Crane Mansion on Castle Hill

Gryphon sculpture by Paul Manship http://www.OddThingsIveSeen.com (J.W. Ocker)

The 1987 film “Flowers in the Attic” is based on the V.C. Andrews book of the same name and tells the story of four siblings imprisoned and horribly mistreated in an attic by their narcissistic mother and sociopathic grandmother.

Almost the entire story takes place in a palatial estate called Foxworth Hall, the exteriors of which were played by the real-life Crane Mansion on Castle Hill in Ipswich, MA. The mansion has been used in several other movies as well, including the 1987 all-star-cast “The Witches of Eastwick”.

Built in 1928, the 59-room Stuart-style mansion was erected by Richard T. Crane, Jr., a wealthy businessman. The entire estate currently sits on 165 acres and is a national historic landmark that is open to the public for a variety of activities.

The estate around the Great House, as it is called to differentiate it from the other buildings on the property, contains rolling hills, gardens, a trail system, Atlantic Ocean beach access, and various other attractions. Worth pointing out specifically is a pair of large black griffin sculptures located behind the house that were created by Paul Manship, whose most famous work is the golden Prometheus statue at Rockefeller Center in New York.

Adapted with Permission from: The New England Grimpendium by J.W. Ocker

Know Before You Go

In 1945, the Crane family donated much of their private beach and dunes to The Trustees of Reservations, who manage the Crane Mansion & Estate. See the web site for details. The estate grounds are extensive and parking is the bottom of the hill, so wear good walking shoes. There is a parking lot to the side of the main building which serves as a good base to explore the grounds.