Ipswich Historic Houses

The historic neighborhoods of Meeting House Green, High Street, the East End, and the South Green offer well-preserved streetscapes of 17th to 20th-century homes. Walking tours of historic Ipswich are led by Gordon Harris.

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Interactive Map of Ipswich Historic Houses
Visitor Center brochure: A walking guide to First Period houses
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Ipswich architectural resources
Historic preservation
Partial List of Historic Houses updated in 2021 including dates of construction, historic name, and information relevant to the Demolition Review Bylaw and the Architectural Preservation District.

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COMPREHENSIVE IPSWICH INDEX

Or view a list of historic houses in Ipswich without the photos. To update or add information, please contact Gordon Harris at gordonharris2@gmail.com

Click on the names or images to read the histories of the houses listed.

View this list without photos.
Email Gordon Harris at historicipswich@gmail.com with your additions or corrections for this site.
House names are the first owner or the person who lived in them.
Street addresses are listed alphabetically by the first digit. (For example, 9 High Street follows 89 High Street).

Agawam Ave.

6 Agawam Avenue, the Carey-Hobbs house (1855) – This house was built in 1855 by Augustus C. Carey, who sold it in 1865 to Captain John Hobbs, who recruited two companies of Ipswich men during the Civil War, one of which he led to the front. Continue reading.

8 Agawam Avenue, the Newmarch-Spiller House (1798) – Hannah Newmarch Spiller was Zaccheus’ granddaughter and wife of Thomas Newmarch, who is assumed to have built this house. The estate was bequeathed by Hannah’s sister, Martha Newmarch (who was unmarried), to Hannah Spiller, daughter of her late sister. Continue reading.

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Argilla Road

38 Argilla Rd., the Joseph Howard Burnham House (1865) – Thomas Franklin Waters wrote about this property in The Old Argilla Road: “The original grantees seem to have disposed of their holdings at an early date. William Fuller removed to Hampton and sold his grant to his brother John. John Fuller seems to have been living in the vicinity of Mr. J. Howard Burnham’s residence. Continue reading.

10 Argilla Rd., Harry Joyce House (c. 1885) – The house at 10 Argilla Rd. is not shown in the 1884 Ipswich map, but was sold by Harry Joyce on Oct. 8, 1890, to Gustavus Kinsman.

106 Argilla Road, the Octavia Hamlin House (1784) – The Hamlin Reservation is a 135-acre former coastal farmland, with a rocky forested island surrounded by salt marsh, now owned by the Trustees of Reservations. The house and barn were moved from across the road in about 1916. Continue reading

107 Argilla Road, Argilla Farm (c. 1805) – In 1637, John Winthrop Jr. conveyed his farm to Samuel Symonds, who became Deputy-Governor of the Colony. It came into possession of Thomas Baker, who married one of Symonds’ daughters. Allen Baker built the hip-roofed farmhouse in 1785. It was purchased by Ephraim Brown and inherited by his son Thomas. Continue reading

11 Argilla Rd. (c. 1900) –

12 Argilla Road, the Norman J. Bolles House (c.1900) – The first known owner of this house is Norman J. Bolles, president of the Ipswich Savings Bank. This house is a fine example of a Queen Anne Cottage. Features include a wealth of shingle types and an exceptional shingled carriage house in the rear, which retains a cupola. Continue reading

13 Argilla Road, Thomas and Elizabeth Brown House (c. 1844) – The simple exterior is enlivened by Victorian elements, including two door hoods with elaborate scroll brackets decorated with incised floral motifs and sunbursts. Thomas Brown is the first known owner of the house (shown in a map dated 1856). Continue reading

14 Argilla Rd. (c. 1920) – 14 Argilla Rd. (c. 1920. Continue reading

George Dexter house, Argilla Rd., Ipswich

15 Argilla Road, the George and Mabelle Dexter House (1893) – George Dexter was a prominent Ipswich photographer in the 19th Century through 1920. This classic Queen Anne house includes an outbuilding which was used by Dexter as a photography studio. Continue reading

153 Argilla Road, the Isaac Goodale House (1669) – This First Period house was built in West Peabody before 1695. In 1928, it was reconstructed at 153 Argilla Road by Robert and Susan Goodale. Continue reading

155 Argilla Road, the Holman-Ilsley House, c. 1790 (moved in 1951) – This house was moved to this location from Ilsley Farm in W. Newbury. Architectural features suggest an 18th Century origin. Continue reading

164 Argilla Rd. the Francis Cogswell Homestead (1743) – Francis Cogswell purchased this property in 1743, but the date of construction is uncertain. Continue reading

166 Argilla Rd. (1913) –

Tilton Smith house, Argilla Road in Ipswich

168 Argilla Road, the Tilton-Smith House (c. 1720) – Built circa 1720 by Abraham Tilton Jr., a 1998 fire took away much of its original frame, but the owner totally rebuilt the home with materials salvaged from 18th and 19th-century structures throughout New England. Continue reading

Samuel Wade - S. F. Canney housse, 17 Argilla Rd.

17 Argilla Road, the Samuel Wade-Canney House (1845) – Samuel Wade built this house as a retreat in 1845. In 1856, it was owned by S. F. Canney, whose lumber company burned at its first location by the County Street Bridge, and burned again at its Brown Square location. Continue reading

173 Argilla Rd. (c. 1920) –

176 Argilla Rd., “Thatchbanks” (1912) – Mr. and Mrs. August Neal Rantoul built their large and solid brick house, “Thatchbank” at 176 Argilla Rd. on the southwest side of Goodale pond in 1912 on land purchased from John August Burnham. Continue reading

178 Argilla Road, the Stephen Smith House (1742) – Sagamore Hill, which is near Fox Creek and Argilla Roads, was originally apportioned in small tillage lots to a considerable number of owners. The oldest part of this house was built by Stephen Smith, who bought the land in 1742. Continue reading

187 Argilla Rd. (1907) –

188 Argilla Road, the Oliver Cogswell House (1815) – Oliver Cogswell built this dwelling about 1815. In the early 20th century it was purchased by Dr. Joseph L. Goodale of Boston, who improved the plain farm dwelling into an attractive summer home. Continue reading

203 Argilla Rd., the William Shurcliff House (1963) – The house at 203 Argilla Rd. was designed in 1963 for William Shurcliff by architect Royal Barry Wills. Continue reading

Sidney Shurcliff house, Argilla Road, Ipswich Ma

207 Argilla Rd., the Sidney Shurcliff House (1935) – Sidney Shurcliff, a Boston landscape architect hired architect George W. W. Brewster to convert the Mary Lord house into his summer residence. Continue reading

208 Argilla Road, the Barney-Smith House (1917) – The 1884 Ipswich map shows the owner of the acreage as John B. Caverly. The 1910 Ipswich map shows the property belonging to “Dr. Smith.” On March 29th, 1913, Theobald Smith sold “a parcel of land and salt marsh” to Margaret H. Barney, (Salem Deeds, book 2204, page 575). The Barneys built the present estate house. Continue reading

211 Argilla Rd., the Mary Ann Archer Lord House (1902) – In 1902, Mary Ann Archer Lord of Boston purchased 20 Acres of Land on Argilla Road from the Smith family. No buildings are mentioned in the deed. In 1929, Sidney Lord and other parties sold to Benjamin Van Wick the property, including buildings, bordering on the lot of Dr. Charles Townsend, the well-known naturalist. Van… Continue reading

