An Unsolved Massachusetts Mystery of Hidden Treasure Within Castle Walls

Tales abound about the treasure that is supposedly hidden with the walls of a ruined castle in Methuen, Massachusetts. According to an article published in onlyinyourstate, the Charles H. Tenney property, known by different names such as Grey Court, Tenney Castle, or Greycourt Castle, may be hiding a secret fortune.

Charles H Tenney was the proprietor of C. H. Tenney & Co., a successful merchant and hat dealer in the world. He was also a director of the Bank of the Manhattan Company and life trustee of the Bowery Savings Bank.

His castle was built in the 1890s in a style that made it appear more like a palace than a private residence.

This is a description given by Wikipedia: "The construction of Grey Court, also known as the Tenney Castle, was begun in 1890 and completed in 1892. The mansion, which was modeled after the Château d'Yquem, stood on the hilltop until it was destroyed by fire in 1978."

The Tenney Castle Gatehouse, which is associated with the property, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to the Methuen Historical Society.

The legend of buried treasure did not start within the castle walls but from the brothers Gorrill who lived nearby. Apparently, both Nathaniel and Mark Gorrill fell in love with the same woman and blamed each other when they faced rejection. Even though the brothers continued to live together, they stopped talking to one another and were rumored to separately bury income they earned from their family farm on the grounds of the Tenney Castle.

Sometime in the 1930s, legend has it that a local resident claimed to have dreamed up the location of the buried cache. According to some accounts, he discovered $20,000 in bonds in the cellar beneath one of the castle towers. However, this story has not been verified and if there is indeed buried wealth within Tenney Castle, the walls are not spilling its secrets.

Yet it continues to draw the curious as well as treasure hunters and students of the paranormal because it is claimed that the ghosts of the Gorrill brothers haunt the castle, in particular the gatehouse.

This is an excerpt from Wikipedia regarding the description of the Charles Tenney Gatehouse: "The Tenney Castle Gatehouse is a historic gatehouse at 37 Pleasant Street in Methuen, Massachusetts, United States. The gatehouse was originally a two-story rough stone farm house built by Richard Whittier between August and November 1830. In April 1882, it was purchased by Charles H. Tenney. It was redesigned in 1883 by architects Damon Brothers into a gatehouse for the 76-acre (310,000 m2) Tenney estate known as Grey Court."

The article goes on to describe the architectural modifications done to the building by its owner: "First built, it was a two-story stone structure with five bays on its front facade and a central entry. The modifications by Damon gave the building a distinctive Queen Anne Victorian character, changing the roof to be hipped, and adding an ornately decorated tower with weathervane on one corner."

According to the article in onlyinyourstate, Tenney Castle is now a public park with the new name of Greycourt State Park. The Tenney Castle Gatehouse is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places and houses the Methuen Historical Society.

It continues to be a favorite haunt of paranormal aficionados and ghost hunters who claim that the castle gatehouse is haunted by the ghosts of the Gorrill brothers.

Treasure hunters are urged to be mindful of the property.

A version of this article appeared on NewsBreak