New Homes At Ipswich's Turner Hill

On the top of the hill, interior designers put the final touches on a model home. Up the street, the timber skeletons of new houses are being raised, and yellow construction vehicles ply the ground. And at the center of it all, a sprawling historic brick mansion overlooks a hilly lawn.

“This was one of the great estates of Essex County,” says Brad Horner, executive managing director for Raveis Marketing Group, which handles the sales of Turner Hill’s residential houses.

A hundred years ago, the brick mansion and the 300 acres of largely wooded land surrounding it were home to the Rice family. Today, a team of property developers is working to recapture that level of prestige, comfort, and beauty in The Residences at Turner Hill. The second and final phase of residential development on the estate—53 new homes in all—launched in October 2014.

Comprised of four distinct neighborhoods, the new construction includes a mix of single-family houses and townhomes. The Hill hosts large homes with sweeping views of the surrounding landscape. The Gardens overlooks the landscape surrounding the mansion, while The Fairways offers course-side duplex living with views of the 16th tee. The Village is a more compact neighborhood with easy access to the community amenities.

The homes are diverse in style and include both modern design elements and traditional New England architecture. Kitchens include quartzite countertops, hardwood floors are standard, and exteriors feature gabled rooflines and shingled siding. The three-bedroom homes are priced between $800,000 and two million dollars. “One thing they all have in common is an open-living concept,” Horner says. “It’s the way people live today.” KAO Design Group of Somerville is the architect on the project, and construction is by Windover Construction of Beverly.

Though the homes on Turner Hill are new, the property has a deep history. Businessman Charles Rice bought the land at the end of the 19th century and directed a grand home be built there, inspired by the architecture he and his wife, Anne, had seen on their travels in Europe. The family moved into their new home in 1903, though expansions and renovations continued for many years to come.

At one time, the property included more than a dozen buildings: servants’ quarters, stables, an icehouse, garages, and a barn. The grounds were extensively landscaped with rose gardens and topiary hedges; a large birdcage in the center of the garden held rabbits and golden pheasants, according to a history written by Reverend Robert Ippolito. Orchards and berry patches produced apples, pears, peaches, and blueberries for consumption by Turner Hill residents and for sale at markets in Boston.

After Rice died in 1943, the estate was sold to the Missionaries of Our Lady of La Salette, a Catholic religious congregation. For the next 50 years, it was used as a spiritual retreat.

In 1997, the land was purchased by a group of investors who envisioned a residential golf community with the historic mansion as its hub.

Development of the land began in 2003. The golf course—18 hilly holes that meander through the wooded property—opened to wide acclaim, with a clubhouse nestled inside the mansion. Forty homes were built in The Hill and The Village neighborhoods.

Then, the recession hit and further expansion was put on hold, Horner explains. Now, with the economy rebounding and the real estate market heating back up, the developers are forging ahead with a scaled-back version of the original plan, which had called for 190 units.

“The market was telling us people weren’t looking for that kind of density,” Horner says. However, interest in the new homes is piqued, he says. Existing units have sold out and contracts are already being signed for the units under construction.

The purchase of a home includes the $5,000 initiation fee for a recreational level membership in the golf club, which includes limited golf and access to amenities such as the tennis courts, fitness center, game room, pool, and restaurants, Horner says.

Recreational opportunities abound beyond the clubhouse and fairways, too. Paths crisscross the property and tie into trails at the adjacent Willowdale State Forest and Bradley Palmer Park. And the Ipswich River winds by just across the street from Turner Hill, offering a prime spot for kayaking and canoeing enthusiasts. turnerhill.com