217 Argilla Road, the Townsend House (1902) – In 1892, Dr. Charles Wendell Townsend and his family began spending summers on Argilla Road, staying at Smith’s Boarding house. He built his house a decade later. Townsend is known for his nature studies of the sand dunes and wildlife at Crane Beach and Plum Island. Continue reading

232 Argilla Road, the Patch-Brown-Crockett House (c. 1760-85) – John Patch died in 1799, leaving the Sagamore Hill farm to his grandson Tristram Brown, who built the dwelling, which he operated as a boarding house on the way to the beach. Dr. Eugene A. Crockett bought the property along with its dairy and hay farm in November 1897. Continue reading

27 Argilla Rd. (1928) –

280 Argilla Road, the Inn at Castle Hill (1860) – Originally built as a farmhouse in the mid-1800s, businessman John Burnham Brown inherited and expanded it into a larger home with a road system and gardens. Richard T. Crane purchased the property in 1910 and spent summers here while his mansion was under construction. In 2000, the Trustees of Reservations opened it as “The Inn at Castle Hill. Continue reading

3 Argilla Rd. (c. 1900) – This house has not been researched… Continue reading

31 Argilla Rd. (c. 1910) –

43 Argilla Road, the Giddings-Burnham House (c. 1640 / 1680) – The earliest section of the Giddings-Burnham House at 43 Argilla Road in Ipswich was built in the mid-17th century by carpenter George Giddings, who immigrated from Norfolk, England. Continue reading

44 Argilla Rd. (c. 1930) – This large Gothic revival house is not on the 1910 map, but a 1920 date is on the Ipswich assessors’ site.

50 Argilla Road, the Burnham-Andrews House (1815) – The Burnham farm at one time stretched both sides of Argilla Road. This house was probably moved a short distance to this location by J. Howard Burnham in the late 18th or early 19th Century. Continue reading

Samuel Kinsman house, 53 Argilla Rd., Ipswich

53 Argilla Road, the Samuel Kinsman house (1750-77) – Samuel Kinsman received this property in a bequest from his father, Capt. John Kinsman, who married Hannah Burnham in 1733. The house is generally dated circa 1750 with a 1777 wing from an existing structure that was moved. Continue reading

George Haskell house, 66 Argilla Road, Ipswich MA

66 Argilla Road, the George Haskell House (1855) – George Haskell, a lawyer, constructed the large white house on Argilla Road at the base of Heartbreak Hill in 1855-56. A gentleman farmer, he invested his time in a quest for the ultimate wine grape. Continue reading

89 Argilla Rd. (1834) – The Ipswich Historical Commission refers to this house as the Dr. John Manning farm. In 1897, Theodore Wendel married Philena Stone, and they spent their summers in this house at the farm on Argilla Road that she inherited from her family. Continue reading

The Crane Estate at Castle Hill (1928) – Castle Neck and Crane Beach have a long history of ownership by several families before being granted by the Cranes to the Trustees of Reservations. Continue reading

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Brown Square

10 Brown Square, Tedfords Lumber (1933) – Tedford’s Lumber on Brown Square got its start in 1946 when James Tedford Sr. and Bill Martin, just back from the Navy, took a portable sawmill into the woods to cut timber. The next year, they decided to open a lumber yard on Brown Square. Continue reading

19 Brown Square (1903) – Harold Bowen wrote that this building was constructed from bricks that were saved from where the parking lot is now for the Ipswich Inn opposite N. Main Street. Continue reading

2 Brewery Place (Brown Square) Ipswich Ale Brewery (c.1900) – The Burke Shoe Heel factory burned on June 19, 1933, but this wing survived the fire, and is today the Ipswich Ale Brewery. It was the home of Saffron Brothers, the exclusive suppliers of clams to the Howard Johnson chain for 32 years. Continue reading

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Brown Street

10 Brown Street, Essex Hosiery Company Worker Housing (c. 1900) – Several homes on this street were built by the short-lived Essex Hosiery Company to house their employees. The house is typical of the vernacular Victorian “gable with ell” homes built at the end of the 19th Century on Brown and Mineral Streets. Continue reading

12 Brown St. (c. 1890) – Several homes on this street were built by the short-lived Essex Hosiery Company to house their employees. The house is typical of the vernacular Victorian “gable with ell” homes built at the end of the 19th Century on Brown, Cottage, and Mineral Streets. Continue reading

14 Brown St., Mitchell-Ralph House (c. 1890) – Several homes on this street were built by the short-lived Essex Hosiery Company to house their employees. The house is typical of the vernacular Victorian “gable with ell” homes built at the end of the 19th Century on Brown, Cottage, and Mineral Streets. Continue reading

16 Brown St., the Leno House (1890) – Several homes on this street were built by the short-lived Essex Hosiery Company to house their employees. The house is typical of the vernacular Victorian “gable with ell” homes built at the end of the 19th Century on Brown, Cottage, and Mineral Streets. Continue reading

8 Brown Street, Timothy Carey House (1890) – The house is typical of the Liberty/Brown/Mineral/Washington Street “folk Victorian” homes built at the end of the 19th Century, often from plans available through architectural magazines. The style in Ipswich was generally L-shaped with a porch and brackets under the gable, and mass-produced prefabricated trim. Continue reading

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Candlewood Road

14 Candlewood Road, the Joseph and Elizabeth Perkins Brown House (1779) – Elizabeth Brown, descendant of the early Candlewood settler John Brown, was the wife of Captain Perkins. In December 1779, their daughter, Elizabeth, became the wife of Joseph Brown, of the same family line, who built this house. Continue reading

3 Candlewood Rd., the Brown-Whipple House (1812) – Joseph Brown built this house in 1812 as a dwelling for his son, James, and sold him the house and 3 acres, Dec. 23, 1817. The entire estate of Joseph Brown was eventually inherited by James. In 1852, D. F. Brown and the other heirs sold their interest to Hervey Whipple, who had married Martha P., daughter of James Brown, July 3, 1852. The heirs of Hervey Whipple still occupied into the 21st Century. Continue reading

30 Candlewood Rd., the Ephraim Brown House (1825) – More homes of the Brown family in Ipswich

Martin Keith house, Candlewood Rd. Ipswich

36 Candlewood Road, the Martin Keith House (1807, moved 1995) – The Martin Keith House (1807) is a fine Federal era specimen that stood for two centuries in Middleborough, MA. By 1990, it was barely salvageable with rotted sills and interior damage. In 1995, buyers from Ipswich agreed to have it restored on their property. Continue reading

41 Candlewood Road, the Boardman House (c. 1730) – Bryan Townsend completely restored this second-period 1750 home, built by Captain John Boardman or his son Thomas. The barn that Townsend restored received the 2009 Mary Conley award for historic preservation of an Ipswich property. Continue reading

49 Candlewood Road, the Robert Kinsman House (b. 1714) – Robert Kinsman constructed this First Period house before 1714, and the home has been greatly expanded over the years. Stephen Kinsman inherited the house in 1726, and with his wife Elizabeth Russell, brought up a family of twelve children. They dwelt in the old Robert Kinsman homestead until 1767 when he sold his farm, 47 acres and buildings to Samuel Patch. Continue reading

59 Candlewood Road, the Jeremiah Kinsman House (1752) – Stephen Kinsman built the house at 59 Candlewood Rd. in 1752. He bequeathed to his son Jeremiah “all my lands in Walker’s Swamp with the dwelling house and buildings thereon, recorded Dec.27, 1756. Continue reading

