Newcomers and visitors to Ipswich inevitably suggest installing a traffic light at the confusing intersection of Market, Central, North Main and South Main Streets, but most people agree it would be a bad idea.
Self-governed at Market Square
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/
Sullivan’s Corner
For eight decades the Sullivan farm in Ipswich, MA practiced a pre-modern way of life. The two sisters who took over their father’s family farm in 1916 were also teachers and principals in the Ipswich schools.
Along the Ipswich River
Historic photos of the Ipswich River from original glass negatives taken by early Ipswich photographers Arthur Wesley Dow, George Dexter and Edward L. Darling.
The Birthplace of American Independence, 1687
The important events I shall describe were a mere tradition in the town where I was born. It was almost a revelation, when, in later years, I found unquestioned historical records deserving of national attention.
The Sidney Shurcliff Riverwalk
In 1984, the Town of Ipswich laid a sewer along an old footpath beside the Ipswich River between The County St. and Green Street stone arch bridges. In 1998 the Mass. Highway Dept. completed construction of the Sidney Shurcliff Riverwalk, due in part to efforts by Sidney Shurcliff's sister Alice.
Block prints from the 1950 IHS calendar: Old Time Ipswich
Ipswich High School "Old Time Ipswich." featuring block prints created and printed by the students for each month of the calendar.
November 5: Guy Fawkes Day (“Pope Night”)
After Guy Hawkes, a Catholic, attempted to blow up the king and members of Parliament, effigies of Guy Fawkes were burned every year on Nov. 5, accompanied by a day of odd activities. The tradition was continued by English settlers in America.
Old House, New Home
Saved from a bulldozer in the 1960s, this 18th-century Georgian-style Ipswich house has a new home as a permanent exhibit at the National Museum of American History.
Chelmsford Center for the Arts
The former town hall in Chelmsford, MA was erected in 1879. Town Meeting voted to use Community Preservation Funds to renovate and restore the building, and on July 4, 2012 the Chelmsford Center for the Arts opened in the fully-restored elegant facility.
Ipswich Hosiery
After the first stocking machine was smuggled from England to Ipswich in 1822, immigrants arrived in Ipswich to work in the cotton and hosiery mills, contributing to the town's diverse cultural heritage.
The Central Ipswich Victorian Neighborhood
Central Street was laid out in 1870, Manning High School opened 4 years later, and stores began to be constructed. By 1884, the Victorian neighborhood that lines Central, Hammatt, Manning, Mineral, Liberty, Brown and Maple Streets had been created.
Pioneer in Partnership award
At the Essex National Heritage Commission’s annual gathering, Executive Director Annie Harris surprised our own Wayne Castonguay by presenting him with the 2022 Pioneer in Partnership Award.
The Arts Need Space
This exciting collaboration between the Living Faith Methodist Church and Ipswich Citizens for the Arts will bring live music, theater and more to the historic heart of Ipswich, while helping save one of most venerable landmarks.
The Giles Firmin Park: from Tannery to Arboretum to Playground
The locality became very unsightly and in 1906, the land and buildings were bought by a private association which removed the unsightly buildings, laid out the lot as a park and garden.
The Switch Rideable Artscape
The SWITCH Rideable ArtScape is a permanent installation made of poured concrete, sculpted metal, and organic materials, located at Bialek Park in Ipswich. The SWITCH serves primarily as a rideable concrete skatepark for riders of all skill levels, as well as an outdoor art gallery, a public performance space, and a gathering area for our… Continue reading The Switch Rideable Artscape
Images from the Ipswich Rotary “Harnecues,” 1952-55
Horse shows were held at Maplecroft Farm on Essex Rd. from 1952 through 1955, sponsored by Ipswich Rotary. Known as "harnecues," the two-day events combined harness racing with barbecues to augment the Rotary student loan fund and benefit Cable Memorial Hospital's building fund, and featured class A equestrian events for children and adults.
Historic Ipswich 