The Burnham-Brown house at 86 County Road was originally on Candlewood Road just south of Chebacco Road, and is believed to have been constructed in 1775 by Thomas Burnham. In 1821, Nathan Brown bought the house from Oliver Appleton, and 3 years later, he moved it two miles to its present site on County Road. Brown and later owners enlarged and remodeled the old Burnham House, but some 18th-century features remain. View MACRIS
Early History of This House on Candlewood Rd.
(by Thomas Franklin Waters)
- Thomas Burnham on Candlewood Rd. sold to his son, James, a cooper by trade, about 30acres and a house (but apparently not this one), Nov. 10, 1783 (142: 19).
- James Burnham conveyed this to John Willet, his father-in-law, Jan. 19, 1793 (155: 167).
- John Willet’s will (proved Feb. 7, 1804. Pro. Rec. 371: 325) gave to his daughter, Betsey Burnham, the improvement of the property of her late husband James Burnham; to Betsey and Joshua Burnham, children of Betsey, all lands conveyed to him by James Burnham; to his son, Moses, his homestead, land and buildings, about 15 acres.
- Betsey Burnham married Jabez Richards and conveyed to him the title in the house and acreage on Oct. 17, 1809 (189: 14).
- Richards mortgaged to Moses Willett in 1817 (213: 129).
- David Dodge, the administrator of Moses Willett, quitclaimed to Oliver Appleton Jr., Dec. 24, 1823 (234: 130).
- Appleton sold to Nathan Brown, on Jan. 6, 1824 (234: 130), who moved the house to this lot, which he already owned on County Road.
- Nathan Brown sold the lot on Candlewood Rd. formerly occupied by the house to Nehemiah Brown, Jan. 13, 1826 (272: 111), and he to John B. Brown, Aug. 23, 1833 (609: 236).
Sources
- MACRIS
- Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony by Thomas Franklin Waters
Historic Ipswich 
My wife and I owned this house from 1999 – 2004. My understanding was that it was altered a fair bit by Timothy Bragg, who removed the front ‘right angle’ stairway typical of the era, and installed the curved stairway we see now. Also, this is actually comprised of two houses, joined together in 1824, the rear section being about 1740 construction. Where it was originally built, we never learned.