Washington St., Ipswich

59 Washington Street, the Charles W. Bamford House (C 1887)

Robert T. Bamford

The house at 59 Washington Street in Ipswich was built between 1884 and 1888 for Charles W. Bamford, who was, at various times in his career, Town Clerk, Treasurer, and Justice of the Peace. Bamford owned the house as late as 1910. The form and elaborate cornices define it as Italianate, with influences from the later Victorian era.

Robert Truman Bamford, born at Ipswich in 1893, was the son of Chester W. and Lucy Stone Bamford. He enlisted in the US Navy in 1912 and served three years on the USS Georgia as an electrician, participating in activities against submarines in foreign waters. He lost a foot fighting a fire at the US Naval Station at New London. He was later commissioned a junior grade lieutenant and later as lieutenant senior grade.

Robert Bamford lived on Washington St. until 1945. He served in the town as clerk of courts, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, and chairman of the Finance Committee. He is most remembered for his leading role in the 1956 passage of the town bylaw which mandates that any expenditure over $50,000 must be approved by ballot rather than town meeting votes.

59 Washington Street, the Charles W. Bamford house (C 1887)
Photo from the MACRIS site
59 Washington St., early 20th Century. Photo courtesy of Grace Joan Burns (nee Bamford)
59 Washington St., early 20th Century. Photo courtesy of Grace Joan Burns (nee Bamford)
The Ipswich Cornet Band. The drummer is Charles Glasier, and to his left with the horn under his arm is Chester W. Blamford. Photo courtesy of Grace Joan Burns (Blamford)
The Ipswich Cornet Band. The drummer is Charles Glasier, and to his left with the horn under his arm is Chester W. Blamford. Photo courtesy of Grace Joan Burns (nee Blamford)
Gravestones of Hannah Jewett and Daniel Haskell in Ipswich
Tombstone of Charles W. Bamford, his wife Hannah Jewett, and her father Daniel Haskell Jr. who built the house at 78 Washington Street in 1835.
Children at Manning School in Ipswich.
An early class at Manning School in Ipswich. The second young man from the left is Chester Bamford. The second young woman standing from the right is Eva C. Willcomb. Photo Courtesy of Grace Joan Burns (nee Bamford).
Ipswich Cornet Band
The Ipswich Cornet Band always struck up the music for the Fourth of July. Among the members of the band in this 1891 photo are Walter Kimball, Joseph Malefant, Tom Brown, Albert Mallard, Fred Charles Rollins, Charles Dodge, Frank Page, Charles Glazier, Chester Bamford, Henry Stevens, Joseph De la Haye, Oscar Littlefield, Frank Howe, Warren Dodge, Charles Spiller, and Dick Greenleaf.

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