65 Candlewood Road, the Rhoda Kinsman House (1776/1818) – Jeremiah Kinsman died in 1818, and his will bequeathed the “Walker’s Island farm” to his sons Jeremiah and William in equal parts. William or his son William Jr. built this house next door, which was known as the “cottage.” It came to be occupied by Rhoda Kinsman, daughter of William Jr. Continue reading

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Central Street

101 Central Street, Newton House (c. 1900) – This house first appears in the 1910 Ipswich map on the same lot as the house in front, labeled, “Mrs. Newton.” Sources:

107 Central Street, the Collins House (c. 1880) – This rambling double house is trimmed with characteristic Queen Anne finery. The entrance porches are decorated with turned posts, balusters, and spindle screens. Elaborate rising sun motifs in both gables, eave brackets, and staggered butt shingles in the bays complete the design. Continue reading

108 Central Street, the George W. Baker House (1872) – 108 Central Street is one of three identical houses along this stretch of Central Street. George W. Baker, who served in the Civil War from February 1962 until August 1865 occupied the house after its construction. Continue reading

109 Central Street, Daniel and Mary Collins House (1873) – The house at 109 Central St. appears in the 1884 Ipswich map as “Collins,” and is shown in the 1893 Ipswich Birdseye map. Daniel Collins deeded the house to his “loving daughter” Mary Collins in 1887. The “parcel of land on the new road” was conveyed by Nathan Jewett to Dan Collins on August 16. Continue reading

110 Central Street, the Samuel Baker House (before 1884) – Three identical houses with mansard roofs appear in the 1893 Ipswich Birdseye map and are still standing. The 1884 Ipswich map shows this house owned by “S. H. Baker” and the one next door owned by “G. H. Baker.” Samuel Baker and other parties conveyed “a certain parcel of land” in 1894 to Chebacco Associates. Continue reading

111 Central Street, the Albert and Annie Garland House (1894) – The house at 111 Central St. first appears in the 1910 Ipswich map, with the owner shown as A. S. Garland. Albert J. Garland, Edward Lord and Edward Baxter received a mortgage for the lot “with a new building thereon” in 1894 (Book 1432, page 305). Henry Garland was the owner of the house in 1934. Continue reading

2 Central Street, the Tyler Block (1906) – The Tyler Building, was the last commercial block on Central Street to be constructed after the 1894 Central Street fire. It was the home of Tyler’s Department Store and Quint’s Drugs, and houses the Heart and Soul restaurant. Continue reading

Memorial Building, Central Street Ipswich MA

33 Central Street, Memorial Hall (1921) – In 1921, the Memorial Building was built in memory of Ipswich Veterans. The long stairs from Central Street were difficult. The town sold the building to a non-profit corporation in 2003 and the building was renovated into affordable elderly housing. Continue reading

35 Central St., the Caldwell-Copp House (1880) – The Oak Hill apartments building at 35 Central Street was constructed in 1880 by Joel Caldwell. In 1891, Margaret and Lydia Caldwell sold the property to Carlton and Harriett Copp. Continue reading

38 Central Street, the Measures Building (c. 1900) – Austin Measures built this after the Central Street fire of 1894. Measures’ Candy Shop was a long-lasting institution that began in a small building on North Main Street. The building was taken down in 1904 to construct the Colonial Building, and it reopened in this Central Street location. Continue reading

44 Central St., the Ellen V. Lang House (c. 1885) – The 1884 Ipswich map shows a house set back from Central St., belonging to “Mrs. Wildes.” In 1888, The Agawam Manual and Directory by M.V. B. Perley shows the following residences: This house is shown in the 1893 Ipswich Birdseye map. The 1910 Ipswich map shows this house belonging to “Mrs. Lang.” Continue reading

The Ipswich Fire Department building on Central Street was built for horse-drawn fire trucks

55 Central Street, Central Fire Station (1907) – Constructed for horse-drawn equipment in 1908, this building has served for over a century as the Ipswich fire station. Continue reading.

79 Central Street, the Foster Russell Jr. House (1883) – John Cogswell sold this lot without a house for $300.00 to Augustus Russell and Foster Russell Jr. in 1883 (book 1110, page 078). This house appears in the 1893 Ipswich Birdseye map; the 1884 and 1910 Ipswich maps show the owner of the house as Foster Russell Jr. Continue reading.

80 Central Street, the Malachi Nolan House (1877) – Dr. Asabel Wildes sold three small lots to Malachi Nolan, who appears to have built this house in 1877. His daughter, Mary Marshall, sold the combined lots with the building to Charles A Sayward in 1911. Continue reading.

Isaac J. Potter house, 82 Central Street, Ipswich MA

82 Central St., the Isaac J. Potter House (b. 1884) – This house was the home of Isaac J. Potter, editor of the Ipswich Chronicle, who became the paper’s sole proprietor. Continue reading

83 Central Street, the International House (1866) – In 1866, the International House was built by the Eastern Railroad beside the Ipswich Depot. It was moved in 1882 to make room for a new depot. It continued to be operated as a hotel, and in the 1970s and 80s was known as the House of Hinlin. Continue reading.

87 Central Street (c 1890) – The 1910 Ipswich map shows the owner of the house at 87 Central Street as”Misses Peatsfield.” The house is almost identical in construction to the house at 89 Central Street, which is shown in the 1884 Ipswich map. Continue reading

88 Central Street, the W. L. Johnson House (c. 1880) – The W. L. Johnson House is the most ambitious Mansard on Central Street, and preserves original decorative detailing. A matching carriage house also survives. Continue reading

90 Central Street, the Brown-Riley House (1897) – Deeds:

91 Central Street, the Sylvanius and Mary Canney House (c. 1866) – The house at this location first appears in the 1872 Ipswich map under the name “S. F. Canney.” Sylvanius F. Canney purchased the lot in 1866 and sold the house and land to Israel Jewett in 1869. Continue reading

92 Central St., the Abbie G. Lord House (1871) – The house at 90 Central St. was constructed after Andrew Geyer purchased the lot from Amos Smith in 1869. He sold the finished house to Abbie G. Lord in 1873, who sold to Maria J. Brown in 1897. Continue reading

97 Central Street, the Olive and Charles McIntire House (1885) – This house was constructed with stick-style Victorian decorative features. Continue reading

98 Central Street, the William and Abigail Haskell House (b 1884) – This house first appears under the name William Haskell in the 1884 Ipswich map. The house is shown as “A. Damon” on the 1910 map. It is also shown in the 1893 Birdseye map of Ipswich. Continue reading

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County Road

102 County Road, the Rowell-Homans House (c.1865) – A brick powder house was constructed near this house. Ira Worcester sold Jane Rowell, the half-acre lot on Aug. 31, 1865, on which she built this dwelling, later owned by Mr. Homans, with the right to the Town to keep the Powder house. April 18, 1871. Continue reading

The Hellenic Center on County Rd. in Ipswich

117 is property in 1903-4 and transformed the bare pastures into a beautiful estate named Floriana. For many years, it has served as the Hellenic Center for the town’s Greek population. Continue reading

126 County Road, Benjamin Stickney Cable Memorial Hospital (1916-1987) – Cable Memorial Hospital was built in 1917 on the former Kimball estate, known in Colonial times as Windmill Hill. After his friend Benjamin Stickney Cable was killed in an automotive accident, Richard Teller Crane Jr. purchased the land and donated $145,000 to the hospital construction fund. Continue reading

