The Manor House atop Castle Hill on the Crane Estate is always an elegant destination. Outside, the impeccably manicured property offers sweeping views of Ipswich Bay. Indoors, the carefully preserved and restored décor provides tantalizing glimpses of lush 1920s life.
Come December, however, the Stuartstyle mansion will be elevated from its standard sophistication to a new level of seasonal splendor, as the Trustees of Reservations puts on its annual Christmas at Castle Hill celebration. This year’s theme, “A Nod to Nature,” will set out a woodland creatures banquet in the dining room, bedeck the family sitting room with songbirds, and transform the grand staircase into a cascading waterfall. Visitors will be welcomed Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout December.
“People enjoy the glamor and the fantasy,” says Susan Hill Dolan, curator for the Trustees‘ North Shore properties. The Crane Estate has hosted a holiday spectacle for some 30 years. In the beginning, property staff coordinated with a slate of local florists, garden clubs, and designers who each took on the decoration of one part of the sprawling house, and the event ran for one weekend only.
A Creative Undertaking
Then, several years ago, a volunteer committee took over the ambitious project. The dedicated group begins planning in earnest by April, though they have often picked out the year’s theme and started imagining how to bring it to life months earlier. Past themes have included “The Roaring 20s,” “A Colorful Christmas,” and “Travels with the Cranes.” Castle Hill was a summer property for the Crane family, so there is no historic record of the home adorned for the holidays, but the planners strive to capture the spirit of the home in their designs.
The volunteer group—which includes several artists and designers—meets every month to decide on the décor for each of the 18 rooms and assigns responsibilities among members.They assess what trees—each room gets at least one—garlands, and ornaments they can use from the impressive collection stored in the house’s attic and basement, and determine what else they will need to acquire or to bring their visions to life.
This year, handcrafted sunflowers will bloom against the blue walls of an upstairs bedroom, and upcycled plastic kelp will descend from the railings in the “Under the Sea”–themed butler’s pantry. Flamingos will flock through one seating area, fireflies will twinkle in the ornate rotunda, pandas will loll in a Chinese themed bedroom, and white branches and lights will bring wintry magic to the ballroom.
Installation of the decorations begins in mid-November and really doesn’t stop until the doors open in early December, says Trina Schell, cultural events manager for the Trustees’ North Shore properties. Additional volunteers join the Christmas committee for the work of installing the décor. They fluff trees, tie dozens of bows, and hang carefully placed ornaments. Someone is always waiting for the ladder. “It’s loud and busy,” Schell says. “We have Christmas music playing, and there are people everywhere.” “It is just so full of positive energy,” Dolan adds.
Visitors take a self-guided tour of the bedecked mansion. A scavenger hunt is available for kids (though plenty of adults enjoy it, too, Schell says), and hot chocolate and freshly baked cookies are served in the butler’s pantry. Throughout the month, local musical groups and dance troupes perform in the home, and the gift shop will be open and stocked with unique candles, jewelry, and other perfect presents. The mansion will also host six midweek holiday teas, served by costumed staff to evoke a sense of bygone grandeur. Last year, Dolan says, a group of women arrived at the tea in a limo to truly immerse in the experience. “It was kind of their Downton Abbey moment,” Dolan says.
thetrustees.org/place/castle-hill-on-the-crane-estate
Holiday Market
Searching for holiday gifts with character and a sense of place? Visit the Trustees Holiday Market at Castle Hill, where a curated selection of books, jewelry, artisanal food, and more from seven area Trustees properties will be for sale. Admission to the property and the event are free, and come with a sneak peek of the first-floor holiday décor
When: Dec. 4, 2–7 p.m.
Where: 290 Argilla Rd., Ipswich
Learn more: thetrustees.org/place/castle-hill-on-the-crane-estate