After Asa Lord’s store at Lords Square closed in the 1920s, the rear ell was moved to 24 Mount Pleasant Avenue, where it still stands today. Bill Varrell in Ipswich, Images of America stated that the front of the building, which faced High Street, was moved to East Street, and Alice Keenan wrote that it became the home of the St. Laurent family, behind Alyce’s Variety store (now Ipswich Provisions) on East Street. The left 4 bays of the store are identical to the layout of the 55 East St. house. The fate of the two right side bays is unknown. However, the profile of the gable end of Lord’s Store as shown in the photo is significantly wider than 55 East St, meaning the house would have been significantly reconstructed. The 1910 Ipswich map shows several small utility buildings at this location, giving credence to the above history, but the actual history of this house is still to be determined. The Mass. Historical site MACRIS gives the date of construction as 1872.
When the property was conveyed by James and Lydia Glover to Justin Hull in 1911, there is no mention of a building on the property. Hull then conveyed a portion of the lot back to them. (book 2085 page 87). The Glovers conveyed the portion back to Hull in 1922. (book 2537 page 435). Hull transferred a portion of his property to Vito Amerio in 1924 “with buildings thereon.” (book 2619 page 356). The deed refers to ownership of the lot by Hull in 1892 with “half of a dwelling house and the barn thereon.” (1345, 396).
This lot appears to have been part of the property that included Holland’s Store (now the small store on East St.) constructed in 1909.
Historic Ipswich 