Supporting, preserving, conserving and enhancing our natural, educational and historic resource.
Latest News
2024 Memberships Now Open! Become a member of The Friends of Endicott Park and support our continued efforts to support the park! Your membership will be valid through MARCH 31, 2025!
Memberships help support the needs of the park, including feeding the animals, assisting with veterinary costs, and facilities enhancements. Check out some of the latest work and planned projects below!
2023 Recap:
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The Endicott Park Fitness Trail was renovated and funded in-part with a $20k donation from the Friends of Endicott Park, Inc. Park staff completed installing 13 brand-new fitness stations along the 1.8-mile fitness trail. An official grand opening event will be held in the Spring of 2024!
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Donations of approximately $3k for our beloved park animals’ emergency medical care.
This work would not have been possible without the support of our wonderful members and donors!
To BECOME A MEMBER TODAY, CLICK HERE!
To RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP, CLICK HERE!
Looking Ahead to 2024
Several projects are approved for 2024 are already underway and they include:
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Donate 5 trees to the park. Park staff removed several dead trees from the park and our donation helps support replacing all the removed trees.
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Additional $2k for the medical care of the park animals.
Projects Under Consideration Include:
Corn Crib
The buildings on the grounds of Endicott Park are the surviving pieces of a much larger farm complex, the memory of which is an important part of the park. Even though some of the farm complex has been lost to fire and time, it retains its overall organization and character. A major feature of the property that survives in its overall state today is the spatial arrangements of a lavish “gentleman’s farm” along with its manor house. Such farms were operated mainly for pleasure rather than profit or sustenance but could still include considerable acreage producing any number of crops or livestock. In the case of Glen Magna, the principle uses were a dairy operation, orchards, some cultivated land, and enough hay fields to feed the livestock through the winter.
The Corn Crib (also referred to as the Grain Storage Shed) – This one and one-half story timber frame outbuilding with gable roof was historically used to dry and store corn. At approximately 4’-6” off the ground it is supported on cinder-block columns. The columns deterred critters from accessing the stored corn.
The Friends of Endicott Park, Inc. propose to renovate the building to include replacement of the roof, corner boards, window and doors as well as clapboards on west facade and vertical boards on other sides. Staff intends to utilize the building for hay storage.
Wetlands Walk
Few outdoor experiences immerse you in Mother Nature quite like a wetlands swamp walk. Endicott Park's proposed wetlands walk will be a short self-guided stroll along a wooden, pile-supported walkway through some of most sensitive resource areas in the park. During this walk, you’ll see a vast variety of plant life and animal habitats. You may come across beavers and other wildlife include painted and snapping turtles, frogs, various snakes, occasional deer, eagles, hawks, and other birdlife.
The Friends of Endicott Park, Inc. propose renovating the existing wildlife viewing platform at the end of our Rhododendron Trail to include a raised wooden, pile-supported walkway into the wetlands.
Tallow House
The Tallow House was once used as a place to render animal fat to make into candles for the people who lived on the estate. It’s since been restored, and is currently used to store equipment for recreation programs.
The Friends of Endicott Park would like to convert this space into a mini farm stand, where they would sell seasonal offerings such as cider and donuts, hot cocoa and cookies, lemonade, and custom-made Endicott Park keepsakes and apparel to park visitors.
Proceeds from these sales would benefit the Friends of Endicott Park, helping them to further their mission.
Outdoor Nature/Education Center
Our current initiative is to fund the construction of an outdoor extension to the Nature and Environmental Education Center. This outdoor space will promote and educate the community on sustainable gardening and growing practices, water conservation, composting, native and drought resistant plantings, pollinators and much more. Because we regularly host programs and school fields trips out of the nature center, we feel an outdoor gardening and growing sustainability education area would tie in nicely.
This work can’t happen without the support of our wonderful members and donors!
To BECOME A MEMBER TODAY, CLICK HERE!
To RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP, CLICK HERE!
Fitness Trail Renovations - Fall 2023
Yet another improvement project is in the works thanks to the Friends of Endicott Park Inc. funded from your donations and memberships!!
The Endicott Park Natural Resources team has been working hard over the last few weeks to install 13 brand-new fitness stations along the 1.8 mile fitness trail within Endicott Park! The new fitness stations focus on cardio, endurance, core, and balance. The project was funded in-part with a $20k donation from the Friends of Endicott Park, Inc.
Upon completion, each station will be backfilled with playground style wood chips, and bridges that traverse low lying areas will be replaced or repaired.
Past Large Scale Renovation Projects
In 2022, renovations were completed to the Townley Family Children’s Barn including new windows, floor, siding, and doors all which helped improve the conditions for both animals and the rangers who care for them. The windows can now be opened to help with ventilation and fresh air for the animals. A hot water heater was installed so the rangers no longer have to haul hot water from the carriage house in the winter months.
Additionally, a new stamped concrete floor was installed, as well as updates to the chicken coops, the animal stalls, the ramp to the side yard, and a new handicap accessible viewing platform. All of the work performed was kept as historically accurate as possible to try to maintain the beautiful historical architecture of the barn.
In 2018, the Town of Danvers celebrated the grand opening of the Endicott Park Nature Center. The Nature Center was made possible by The Friends of Endicott Park, Inc., a recognized 501c3 charitable organization established in 1995 with a mission to support the preservation, conservation and enhancement of this natural, educational and historic resource.
“Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own.”
Charles Dickens