136 County Rd., Ipswich, the home of Francis Henry Richardson

136 County Rd., the Francis Henry Richardson House (1902) – The artist Francis Henry Richardson built a house for his family in Ipswich after studying at the Academie Julian in France. In Ipswich, he concentrated on landscapes and only a few portraits. His exhibitions included the National Academy of Design, Pennsylvania Academy, Detroit Museum of Art, Salamagundi Club, and others, receiving the Philadelphia Art Society medal in 1902 and the Boston Art Club Purchase Prize in 1903. Continue reading

175 County Road, the Jonathan Potter house, Ipswich MA

175 County Road, the William Manning House (1820) – The large Federal-era house on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church in Ipswich was built by William Manning in 1820 after he purchased a portion of the ancient Potter family Farm. Continue reading

197 County Rd., ”Applegate” (1875) – This estate was owned by Ruth Appleton Tuckerman and her husband, Charles. Four houses were built along the north side of Waldingfield Road by the grandchildren of Gen. James Appleton. Continue reading

240 County Road, the Proctor Estate, New England Biolabs (1895) – The former James H. Proctor estate was built in 1895. The Catholic Church purchased the property, where it was used as a novitiate by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and later became the Catholic school Don Bosco. Since 1999, the Proctor estate has been the home of New England Biolabs, which provides walking trails open to the public. Continue reading

64 County Road, the Southside Store (c. 1836) – The South Green also had a grocery store for many years. Originally known as the Goodhue Grocery, in the 20th Century it was called the South Side Store. The store closed in 1980. Continue reading

68 County Road, Locke’s Folly (1836) – Otis Holmes sold this lot to Calvin Locke in 1835 (286:247), and this impressive Greek Revival house was built a year later. The size of the house and the tall Greek columns on the front exceeded his resources, such that the house came to be called “Locke’s Folly.” Locke was an overseer in Augustine Heard’s lace factory, the Ipswich Manufacturing Company. Continue reading

70 County Road, the John Hayes House (1910) – The hip roof, the generous front porch, and extended eaves of this 1910 house draw from the Arts and Crafts architectural styles of the early 20th Century. The Hayes Tavern at Depot Square was known as the Hayes Hotel in the mid-twentieth century. Continue reading

72 County Road, the David Giddings House (1828) – The site of the David Giddings house was bequeathed by Jonathan Wade to his grandson Nathaniel in 1749. In 1828 Wade sold the lot and the shop standing on it to David Giddings, who enlarged it to a two-story dwelling facing the Green. Continue reading

76 County Road, the Asa Wade House (1831) – This building is similar to the house next door, which was built by Samuel Wade, who may have built both houses. Asa Wade is buried in the Old South Cemetery across the street. Continue reading

Samuel Wade House, 78 County Rd. Ipswich

78 County Road, the Samuel Wade House (1831) – In 1831, Samuel Wade purchased a lot and built this house as his home. In the early-mid Twentieth Century, the Samuel Wade house became the Southside Nursing Home, with 20 rooms & 13 bathrooms. It was restored as a private residence by the Marchand family, who made it their home in the 1960s and 70s. Continue reading

79 County Road, the Jacob Manning House (c. 1820) – The house was built in approximately 1820, and was moved back on the lot when the Verizon telephone company building was constructed in the 20th Century. Continue reading

82 County Road, the Brown – Manning House (1835) – The widow Judith Manning and single woman Mary Brown had the house at 82 County Rd. built for them in 1835. It remained in the family until the late 19th century. Continue reading

83 County Road, the Rogers-Brown-Rust House (1665-1723) – In 1836, the house and lot were conveyed to the South Parish as a church site. Asa Brown bought the house and moved it to its present location. Continue reading

84 County Road, the Reverends Daniel Fitz and Moses Welch House (1829) – The house was used as a joint residence by Rev. Moses Welch, who assumed the pastorate of Linebrook Church in 1831, and the Rev. Daniel Fitz, who assumed the pastorate of the nearby South Church in 1827 upon the death of the Rev. Joseph Dana… Continue reading

85 County Road, the John Wade House (1810) – The John Wade house was built at the far end of South Green in 1810, but was moved further down County Road in 1948 to make room for the South Green Burial Ground expansion. This house bears remarkable similarity to the homes of housewrights Asa Wade and Samuel Wade, both still standing in their original locations on County Rd. facing the South Green. Continue reading

86 County Road, the Burnham – Brown House (1775) – This house was built in 1775 on a lot on Candlewood Rd., probably by Thomas Burnham. In 1821, Nathan Brown bought the house from Oliver Appleton, and 3 years later, he moved it to its present site on County Road. Brown and others enlarged and remodeled the old Burnham House, but some 18th-century features remain. Continue reading

88 County Road, the Col. Nathaniel Wade House (1727) – This house was built in 1727 by Captain Thomas Wade. His son Nathaniel Wade received command at West Point after General Arnold went to the enemy. The house has a preservation covenant with the Ipswich Historical Commission. Continue reading

90 County Road, the William Wade House (1822) – Captain William Wade was a carpenter by trade, and the house features an attractive stairway and handrails in the front entry hall. The Wade family dominated this stretch along County Road. Continue reading

Nathaniel Wade house, 92 County Rd., constructed in 1810

92 County Road, the Nathaniel Wade House and Shop (1810) – The Nathaniel Wade house and shop at 92 County Road was constructed in 1810. Many of the 19th-century houses on the east side of County Rd. were built by the Wade family, many of whom were contractors. Continue reading

John and Jesse Wade's shop, 94 County Rd., constructed about 1890

94 County Road, Jesse and John Wade’s Shop (1888) – Jesse and John Wade were in a long line of builders from the Wade family, who constructed several houses on the east side of County Rd. This 1888 house is said to have been their shop. Continue reading

96 County Road, Old South Church Parsonage (1860)

96 County Road, the Old South Church Parsonage (1860) – This charming small house with elaborate Italianate trim was built in 1860 as the parsonage for the South Congregational Church, which was at the head of the South Green. The church burned in 1977. The Rev. Thomas Franklin Waters and his family lived in this home. Continue reading

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County Street

John Dennis House, County St., Ipswich MA

10 County Street, the Dennis-Dodge House (1740) – The 1740 Dennis-Dodge house was owned by Captain John Dennis, whose father, Thomas Dennis, was a renowned woodworker and owned a home across the street. A succession of Dennis family members retained this property. Captain Ignatius Dodge (1816 – 1901) inherited the house. In the early 1800s, Eunice Hale maintained a school in the building. Continue reading

11 County Street, the Bennett-Caldwell House (1725) – Joseph Bennett built this early Second Period house in 1725. In 1818, the house was sold to Capt. Sylvanus Caldwell, who engaged in maritime trade along the coast from Massachusetts to Maine for a half-century. Continue reading

15 County Street, the Rev. Levi Frisbie House (1788) – This house at 15 County Street was built in 1788 for Rev. Levi Frisbie, pastor of First Church in Ipswich. He continued in the pastorate thirty years until his death in 1806, succeeded by the Rev. David Tenney Kimball. Continue reading

16 County Street, the Abraham Knowlton House (1726) – The original house is believed to have been constructed between 1725 and 1740. The house was in poor condition, and in 2003 was restored by Ipswich architect Matthew Cummings. It is identical in construction to the Dennis-Dodge house a few doors away. Continue reading

17 County Street, Perkins and Daniels Shoe Factory (1843) – This house was built in 1843 near the EBSCO dam as Hoyt’s Veneer Mill. It was moved in 1859 to its present location, where it became the Perkins & Daniels Stocking Factory. Farley & Daniels succeeded in 1884. Continue reading

