Posted 03/06/2008

If you love working with the public and are fascinated by history, the Castle Hill House Tour Volunteer is the right position for you. This great volunteer opportunity provides key support to the historic house tour guide program by welcoming guests (from a welcome table station) and assisting tour guides in a variety of ways.  The tour season runs from May 28 – October 13, 2008, Wednesday – Saturday, 9:45AM – 2PM. You would report to the Historic Resources Educator for the Trustees Northeast region, and work closely with the tour guides on duty.

The Trustees of Reservations, Castle Hill at the Crane Estate, 290 Argilla Road, Ipswich,

Sitting atop Castle Hill on the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent Crane Beach, The Great House is a 59-room Stuart-style mansion designed by architect David Adler and furnished with period antiques.  Castle Hill is home to a wide diversity of wildlife typical of northeast Massachusetts forests and is also home to several pairs of nesting great horned owls and red-tailed hawks. Centuries before becoming a grand summer estate owned by one of America's wealthiest families, Castle Hill was well known by Native Americans who called the area Agawam, referring to its rich fishery.

Responsibilities:

• Greet visitors and answer basic questions (e.g. Trustees information, restroom location, tour times).
• Represent and promote The Trustees of Reservations to the general public and program participants.
• Handle tickets, admission fees and recordkeeping, membership applications, and minor sales items.
• Attend training course offered prior to house tour season (May 3, 2008, 10AM – 3PM).

Qualifications: 

Love of history and willingness to learn. Excellent communication skills. Ability to handle money and simple sales. Outgoing personality with demonstrated people skills. Self-motivated and dependable, and willingness to work as part of a team.

Volunteers are scheduled to work one day per week, unless he/she prefers more hours. Attendance at training course offered prior to house tour season (see above).

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