By Helen Breen Daniel Low & Co. started on the bottom floor of the First Church, Unitarian, 231 Essex Street at the corner of Washington Street in Salem. The jewelry company purchased the church in 1923, elegantly refitting the structure as an appropriate setting for its luxurious merchandise. THE BUSINESS Daniel Low & Co. jewelry… Continue reading Daniel Low’s Silver “Witch Spoons” among Salem’s First Souvenirs
Author: Gordon Harris
Gordon Harris is a local historian living in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and publisher of the Historic Ipswich site. Follow him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonrharris/
Ipswich Manning House at the MFA
The frame of a 1692 house that once stood at the intersection of Manning and High Streets in Ipswich is on display in the "Art of the Americas" wing at the Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.
The Ipswich Revolt of 1687
On August 23, 1687, the citizens of Ipswich, led by the Reverend John Wise, denounced the levy of taxes by the arbitrary government of Sir Edmund Andros, and from their protest sprang the American Revolution of 1689.
Description of Ipswich in the 1797 American Gazetteer
The township of Ipswich is divided into 5 parishes, and contains 601 houses, and 4502 inhabitants...This was heretofore a place of much more consideration than at present. Its decline is attributed to a barred harbor and shoals in the river.
Narrative of the Wreck of the Dorchester, November 1844
In November 1844, Eben Caldwell, a native of Ipswich was captain of the 415-ton "Dorchester" which was destroyed off the coast of Ireland in a strong hurricane. This story of the almost miraculous deliverancewas told by Captain Caldwell.
Three Old Houses at the Intersection of Poplar St. and Turkey Shore
The Dr.John Calef House, the Heard-Lakeman House and the Burnham-Patch-Day House sit near each other, a charming sample of 18th century Ipswich architecture.
High Spirits on Town Hill
Standing 14' high and about 12' wide, the new bronze sculpture by Chris Williams on North Main St. in Ipswich honors the town's creative community. It was conceived and funded by Ipswich resident Richard Silverman as a tribute to his late wife Robin Silverman.
Born in a Refuge Camp
By Ingrid Miles, Ipswich I was born in a refugee camp, and I feel as if I am reliving my parents' nightmare after World War II, when my dad had to modify his name and identify himself as Christian; my mother was Catholic in order to come to this country as displaced persons aka DP's.… Continue reading Born in a Refuge Camp
The White Horse Inn, and the Early Ipswich taverns
The house began as a small one-over-one structure built one of the lot's four 17th-century owners. Corp. John Andrews' White Horse Inn makes a good story, and that's how the house got its name.
Life at an Estuarine Front
Shorebirds congregate and drift in rafts along the estuarine front where the mixing of fresh and saltwater stirs up small fish, crustaceans, and other aquatic organisms.
Jake Burridge, the sailor
Legendary Ipswich native Jake Burridge had a century of sailing stories to share with you.
Descendants of Thomas & Mary Treadwell of Ipswich, Massachusetts
The extensive Treadwell family in Ipswich are almost certainly descendants of Thomas Treadwell, who was thirty years old when he arrived on the ship Hopewell with his wife, Mary Wilson, along with their son Thomas, one-year-old.
The Cape Ann Vikings
I find no evidence that Lief Ericson’s brother Thorvald was buried on Cape Ann in 1004 AD or even that Vikings actually set foot here.
“Mill End” Ipswich
"Millend" was the west side of the settlement, including today's Topsfield Rd. and Washington St. Home of Samuel Appleton and John Whipple, it was separated from the east side by a wetland. In1717, Capt. Beamsley Perkins was taken to court for blocking their path to the Meeting House.
The Battle of Gloucester, August 8, 1775
Royal Navy Captain John Linzee commanding the sloop-of-war HMS Falcon, chased a scooner into Gloucester Harbor, upon which the townspeople responded with their militia. Linzee failed in his attempt to retaliate by burning the town, and the patriot forces captured three dozen British seaman.
“We Walked in the Clouds and Could Not See our Way”
Rev. John Hale of Beverly participated in the witch trials until his wife was accused. Hale later published an analysis in which he asserted that Satan had tricked the Puritans, and made a plea for forgiveness.
Historic Ipswich 