25 County Street, the J. Caldwell House (c. 1860) – The house at 25 County Street in Ipswich was built in approximately 1860 on a corner of the former Ipswich Jail grounds. The 1872 Ipswich map shows the owner as J. Caldwell. In 1910 the owner is N. S. Kimball. Continue reading

26 County St., J. M Dunnels house, Ipswich MA

26 County Street, the John M. Dunnels house (1867) – This home was constructed in approximately 1867 by J. M. Dunnels, who was a “tin and sheet iron worker” with a shop downtown. Continue reading

28 County St., the Stone-Wendel House (1872) – Theodore Wendell Wendel first lived in this Victorian house before moving to Argilla Rd. The nearby County Street and Green Street bridges appear in his paintings, as does Town Hill and the rolling landscapes beyond. Continue reading

3 County Street (c. 1850) – The house does not appear on the Ipswich maps through 1910, at which time this tiny parcel was owned by Dr. Russell. Continue reading

31 County Street, Ascension Memorial Episcopal Church (1875) – The Ascension Memorial Episcopal Church on County Street was designed by famed architect James Renwick Jr. (1818-1895) and is considered “American Gothic Revival” in style. Construction was begun in 1869 and completed in 1875. Continue reading

35 County St., the Lydia and Reuben Daniels House (1863) – The house was built by Reuben Daniels, surveyor and shoe manufacturer, and his wife, Lydia. Continue reading

45 County Street, the Amos Dunnels House (1823) – The Amos Dunnels house was constructed in 1823 on South Main St. and was moved to 45 County St. in the 20th Century. Continue reading

47 County Street, the Benjamin Grant House (1735) – The Benjamin Grant House was originally built as a half-house. Benjamin Grant was born in 1701, married Anne Perkins in 1722, and was killed in the French and Indian War in 1756. Continue reading

Pinder-Rindge house, Summer St., Ipswich

5 County Street, the Richard Rindge / Pindar House (1718) – The First Period house at 5 County Street was originally on Upper Summer Street, and was moved to this location in the last half of the 19th Century. Continue reading

Thomas Dennis house, County Street, Ipswich MA

7 County Street, the Thomas Dennis House (1663-1750) – Shoreborne Wilson, a cooper, built a house and shop on this site about 1660. Thomas Dennis, the well-known master joiner, bought the property in 1663. A 1685 deed refers to the “new dwelling house” of Thomas Dennis. Continue reading

9 County Street, the Benjamin Dutch House (1705) – This was built early in the 1700s, and was owned by one of several men named Benjamin Dutch who owned and sold properties throughout town. The asymmetrical facade and timber frame are typical of First Period construction. Continue reading

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Depot Square

11 Depot Square, Russell’s Lunch (c. 1900) – Arthur Honey Russell is said to have been responsible for making the Ipswich fried clam famous. Folks from other cities and towns on the North Shore came to Ipswich on the train or by trolley just to eat at Russell’s on Depot Square. Continue reading

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East Street

10 East Street, the Nathaniel Harris House (1819) – Nathaniel Harris built his home in 1819 on a section of land from the Baker Newman property next door. His widow, Elizabeth Staniford, lived into her 90s. The county laid a pipe connecting a spring on this land to the house of corrections on Meetinghouse Green. Continue reading

13 East St., Ignatius Dodge Shoe Manufacturing (b. 1856) – On the 1856 map, this appears to be the “Ignatius Dodge Shoe Shop.” The 1910 Ipswich map shows #13 East Street is owned by “F. Lord.”… Continue reading

14 East Street, the Baker-Newman House (1725) – John Baker obtained a section of the land extending down East Street to Spring Street, originally granted to Rev. Cobbet. Nathaniel Jones Jr. sold the house and lot to George Newman Jr., a weaver. Continue reading

15 East Street: Dawson’s Bakery; James and Louise Glover House (c. 1870) – The house at #15 East Street may have been a small shop before it was converted to residences. The 1872 map shows the building at this location as “Dawson Bakery.” Continue reading

16 East St., Ipswich MA, the Lakeman house

16 East Street, the Lakeman-Johnson House (c 1840) – This house was built between 1837 and 1846 when mariner Richard Lakeman sold the land “with the dwelling house and other buildings thereon,” to his brother, Captain Ebenezer “Eben” Lakeman. The house has an Asher Benjamin doorway and has a preservation agreement with Historic New England. Continue reading

18 East Street, the Baker-Dodge House (1727) – This house was built by John Baker III, and was purchased by Mary Dennis Dodge in 1818. The house is protected by a preservation agreement between the owners and the town of Ipswich. Continue reading

2 East Street, the Robert Jordan House (1863) – The home of esteemed Col. Francis Wainwright was at this location in the 17th and early 18th centuries. The original Methodist Church meeting house was erected here in the 1830s. Robert Jordan, a clothing merchant, bought this lot in 1862 and built this fine Italianate home. Dr. George C. Bailey was the next owner and then built the large Victorian house at 48 Market Street in 1887. Continue reading

G. Russell house, 21 East St., Ipswich MA

21 East Street, the George Russell House (c. 1870) – The first known owner of this house was George Russell (1823-1884), a mason. His parents were Daniel Russell and Mary Lakeman. Continue reading

22 East Street, Ipswich MA the Moses Fellows house

22 East Street, the Moses Fellows House (1873) – Thomas Sweet sold this lot to Moses A. Fellows and Sarah G. Hodgkins in 1873, and Fellows built this Italianate house shortly thereafter. Fellows owned a lumber yard on Water Street. Continue reading

25 East St., Ipswich MA the Stanwood-Willcomb house

25 East St, the Stanwood-Willcomb House (1830) – Stephen Stanwood erected this house in 1830 for a fulling mill. Sheep grazed on the bare hills above East and High Streets, and the mill used water that ran from the springs. This is said to be the first house in town to have running water. Fred Willcomb and his brother Lewis E. Willcomb operated a store here at Willcomb’s Corner. Continue reading

Polly Dole House, Ipswich MA, home of John Updike

26 East Street, the Polly Dole House (1687-1720) – Part of this house was constructed in 1687 for Deacon John Staniford and his wife Margaret. It acquired its current form in 1720. This was the home of writer John Updike, and it has a preservation agreement with the Ipswich Historical Commission. Continue reading

27 East Street, the Widow Elizabeth Caldwell House (1740-1755) – Joseph Wait sold this lot to Elizabeth Caldwell, widow of Thomas, in 1829, who moved and joined two houses built c. 1740 and 1775 to this location. Continue reading

3 East St., Ipswich MA the J. W. Perkins house

3 East Street, the James W. Perkins House and Provisions (1860) – This house was built between 1856 and 1872. Samuel Hunt purchased the ancient Day-Dodge house at the corner of North Main and East Streets on Feb. 14, 1849, with three lots adjoining. The 1856 Ipswich map shows Burroughs Machine Shop at this location. The 1896 Ipswich Business Directory lists J.W. Perkins, Provisions and Meat Market at this location on East Street. Continue reading

Francis Jordan house,. 30 East St., Ipswich MA

30 East Street, the Francis Jordan House (c. 1680) – A massive 17th Century timber frame from the First Period of construction in the English colonies is fully displayed throughout this house. Continue reading

