Thomas Franklin Waters wrote about this property in The Old Argilla Road:
“The original grantees seem to have disposed of their holdings at an early date. William Fuller removed to Hampton, and sold his grant to his brother John…John Fuller seems to have been living in the vicinity of Mr. J. Howard Burnham’s residence in 1657. His son James sold his interest in his father’s house and land to his brothers Thomas and Joseph, in 1679. Ebenezer Fuller sold five acres with the buildings to Isaac Burnham in 1768. Later it was owned by Aaron Burnham and Theodore Andrews.”
The 1856 map is the first to show a house at this location, owned by S. T. Andrews. In April, 1865, Theodore Andrews sold a nineteen-acre lot to Joseph Howard Burnham (683: 152) for $4500, but no structures are listed in the deed. There is a tradition that the Andrews house was moved from this location to nearby 50 Argilla Rd.
Andrews held a mortgage on the property, which Burnham paid off two years later (737:100). The 1872 map shows the property with a house owned by J. Howard Burnham. Burnham’s wife is listed as Lucy in the deed. The Ipswich Assessors’ site gives an estimated construction date of 1882 for the house at 38 Argilla Rd.
The December 15, 1889 Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, NY ran an article stating that “J. Howard Burnham of Ipswich MA recently sold for large prices exclusive rights for using a carpet cleaning machine in New York City.”
Historic Ipswich 
