Page 2 - Stevens-Estate-eBook

Welcome to The Stevens Estate, a distinctive mansion with elegant gardens and a breathtaking 153-acre setting in Northeastern Massachusetts. The estate’s historyhas been a long and interesting one, beginning with its’ conception as the home of Moses Stevens, founder of one of the largest textile mill empires in the country.Mr. Stevens was a wise businessman, but also one who generously gave back to his community by serving in the Massachusetts House and Senate, the US Congress and by establishing the first North Andover town hall, high school and the Stevens Memorial Library.Moses Stevens and his wife, Charlotte Osgood Stevens, both descendants of the founding fathers of Andover and North Andover planned family life on the property at Osgood Hill. They commissioned a well-known architect, Ernest Bowditch, to create the initial plan for the complex of buildings and gardens with Boston architects Henry Hartwell and William Richardson hired to design the country mansion. Construction began in 1883 using the finest imported mahogany and golden oak paneling for the interior. Intricate carving, exquisite spindlePast, Present & Futurework, wrought iron chandeliers, stained glass windows, fifteen fireplaces featuring Italian and German marble with unique tile hearths and textured wall treatments adorn this lovely home. Lowell artist David Neal was commissioned to create a large framed painting of a hunt scene, Retour du Chasse, for the mansion. This incredible art work still graces the three run staircase in the front hall.The Stevens Estate at Osgood Hill is now owned and maintained by the Town of North Andover. The estate now uses revenue generated from rental of the venue towards restoration of the estate’s original features, so that it can continue to be preserved for future generations.The red brick Romanesque great house at The Stevens Estate still maintains its integrity as one of the last large country estates on in the region, its magnificent architecture earning it a place on the National Register of Historic Places.11