33 East St., the Old Store (1830) – The house at 33 East St. was built in approximately 1830 near the corner of East and County Streets for use as a store by James Quimby, and was moved to this location in 1850 by Joseph Wait. Continue reading

35 East Street, the Luther Wait House (1810) – In 1872 Luther Wait removed the County jailor’s house to this location. Wait served on several town boards including the school committee and as town assessor, and served two terms as postmaster. Continue reading

37 East Street, the Stephen Baker House (1834) – The small two-story three-bay colonial at 37 East Street was built in 1834 by Stephen Baker Jr. as a storehouse for his grocery. The lot was also used as a lumber yard, and Baker opened a way to the river, constructing a wharf at the end of the lane. Continue reading

38 East Street, the John Harris House (1743) – Thomas Harris purchased land along East Street in 1665. His son John, was a deputy sheriff and transported accused witches to Salem for trial. This sizable Georgian house was built by John Harris, 3rd or 4th generation. The property descended to Capt. Stephen Baker, whose heirs owned into the 20th Century. Continue reading

4 East St., the old Methodist Parsonage (1830) – The house at 4 East Street was constructed about 1830 and served as the Methodist Parsonage. The first sanctuary of the Methodist Church was located next door at the location of the present-day Ipswich Inn. Continue reading

42 East Street, the Joseph Hovey House (1850) – Joseph Hovey bought a lot in 1843 from the estate of Thomas Boardman, and an adjoining lot in the rear at about the same time from J. H. Boardman. The old Boardman house was torn down about 1850, and Joseph Hovey built a house on the lot, which appears in the 1856 map. Continue reading

44 East Street, the John Roberts House (c. 1870) – The Ipswich Historical Commission records the date of construction as 1856/1872 by John Roberts, through the marriage of Mary Elizabeth Hovey (1843-1928) to John Roberts (1824-1903). Continue reading

48 East St., the Tyler Caldwell house (1860) – Tyler Caldwell was “a man of thrift and industry, and amassed a comfortable property; respected in the town and well-beloved in the neighborhood where he lived.”… Continue reading

55 East St. (c. 1922) – This house is said to have been constructed from the front left section of Asa Lord’s store when it was removed from Lord Square in the 1920s. Continue reading

59 East Street, the Daniel Ringe house (1719)

59 East Street, the Daniel Rindge House (1719) – The small lot fronting on East Street was sold to Daniel Rindge, Oct. 16, 1719. It was sold to John Holland, Nov. 6, 1742. Daniel Ringe was an early settler of Ipswich, and as a young man, he worked as a cowherd. Captain Ringe was a soldier in the Indian wars and became a prominent citizen of Ipswich. Continue reading

6 East Street, the Daniel Russell House (1818) – In 1818, Daniel Russell bought the land with the old Norton-Cobbet house on it, the home of two of the first pastors of the First Church in Ipswich. Daniel Russell, the son of Henry and Mary Lord Russell. Daniel Russell was born in Ipswich on August 14, 1767, and died on December 29 1837, having lived 70 years. His wife was Sarah Sutton. Continue reading

Wainwright-Treadwell house, East St., Ipswich MA

62 East Street, the Wainwright-Treadwell House (1691/1726) – Capt. John Wainwright bought 3 1/2 acres from Nathaniel Treadwell in 1710 and built part of this fine Georgian mansion, which features elaborate panels and molding, reused summer beams, and a massive early fireplace. Continue reading

7 East Street, the Sadie Stockwell House (1888) – The heirs of Samuel Hunt sold the building lot to Sadie B. Stockwell and her husband Frank Stockwell, a dentist, on April 27, 1888, and she built the house on the lot in the same year. The Queen Anne shingle-style home of the Victorian era is not common in Ipswich. Continue reading

76 East Street, the Hodgkins-Lakeman House (1668 -1718) – William Hodgkins built the oldest part of this house before 1700. In 1718, he sold the dwelling to Archelaus Lakeman, and the property remained in the Lakeman family for almost 200 years. Continue reading

78 East Street, the James Glover House (c. 1860) – James Glover came to Ipswich from England with a long warp weaving machine about 1845. He worked at the Lower Mills until he opened his own textile factory ca. 1860. He manufactured hairnets, knit goods, hoods, and shawls. Glover employed 40-50 hands in the Civil War period, but by 1897, the mill was closed. Continue reading

79 East St., the Curran House (c. 1870) – The 1872 Ipswich map shows a house with this configuration with the name T. Curran. Two acres “with the buildings thereon” at or near this location was sold for $100 by Timothy and Julia Curran in 1859 to Israel K. Jewett, who already owned adjoining property. Continue reading

The Matthew Perkins house, 8 East Street, Ipswich MA

8 East Street, the Captain Matthew Perkins House (1701) – Winner of the 1991 Mary Conley Award, this well-preserved 1st Period house sits on a former orchard lot that was sold in 1701 by Major Francis Wainwright to Matthew Perkins, a weaver and soldier. In 1719, Perkins opened an inn and tavern in this house, “at the sign of the blue anchor.”… Continue reading

Perkins-Hodgkins House on East St. in Ipswich MA

80 East Street, the Jacob Perkins House (c. 1700) – The Perkins-Hodgkins house is believed to have been built in 1700 on the foundation of the earlier Jacob Perkins home. The house has been greatly expanded over the years, but the original asymmetrical structure continues to anchor the corner with Jeffreys Neck Road. Continue reading

9 East Street, the Foster Russell House (1856) – Samuel Hunt sold a half acre at the foot of his lot on East St. to Foster Russell and D. P. Nourse, May 9, 1855, and Mr. Russell and his wife, Martha Hodgkins, built this house. Continue reading

72 East Street, the “Clam Shell” – The lower half of the building at 72 East Street was originally a small clam shack restaurant. Continue reading

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Elm Street

15 Elm Street, the Old Town Hall Annex (c. 1920) – The brick building at 15 Elm Street was known officially as the Town Hall Annex, constructed in the early 20th Century. It is presently the Ipswich Police Department. … Continue reading

16 Elm Street, the Baker-Tozer House (1835) – Samuel S. Baker, active in real estate, bought the lot at 16 Elm Street and built this house in 1835. He sold it to shoemaker William S. Tozer (1804-1860) in 1841. The house is said to be three combined structures, one having been moved from a different location. Continue reading

22 Elm St. (c. 1840) – The house at 22 Elm Street sits behind other houses on the street, its foundation resting in the Ipswich River. The Ipswich assessors’ site gives the date of construction as 1840. The 1856 Ipswich map indicates that this building may have originated as worker housing or part of a grist mill. Continue reading

4 Elm Street, Condon’s Grocery (1847) – This building was constructed in 1847 and served for many years as T. E. Condon’s grocery. During the Great Depression, this was the “Free Store.” Continue reading

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Essex Road

104 Essex Rd., the Joseph and Abigail Marshall Farm (1869) – Part of the early Argilla Farm of Samuel Symonds was owned by John Choate and his heirs, and later by Nathaniel Kinsman and his heirs. The large house and barns were erected while the farm was owned by Joseph and Abigail Marshall. Continue reading

68 Essex Rd., the Levi Brown House (1832) – George W. Heard sold an acre and a half to Levi Brown, who had bought a half acre from his father, March 21, 1832. He built a dwelling and other buildings. Continue reading

74 Essex Rd., the Willard B. and Harriett Manning Kinsman House (1851) – This house was originally added to the front of #68 Essex Rd. It was separated and moved to this location in the 20th Century. Continue reading

