Shoreborne Wilson, a cooper, bought this lot in 1672 after selling his original lot to Thomas Dennis. Wilson built the northwest portion of the house between 1685 and 1692. Col. Samuel Appleton, a veteran of the Andros Rebellion and the Indian Wars, acquired the house in 1702 and built the southeast portion. In 1920, the house was restored to its early appearance. Col Appleton moved to Lynn, where he owned the Saugus Iron Works, but returned and lived in the house until he died in 1725. His son, Samuel Appleton, inherited but died unexpectedly in London. Creditors took possession of the house, ending ownership by the Appleton family.
Shoreborne Wilson apprenticed as a carpenter and made a living as a cooper. In 1659, he sued his master Wilson Douglass for failing to provide him with clothing and tools of the trade at the end of his apprenticeship, as was customary. Because of the importance of his barrels, Wilson was allowed to cut large amounts of white oak from the town commons. In 1681, the town complained that he was not cutting up the unused parts of the trees for firewood and leaving them on the ground.
Having some money in his family, Wilson sold his first home on County Street to William Searle, who sold it to Thomas Dennis and built this house by the river. A shop that Wilson built was later the starting point for Dennis, who became famous for his cabinetry and woodworking.
The house was purchased in 1702 by Col. Samuel Appleton, the eldest son of Major Samuel Appleton. At the time, it was still a two-room side chimney structure, and it is believed that Appleton expanded the building on the southeast side. Col Appleton removed to Lynn for a few years when John Payne sold him the Saugus Iron Works, but returned to Ipswich and lived in this home until he died in 1725. The Appleton family continued to own land from the Choate Bridge to the Ipswich Museum into the 1800s.
Like all First-Period houses in Ipswich, the house was enlarged over the years, but it still retains the original structure. The northwest section of the house is the earliest portion. Notable period features include a handsome chamfered frame and evidence of the original casement windows’ size and arrangement.
The photo above shows the Sherborne Wilson House on the right and the King’s Rook, a popular local coffee house, on the left. That building served as a dwelling, restaurant, and store. At one time, Mrs. Ralph Burnham operated an antiques and art shop in the smaller building. It became The King’s Rook, later the Stonehenge Club, and was eventually torn down and replaced with the current professional building. One of the oldest buildings in Ipswich, the Ross Tavern, once sat in front of the King’s Rook.
Sources:
Historic Ipswich 