The city will provide the necessary funding to the Hammond Castle Museum as it prepares to embark on its single largest capital project in more than 50 years.
In Gloucester, Massachusetts, near the Magnolia neighborhood on the Atlantic coast, is where you’ll find Hammond Castle. The castle was built between 1926 and 1929 and served as John Hays Hammond, Jr.’s residence, workspace, and museum. He was a pioneer in the field of remote control research and was the holder of more than 400 patents.
History and Development of Hammond Castle
In 1923, John Hays Hammond Jr. hired the Boston, Massachusetts architectural firm Allen & Collens to create his ideal home, a castle in the mediaeval style. On his father’s Lookout Hill property, a tower house was to be constructed as the old castle. Leslie Buswell, a close friend of Hammond’s who would shortly start building his own neighbouring home, Stillington Hall, revealed to Hammond that he was striving to replicate Chartres Cathedral, virtually matching the cathedral’s 121′ high nave.
Hammond Castle Museum
The Hammond Castle Museum is currently in its 47th season running. Almost 40,000 visitors from all across the United States and many other nations visited us during the previous season. It is hardly surprising that visitors from all around the world have visited the museum.
The Museum has been on the A&E network’s “American Castles,” PBS Kids’ “Fetch with Ruff Ruffman,” and served as the backdrop for an exclusive Game of Thrones viewing party hosted by Xfinity and HBO. The castle has also used as the backdrop for other films and television shows throughout the years, including the PBS series “Life of Christ,” the TV series “Bewitched,” and Elizabeth Montgomery’s “Bewitched.” The museum has also used as the backdrop for a number of television specials and advertisements.
The manor houses the Hammond Castle Museum, which features displays about Hammond’s life and achievements along with his collection of Roman, mediaeval, and Renaissance items.
Hammond Castle Interior
Hammond Castle’s interior is a true delight. With lavish bedrooms, a fantastic library, and a courtyard that stands out among the otherwise mediaeval interior decor.
The breathtaking courtyard at Hammond Castle is among its outstanding features. The courtyard is both lovely and brilliant. A sizable pool and tropical vegetation abound in the courtyard. The courtyard’s humid atmosphere is produced by the pool, which serves as the supply of water. That’s not all, though. It rains because of a weather control system in the courtyard. This is such a special trait that works well for tropical plants.
Hammond Castle has several chambers to visit, so make sure to take a look around. Aside from the patio, the Great Hall, the library, and the guest suites are my favourite spaces.
Preserving the Hammond Castle Clerestory in Gloucester
The City of Gloucester Community Preservation Act and the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) have given the nonprofit museum, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a $135,000 grant to conserve and restore the courtyard clerestory of the castle.
Executive director Linda Harvey remarked, “We are extremely appreciative of the City of Gloucester and the Community Preservation Committee’s cooperation as we are committed to conserving this special edifice for future generations.
The original 90-year-old steel truss and wired glass canopy that covers the castle’s courtyard and pool will be restored and maintained with the help of the cash award.
According to Harvey, “John Hays Hammond Jr., our founder, created the castle to be a museum for everyone on the North Shore. For 90 years, Hampton Castle has stood on the coast of Gloucester and has been accessible to the public for the most of that time.The clerestory depends on its clerestory canopy and is referred to as “one of the more outstanding elements of the castle” in the castle’s CPA project application.
The restoration of the clerestory will “stop ingress of water and cold air; improve the environment of other portions of the building; and facilitate increased programming and the eventual reinstatement of the well-attended concert series featuring the magnificent 8,400-pipe organ,” according to the application.
Board member Peter Kennett, the on-site project coordinator Jay Craverio, and the project manager, Structures North Consulting Engineers Inc., make up the project team that will carry out the anticipated repairs.
I’m thrilled that we can save the structure and stop any additional harm from occurring, Harvey added.
The projected overall cost of the project is $271,600. The castle is trying to make up the shortfall through fundraising initiatives, according to Craig Lentz, president of the museum board, who spoke at the City Council meeting on December 10.
This covers contributions from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund, private foundations, people, and occasions like the summertime Renaissance performances at the castle.
Other organizations that received historical preservation grants from the CPC include the Cape Ann YMCA, Ocean Alliance, Magnolia Historical Society, Historic New England/Beauport Museum, Stage Fort Park Advisory Committee, and Young Legends Street Hockey.
The Hammond Castle Museum also got support in the form of letters and comments made during meetings from representatives of neighborhood groups, committees, and local organizations.
Councilor Steve LeBlanc noted at the Dec. 10 meeting that “the museum is a fantastic resource for the city” and supports the restorations as he recognizes the need for significant repairs. LeBlanc personally inspected the museum with Harvey.
The castle should be viewed as a “essential component of the stories we wish to preserve,” Gloucester resident Ruth E. Pino said.
Further supporting the cause were Ken Riehl of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, Elizabeth Carey of Discovery Gloucester, Jack Meany and Christopher Lovasco of the YMCA of the North Shore, and Robert J. Gillis Jr. of Cape Ann Savings Bank.
The castle’s off-season will be used for the renovations, which are expected to start at the end of the year and end in the early months of 2021.
The Hammond Castle Museum has seasonal hours. While being closed at the moment, it will open on weekends in April and every day from May through October. It provides both guided and self-guided tours, as well as other educational and cultural events all year round.
Hammond Castle Wedding
The Hammond Castle Museum, perched on Gloucester’s rugged Atlantic coast, is the ideal location for your wedding or other special occasion. Everyone who come here are inspired and educated by the structure that John Hays Hammond Jr. had envisioned to house his enormous collection of Medieval and Renaissance antiquities.
Visiting Hammond Castle: Wrap-up
When in Cape Ann, you should definitely see Hammond Castle. There is nothing like this mediaeval castle in Massachusetts or the rest of the United States. It is distinctive and lovely and lets you experience a storybook scene in coastal Massachusetts.
Hammond Castle Tickets
Tickets at Hammond Castle are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors (65 and over), and $10 for kids (ages 5 to 12). * Some of the grounds at Hammond Castle are accessible without a ticket.
Hammond Castle Hours
The visiting hours change seasonally. Please notice the following visiting times:
- Open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Friday through Sunday in November and December.
- April: Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Friday through Sunday.
- Open every day from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm from May through October.
People also ask :
Hammond Castle is closed; why?
Over the winter, the Hammond Castle Museum is no longer open to visitors. At its reopening on April 1, 2023, the Museum.
Who owns the Hammond Castle?
NRHP reference number for John Hays Hammond Jr. The manor houses the Hammond Castle Museum, which features displays about Hammond’s life and achievements along with his collection of Roman, mediaeval, and Renaissance items.
Who lived in Hammond Castle?
Inventor John Hays Hammond, Jr.
The largest castle’s age is how old?
A 13th-century Teutonic castle and fortification is known as the Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork (Polish: Zamek w Malborku; German: Ordensburg Marienburg) and is situated close to the town of Malbork in Poland.
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