80 Essex Rd., the Nathaniel and Joanna Kinsman House (c. 1770) – Nathaniel Kinsman, son of Aaron and Hannah, was born in Ipswich, Oct. 17, 1795; he married Joanna Brown. Continue reading

William G. Horton house, 94 Essex Road, Ipswich MA

94 Essex Road, the William G. Horton House (c. 1900) – This house first appears in the 1910 Ipswich map. The old grain elevator at Tedford’s Lumber was once operated by William G. Horton Grain, Flower, and Feed. The house today is owned by Maplecroft Farm. Continue reading

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Estes Street

The William and Eliza Hallam House, 24 Estes St. (c. 1880) – The house at 24 Estes St. is in the Ipswich Mills Historic District, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and is listed in the Ipswich Assessors’ site as having been constructed in 1880. The house is directly behind Riverview Pizza, and was constructed before 1885. Continue reading

Fellows Road

16 Fellows Road, the Ruth Fellows House (1714, altered) – Joseph Fellows acquired the farm by inheritance and purchase. He served in the King Philip’s War and married Ruth Fraile on April 19, 1675. He died before 1693, and Mrs. Ruth Fellows died on April 14, 1729. Continue reading

24 Fellows Rd. (c. 1856 & later) – The earliest section of the Joseph Fellows – Daniel W. Appleton House at 24 Fellows Road was built before 1693. It was moved to this location and greatly altered in 1832 by Daniel W. Appleton. Continue reading

44 Fellows Road, the Joseph Fellows Jr. House (1734) – The corner of Upland Road was known in early days as Fellows Lane, and it was near this corner, perhaps on this lot, that William Fellows, who settled in Ipswich in 1635, is believed to be buried. This house was constructed in 1734 by Joseph Fellows Jr. Continue reading

Josiah Brown farm house, Fellows Road, Ipswich MA

56 Fellows Road, the Josiah Brown House (1812) – The pasture land along Fellows and Candlewood Roads was purchased in the mid-17th Century by John Brown. His descendant Josiah Brown built this house in 1812. For over two hundred and forty years after John Brown bought the farm, it remained by inheritance in the Brown family through successive generations. Continue reading

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Fox Creek Road

151 Labor in Vain Road, the Henry Bennett House (c. 1680- 1720) – The house on Fox Creek Road, known as the Labor in Vain Farm House, was built around 1720, but has some late First Period features. Continue reading

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Green Street

12 Green Street, the Andrew Burley House (1688) – Andrew Burley became a wealthy merchant and updated the house with fine Georgian features. Burley was a justice of the Sessions Court and representative to the General Court. Continue reading

18 Green Street, the Isaac Stanwood – Joanna Caldwell House (1812)

18 Green Street, the Isaac Stanwood Jr. House (1812) – Captain Isaac Stanwood was born in Ipswich, May 2, 1755. On January 24, 1775, he was enrolled among the Ipswich minutemen, and marched as a private in Captain Nathaniel Wade’s company, in the alarm of April 19, 1775. Continue reading

John H. Perkins house, 2 Green Street Ipswich MA

2 Green Street, the John Perkins House (1860) – This corner was originally part of a larger lot owned by General Denison. Captain Treadwell and Nathaniel Lord Jr. were later owners, and then Mr. John Perkins, who built this house. Continue reading

25 Green Street, the Ipswich Town Hall (1935) – A large jail/insane asylum was built on the Green Street location in 1828. It was torn down in 1934 to make room for a new high school. The building now serves as the Ipswich Town Hall. The prison workhouse still stands and was remodeled into a senior residence center. Continue reading

4 Green Street, the William H. Graves House (1852) – William H. Graves was born in 1821. At the age of 27, he was a cordwainer and married Hannah S. Dodge. Continue reading

Holland-Cogswell house, corner of Green and County Streets, Ipswich MA

9 Green Street, the Elizabeth Holland House (1811) – The house on the southeast corner of County Street was built by Elizabeth Holland on Meeting House Green in 1811, and was moved to the lot by John How Cogswell between 1872 and 1884. Continue reading

24 Green St., the Ira Worcester House (by 1864) – Ira Worcester was the Master of the House of Corrections, and Superintendent of Asylum for the Insane in Ipswich. Continue reading

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Hammatt Street

10 Hammatt St., the old South Church Vestry (1857) – This house was originally the Vestry for the South Church, and sat on South Main Street near the South Green. It was moved to its current location and converted into a two-family dwelling. Continue reading

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Heartbreak Road

42 Heartbreak Road, the “Thomas Low House” (c. 1720) – The house at 42 Heartbreak Road is traditionally called the Thomas Low House, but was constructed during the ownership of his grandson Thorndike Low, and was greatly renovated by subsequent owners in the Kinsman, Burnham, and Heard families. Continue reading

45 Heartbreak Road, the James Burnham House (1690) – The first period home was built in 1690 and has been remodeled greatly. It is an example of the distinct architecture that flourished in Ipswich in the late 17th century. Continue reading

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High Street

1 High Street, the Nathaniel Rogers Old Manse (1727) – The house was constructed for the Rev. Nathaniel Rogers in 1727 by Ipswich cabinet-maker, Capt. Abraham Knowlton. In the early 1900s, the building was known as “ye Olde Burnham Inn”. This house is protected by a preservation agreement with the Ipswich Historical Commission. Continue reading

100 High Street, the Joseph Fowler House (1720 – 1756) – Joseph Fowler, a carpenter, bought the lot in 1720. Records indicate that a house may have existed before Fowler obtained it. The house has a 1-1/2 story, gambrel roof with a central chimney and exposed “gunstock” posts. Continue reading

William Merchant House, High St., Ipswich MA

103 High Street, the William Merchant House (1670) – The building dates to approximately 1670, but the right half may contain timbers from a previous structure on this site, which was built in 1639. The section on the left was added in 1672. Continue reading

John Kimball house, 104 High St., Ipswich MA

104 High Street, the John Kimball House (1715) – This is one of three John Kimball houses along High Street, two said to have been built by the father, the third by the son. This house is protected by a preservation agreement with the Ipswich Historical Commission. Continue reading

Caleb Kimball "house with orange shutters"

106 High St., the Caleb Kimball House (1715) – The owner has maintained the left inside as a First Period home, with exposed beams and a large fireplace. The right inside has original Georgian features, … Continue reading

108 High St., the Dow-Harris House (1735) – This dwelling began as a half house, two rooms in depth, and was constructed about 1735 for Margaret Dow and her second husband, John Lull. The entry room retains its original interior casings. Additions date to the 19th Century. Continue reading

110 High Street, the John Kimball Jr. House (1730) – John Kimball Sr. acquired this land in 1708. Kimball’s son, John Jr. built the house and a barn. The eastern half is older, and its timbers were originally exposed. The driveway is the original High Street before the bridge was constructed in 1906. Continue reading

112 High Street, Timothy Ross House (1840) – When the Eastern Railroad was built in 1840, Timothy Ross was building a new house at this location. When the High Street bridge was constructed in the early 20th Century, the road curved in order to preserve the row of houses on the original High Street. Continue reading

114 High Street, the Tibbets-Fowler House (1860) – In 1906, the High St. bridge was constructed, which isolated this section of High St. from the rest of the roadway. This Greek Revival cottage is similar to several mid-19th-century houses in Ipswich. Continue reading

115 High Street, the Baker-Sutton House (1725) – The widow of cowherd Haniel Bosworth sold this lot with a dwelling in 1702 to William Baker, who built this fine early Georgian house. The pilastered chimney and elaborate Connecticut Valley door frame were added in the 20th century. Continue reading

