Developer Says He's Trying To Preserve Historic Elements Of Ames Castle

Ginsburg working with Historical Society and Historical Commission.

Tewksbury developer Marc Ginsburg says he is taking measures to make sure as many historic elements of the Ames Castle are being preserved, even as the building is being demolished. "We removed numerous (historic) pieces, like the big mirror and the railings," said Ginsburg. "And we're going through the (ruble) to find original stones." Ginsburg said he had explored all possible options and described the final decision to demolish the castle as "heartbreaking." The home was built around 1900 by Gen. Adelbert Ames, a Civil War hero and former governor of Mississippi. He and his family originally owned 700 acres on and around Catamount Road. Ginsburg purchased the property from John Sullivan on Nov. 2 for $360,000. Sullivan had been using …

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Scott Wilson

10:13 am on Thursday, December 13, 2012

If thats what the residents want, then yes. With all the other issues in town it has not been one that we have focused closely on, but it looks like we probably should.   more ›

UPDATED: Ames Castle Demolished To Make Room For Development

Efforts to preserve historic Catamount Road home are unsuccessful.

UPDATED: At 12:30 p.m. with comments from Marc Ginsburg. Efforts to preserve Ames Castle officially came to an end Monday, as the historic Catamount Road home was demolished to make room for a small subdivision. The actual demolition was really just a formality. The home's fate was sealed last month when the property, which included the main house and a servant's quarters on 2.76 acres, were sold by John Sullivan to local developer Marc Ginsburg and Sons, Inc. for $360,000. The town had most recently assessed the value of the property at $762,400. Ginsburg, who said the parcel of land is actually between 3.5 and 4 acres, confirmed his plans to build three single-family homes on the property. The 17-room, 12,781-square foot mansion was …

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Ames Castle To Stand For At Least Nine More Months

Historical Commission declares home to be 'preferably preserved.'

Ames Castle will not be demolished to make room for a small subdivision ... at least not for now. At it's meeting Monday night, the Historical Commission voted unanimously to declare the property "preferably preserved," according to an article in the Lowell Sun. This allowed the commission to impose a nine-month delay on any demolition, while other options are explored. John Sullivan, who owns the property at 108 Catamount Road, has been embroiled in a dispute with town officials over his use of the property for apartments for the past two decades. Sullivan recently settled a longstanding court case with the town and has since submitted an application for demolition. According to Atty. Gary Brackett, Sullivan's lawyer, turning the property…

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You Ask ... Patch Answers

Who Is The Ames Castle Named After?

This week's You Asked...Patch Answers is a lesson in history.

Each week, we try to answer your most burning questions about anything from businesses in town to town government, and even history. This week, we were asked who exactly is Gen. Adelbert Ames - the namesake of the Tewksbury castle? The question came after we ran a story on the future of the Ames Castle. So who exacly was Gen. Adelbert Ames? After serving in the Civil War, Ames moved to Mississippi, where he served as governor and senator. When Ames was done serving, he moved to Minesota to help his father and brother with their flour business. He later moved to New York and then Tewksbury. According to Generals in Blue: Lives of the Union Commanders written by Ezra Warner, he served as the head of a flour mill in Lowell, while he lived in …

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Destroyed or Preserved -- What Does The Future Hold For Ames Castle?

Historical Commission to hold public hearing regarding owner's request to raze historic building.

In the latest chapter of a seemingly endless saga regarding the current and future use of the Ames Castle property at 108 Catamount Road, owner John Sullivan has proposed razing the historic home and constructing three, single-family homes. Sullivan filed for permit to take down the home but has several hoops to jump through before that can happen. The biggest obstacle comes in the form of the Historic Commission, which will hold a public hearing on March 19 regarding the request. Abutters will be invited to the hearing but the public is allowed to attend and have their opinions heard, as well. According to commission chairman Jay Gaffney, a vote will likely be taken that night to implement a nine-month hold on the razing. The delay would …

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Tewksbury Officials Settle Court Case With Sullivan Over Ames Castle

Residents will be forced to move within the year.

Tewksbury has settled its longstanding complaint with local real estate developer/landlord John Sullivan, over zoning violations at the Ames Castle property on Catamount Road. The Lowell Sun reported that Sullivan has signed a settlement with the town that will require him to pay $26,500 and empty the building of all rental residents within 12 months. Tewksbury had filed suit against Sullivan in 2010, accusing him of violating a 1999 court order, which had required him to covert the historic property back into a single-family home, as it was zoned for. Town Counsel Charles Zaroulis told The Sun that a settlement was reached about two weeks ago. Moving forward, Sullivan has three options. He can follow the court order and convert the …

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