Tenney Castle Gatehouse, Historical gatehouse in Methuen, Massachusetts, United States.
Tenney Castle Gatehouse is a two-story stone building in Methuen featuring a hipped roof, decorative tower, and ornamental shingles that display Queen Anne Victorian style. The exterior shows the careful craftsmanship typical of late 1800s architecture with its distinctive tower work and detailed stonework.
The building started as a farmhouse built in 1830 by Richard Whittier and was redesigned as a gatehouse for Charles H. Tenney's Grey Court estate in 1883. This change from rural dwelling to private estate structure marks a shift in the property's purpose during the later 1800s.
The interior displays Anglo-Japanese wallpaper from the late 1800s that was carefully recreated in 1999. The wall coverings show the artistic taste that was popular during that era.
The building is located on Pleasant Street and now operates as the Methuen Museum of History, managed by the local historical society. Visitors can explore the collection inside, which features local history and original interior details from the period.
This building is the only surviving structure from the original Tenney estate, which once featured a mansion designed after the Chateau d'Yquem in France. The fact that only this modest gatehouse remains makes it a rare window into a vanished Victorian estate complex.
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