The house at 12 Green Street was built in 1688 by Cornet Andrew Burley, son of Giles and Elizabeth Burley, who was born at Ipswich Sept. 5, 1657 and died in 1718. The location was originally granted in 1639 to Thomas Scott, “an acre for a house lot, lying to the Lane called Bridge Lane (now Green St.), near the meeting house, the house lot of Philip Fowler on the southeast and the house lot granted Humphrey Bradstreet, on the northeast,” in 1639. It came into the possession of Andrew Burley, before 1688 (Ips. Deeds 5: 338).
Andrew Burley and his wife Mary Conant had three daughters and a son, Andrew Burley, who was born in 1694. The senior Andrew Burley bequeathed to his son Andrew “all my housing and land where I now dwell, on ye north side of ye way,” Feb. 1717-18. The junior Andrew became the owner the senior Andrew’s extensive land holdings, including land with a house near the beginning of Jeffreys Neck Road, and the Senior Andrew’s dwelling and one acre lot at the corner of County Rd. and Green Street.
In 1717 Andrew Burley Jr. married Lidia Pingry, and after her death in 1735, He married the widow Hannah Burnham, whose husband William Cogswell had died in 1727. Andrew Burley became a wealthy merchant, justice of the Sessions Court and was elected as representative to the General Court in 1741, and updated his father’s house with fine Georgian features. He died in 1753. Andrew Burley’s will left detailed instructions for the care of his widow Hannah. He left her: “the improvement of the land and buildings where I now live, and to be yearly procured for her, put in her barn, by my executors one load of salt, one load of English hay, also twelve bushels of corn, four of rye, four of malt, two hundred pounds of good pork, as much beef, thirty of butter, fifty of cheese, twenty of flax from the swingle, ten of sheep’s wool, and six cords of wood, to be delivered at her said dwelling house yearly while she remains my widow, and for the same time to find her a horse and a chair to ride to meeting or elsewhere as her occasion requires. I also give her one cow and my household goods.”
Capt. John Smith purchased the Andrew Burley house, April 15, 1760 (110: 73) from the estate of Andrew Burley’s widow Hannah and operated it as Smith’s Tavern. Susanna (How) Smith ran Smith’s Tavern from 1760 to 1790. Capt. Smith ‘s inventory (Pro. Rec. 345: 61 1768) included “one house and one acre of Land adjoining, formerly of Andrew Burley E.sq., £120.” He kept a tavern and bequeathed his wife, Susanna, “all tavern stores in the house.” The residue of the estate, after specific bequests, was given to his son Charles. John Hodgkins was in possession in 1791. His two daughters, widow Elizabeth Perkins and Eunice, wife of Isaac Stanwood, inherited the house (Pro. Rec. 367: 505). Isaac Stanwood Sr. and Eunice conveyed to Isaac Jr., the life estate which Isaac Sr. had in the estate, Sept. 16, 1819 (221: 220). The northwest half of the house remained in the Perkins family into the 20th Century. John and Lucretia Perkins sold to William Baker the corner lot on which he built his house, July 13, 1830 (2.57: 275).
Andrew Burley
“ANDREW BURLEY b June 14 1694, was a justice of the Sessions Court and represented the town in the General Court in 1741. He inherited the homestead from his father. He was a member of the committee to repair the prison but died before the work was completed. His son Andrew was authorized to complete the work 1753. He married in 1717 Lydia Pengry. She died Aug 25 1736 at 39 yrs. He married second Dec 9 1738, the widow Hannah Boardman. His will was dated Dec. 4, 1753. His widow Hannah lived in the family mansion after her husband’s death and on her decease Andrew Jr sold the estate including 1 acre of land to Captain John Smith, April 1.5, 1760 (110: 73).. She died in 1759. In addition to the children of her husband mentioned in his will, she mentions daughter Elizabeth Boardman of Stratham NH and son Stephen Boardman of the same place.”
Capt. Smith ‘s inventory (Pro. Rec. 345: 61 1768) included “one house and one acre of Land adjoining formerly of Andrew Burley Esq., £120.” He kept a tavern and bequeathed his wife, Susanna, “all tavern stores in the house.” The residue of the estate, after specific bequests, was given to his son Charles. John Hodgkins was in possession in 1791. His two daughters, widow Elizabeth Perkins and Eunice, wife of Isaac Stanwood, inherited the house (Pro. Rec. 367: 505). Isaac Stanwood Sr. and Eunice conveyed to Isaac Jr., the life estate which Isaac Sr. had in the estate, Sept. 16, 1819 (221: 220). The northwest half of the house remained in the Perkins family into the 20th Century. John and Lucretia Perkins sold to William Baker the small corner lot on which he built his house, July 13, 1830 (2.57: 275, which no longer stands.
Sources & further reading:
Historic Ipswich 
Why is the chimney so much more ornate and substantial looking in the modern picture?
The present owner replaced the original chimney with this one many years ago.