Moens’ marketing materials described the house as “an oceanfront residence of unparalleled quality and timeless appeal.”
Property last sold in 2001
Edward Watkins formerly owned Simplex Time Recorder, a Massachusetts company started by his grandfather. Watkins expanded the company into fire alarms and security systems, and sold it for $1.2 billion to Tyco International in 2000, according to news reports at the time.
The Watkins trust paid a recorded $17.68 million for the South Ocean Boulevard property in 2001, according to property records. Crews demolished a seven-year-old house there to accommodate the mansion that just sold.
The Watkinses have a lakefront Georgian-style house at 735 Island Drive on Everglades Island, which they bought in October 2017 for a recorded $23.8 million using an ownership company, property records show.
GARDNER After an extended winter break, the Gardner Museum is once again open to the public.
The museum resumed its regular open hours of Wednesday through Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., starting on Thursday, April 1.
Coordinator Marion Knoll said her staff used the extra downtime this year to sort through the museum’s vast archive, update collections and affix updated labels to various items throughout the building.
“I’ve been here every day, almost,” Knoll said. “But as you can see, I’ve updated many of the permanent displays and grouped certain items together as part of the displays.”
The Keyes Road land was once the site of Simplex Time Recorder s annual summer outings
Gardner News
GARDNER It’s been referred to as “the people’s backyard,” and now the 157-acre property off Keyes Road in west Gardner is open to the public as a new conservation area.
The property, which was once owned by Simplex Time Recorder Co. owner Chris Watkins, was recently donated to North County Land Trust by Salem Five Bank. The land consists of a mix of woodlands, small ponds, an open sandlot area, a certified vernal pool, access to Parker Pond, and connects to the city-owned, 122-acre Cummings Otter River Conservation Area, which was established in 2012.