Abby Epplett, Historian

Managed by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy  since 2001, this series of gardens was design by American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted over a period of eighteen years, from 1878 to 1896. Other well-known public gardens designed by Olmsted include Central Park in Manhattan, New York and the U.S. Capitol Grounds in Washington, D.C. Additionally, Olmsted designed landscapes for privately owned homes, including Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina for the Vanderbilt family, and his own estate in Brookline, Massachusetts, which is now part of the National Park Service .

Back in September 2025, I took the comprehensive, 2.5-hour “Grand Stairs to Back Stairs” tour of Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA, which is managed by The Trustees of Reservations. Due to the length and breadth of the tour, this is a three-part series, with one post released per day over the next three days. During Part 1 , I focused on the building of the estate, the early history of the Crane family, and the first few stops on the tour. During Part 2 , I described the life of the family and the middle section of the tour. In Part 3, I describe the view from the roof, a snack, behind the scenes, and movies filmed on the property.

Happy New Year, and welcome back to my blog after my winter holiday break! In July 2025, I took a daytrip to the Greater Portsmouth area and visited many history-themed attractions, including botanical gardens, a historic house, a boat tour, and quick history stops. The first post in the four-part series focuses on Fuller Gardens located in North Hampton, NH. This had been on my list of places to visit for several years, but the stop had eluded me. I was glad to have the opportunity to visit at last.

Back in September 2025, I took the comprehensive, 2.5-hour “Grand Stairs to Back Stairs” tour of Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA, which is managed by The Trustees of Reservations. Due to the length and breadth of the tour, this will be a three-part series, with one post released per day over the next three days. The property comprises of 165 acres and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977 and elevated to a National Historic Landmark in 1998. This section will focus on the building of the estate, the early history of the Crane family, and the first few stops on the tour.