Preserving one of New England's most remarkable Gilded Age estates — for the community, and for future generations.
Edward Francis Searles was born in Methuen on July 4, 1841 — the son of a mill worker who would grow up to control one of America's greatest Gilded Age fortunes. An interior designer by trade, Searles married the widow of railroad magnate Mark Hopkins in 1887, inheriting a fortune of $21 million upon her death in 1891.
He spent the rest of his life transforming his childhood home on Lawrence Street into an extraordinary estate — 74 rooms, a brownstone chapel, a granite chime tower, carriage houses, and more than two dozen eclectic buildings. Most were designed by Henry Vaughan, the renowned English-Gothic architect who co-designed the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.
In 2024, the City of Methuen purchased the 19-acre estate for $3.25 million — saving it from a developer who had planned to demolish Pine Lodge and replace it with 151 apartment units. Today, the estate's future is being shaped by the community it belongs to.
Read the Full HistoryThe future of the Searles Estate is being written right now. Here's how you can be part of it.