pocketbooks in close proximity, one upmanship was the order of the day. As a result Methuen was bestowed with some remarkable landmarks. This series honors these three that gave Methuen its unique charm.
Charles H. Tenney 1842-1919
Mr. Tenney became a millionaire thru the hat manufacturing industry. He started this career with his brother, J. Milton, in 1868 when they opened the CH Tenney & Co. hat factory in Methuen.
Fifteen years later Charles sold his interest in the business to his brother and moved to New York City. There he opened an office to established himself as a wholesale hat commission agent. He handled the vast majority of the hat industry in America, selling more than any other hat agent worldwide.
Charles never forgot his hometown, in 1890 he started building a 75 acre summer estate. Three years later, "Greycourt" was complete. During that building period the family resided in the "Gate House" at the beginning of the property.
Affectionately known as "Tenney Castle", the estate boasted a deer park, gardens with rare flora and fauna, ponds, a stock stable, and a palatial granite mansion, built in a style reminiscent to the castles in Europe.
By 1951 the ties to Methuen having wained, the Tenney family gave 26 acres of the estate to Methuen to build a High School. The remainder of the estate was sold to the Basilican Salvatorian Order of the Melkite Rite. The proceeds from the sale were put in trust to benefit Tenney High School graduates.
The mansion was used by St. Basil's as a seminary until they built their current seminary. In the 70's the mansion housed a drug rehabilitation center. In 1977-78 local businessmen were planning to buy the property and turn the mansion and property into a country club. Before that venture could be realized, a string of arson incidents reduced the mansion to a shell.
In 1981 the State of Massachusetts acquired the property and designated it as Greycourt State Park. The Gate House has been restored and now serves as a museum and home to the Methuen Historical Society. All that remains of Greycourt are the ruins of the courtyard.
Other contributions to Methuen from the Tenney family legacy are the Civil War Soldiers & Sailors monument, the park land it resides on and a public chapel at Walnut Grove Cemetery.
Directions:
Park at the Searles Building/Town Hall on Pleasant Street. To the right of the Searles Building will be the Tenney Gate House, between the two is a stone wall with a gate. Proceed through the gate and follow the driveway up to the ruins. When you are half way up the driveway and reach the first park bench - pause and look right. In the red chapel lies the remains of Edward Searles and his wife. Pay your respects and continue up the driveway.
Clue
Find the large circle, stand in the middle. If the set of stairs going up was 12 O'clock, your quest is at 11 O'clock. Look under the rock in the ground and rehide well - making it look as "natural" as possible, so the landscapers don't find it.