116 High Street, the Samuel Rutherford House (1860) – Samuel P. Rutherford built the house shortly after purchasing the lot in 1860. Joseph Martel purchased the building in 1906, the year that the High Street bridge was constructed, which isolated this former section of High Street. Continue reading

Brown's Manor, 117 High Street, Ipswich MA

117 High Street, Brown’s Manor (1886) – Abraham Lord sold 30 acres to George A. Brown on Nov. 6, 1886. The Browns built this imposing brick Mansard with white alternating quoins, a fine entrance porch, and a round-headed, double-leaf door. Continue reading

118 High Street, the Aaron Rutherford House (1860) – Aaron A. Rutherford purchased the land in 1860 and built the house soon afterward. He was the owner of the property until after 1914. In 1906, the High St. bridge was constructed which isolated this section of High St. from the rest of the roadway. This is a simple foursquare house and once featured Italianate trim on the doorway with a bracketed hood. Continue reading

12 High Street, the William Russell House (1890) – This is a Queen Anne period house built in 1890, relatively unusual in Ipswich. The sitting room contains a fireplace decorated with sea serpents. According to local tradition, this house had the first inside bathroom in Ipswich. Continue reading

124 High Street, the Joseph King House, Ipswich MA

124 High Street, the Joseph King House (1856) – The house was moved to its present location when the High Street bridge was built in 1906. The King House was constructed in an older Federal style, and originally had a frontispiece with fan and sidelights. Continue reading

126 High Street, Burnham’s Antiques (c 1920) – Ralph W. Burnham owned several Ipswich antiques businesses at the turn of the 20th Century. He employed experts to repair and restore antique rugs at the High Street store, which was later used as a marine supplies store and still stands today. Continue reading

13 High Street, the Joseph Willcomb House (1669-1693) – John Edwards, a tailor, acquired the property in 1668. The earliest section was built by Edwards or his son when he inherited the property in 1693. The house is named for Joseph Willcomb, who captained many ships. Continue reading

The George Lord house, 14 High Street, Ipswich MA

14 High Street, the George Lord House (1857) – George Lord followed his father Nathaniel Lord as Register of Deeds in the County office that is now the Odd Fellows building, and built this house in 1857.

16 High Street, the Jacob Manning House (1818) – Jacob Manning in 1818 built this house at 16 High Street in a small space between the Poor House and the Lord House next door. That former Poor House was later torn down. Continue reading

17 High Street, the Thomas Lord House (after 1658) – Thomas Lord, a cordwainer built the earliest section of this house in 1658. The oak frame encloses a two-room over-two-room house. The saltbox leanto was added later. Continue reading

John Blake house, 19 High St., Ipswich MA

19 High Street, the John Blake House (1885) – This house is not shown in the 1884 map of Ipswich, but is shown on the 1887 Ipswich Birdseye map. In the 1910 map, the owner is John A. Blake, who also owned the Thomas Lord house next door at 17 High St.

21 High Street, the Haskell-Lord House (c. 1750) – This fine house was built circa 1750 by Mark Haskell, an Ipswich cabinet-maker. Haskell served as a Light House Volunteer during the Revolutionary War. Daniel Lord married Eunice, the daughter of Mark Haskell, and Haskell conveyed to him the house and an acre of land in 1767, which is the first registered deed. Continue reading

24 High Street, the J.W. Gould House (b 1850) – This house was built on a part of the original Nathaniel Lord estate. The earliest known owner is a Caldwell, but it was in the possession of the Gould family by 1872. The house was renovated extensively in 2014. Continue reading

246 High St., Ipswich Clam Box (1935) – Mr. Richard J. Greenleaf Jr. devised the design of this building and constructed it with the aid of his brother-in-law and a carpenter. The design was based on the box in which fried clams were sold. The building was originally constructed of homasote and was painted silver with red trim. The stand was immediately successful. Continue reading

248 High Street, the William Spiller House (c. 1838) – Nehemiah Jewett Jr. owned ten acres of land and married Sally Jewett, October 22, 1795. He built a dwelling on the lot. Jewett’s heirs sold the house and acreage to William B. Spiller in December 1838. The architecture of the house is Greek Revival. Continue reading

26 High Street, the Philip Call House (1659) – This 2-story timber-frame First Period house was built by cordwainer Philip Call about 1659, enlarged around 1725. In 1967, the owners uncovered a chamfered 17th-century summer beam and field paneling behind Victorian-era walls. Continue reading

Edward Brown House, High St., Ipswich MA

27 High Street, the Edward Browne House (c. 1650-1750) – Edward Brown was the original owner of this site in 1639, and the east side of the present house is believed to have been constructed under his ownership around 1650 as a one-room over-one-room floor plan. Continue reading

280 High Street, Ipswich MA, the Charles Guilford house

280 High Street, the Charles and Fostina Guilford House (1880) – Charles and Fostina Guilford were wed at Ipswich on July 28, 1878. Daniel S. Appleton built the house in 1879 and sold it to Charles, a farmer, the following year. The building remained in the Guilford family into the 20th century. Continue reading

285 High Street, the Daniel Nourse House (1809) – Daniel Nourse, a farmer, bought the property in 1790 and built the present house in 1809. This was the home of John W. Nourse, farmer, civil engineer, and local historian, who uncovered hundreds of Native American artifacts in his fields. The Nourse family cemetery is located nearby. This was one of the finest Federal-era houses in Ipswich Village and has fallen into decay through neglect. Continue reading

29 High Street, the Daniel Brown Smith House (1819) – Daniel B. Smith, cabinet maker, received a small section at the eastern edge of his father’s lot, and built a house upon it. Continue reading

290 High Street, the Jacob Pickard House (1812) – Jacob Pickard, Jr. of Rowley, married Tabitha Jewett in 1788, purchased and inherited land at this location, and built this house. He purchased the Jewett sawmill on Dow Brook in 1816, and with his sons, Isaac and Nathaniel, “operated the mill with the old-fashioned up-and-down saw until the latter half of the century.” Continue reading

296 High Street, the Oliver Bailey house (1831) – Oliver Bailey, a shoemaker who also operated a small farm at this house, which he built in 1860. He married Judith Howe of Rowley, and their son Eban Howe Bailey lived to be 100 years old, well-known for his popular spiritual musical compositions. Continue reading

3 High Street, the John Gaines House (1725) – The John Gaines house at 3 High St. is a 1725 building remodeled in 1806 with Federal trim. The Gaines family in Ipswich is famous for the chairs they produced. The home also served for over one hundred years as the Episcopal rectory. Continue reading

30 High Street, the Joseph Bolles House (1722) – This house began as a central chimney house, one room deep. Rooms were later added to the rear. The original oak frame is concealed, and second and Third-Period trim dominate the house. Continue reading

307 High Street, the Moses Jewett House (1759) – Moses Jewett married Elizabeth Bugg of Rowley. He was captain of a troop of Horse in Col. John Baker’s Regiment, which marched on the Lexington alarm, April 19, 1775, and also marched to Gloucester on November 29th of the same year. Continue reading

310 High Street, the Stephen Pearson House (1808) – Stephen Pearson served under Benedict Arnold and, after Arnold’s treason, under Colonel Nathaniel Wade of Ipswich. From this farm, he sold a wide variety of products, including hides, shoes, and black walnuts. Pearson’s granddaughter, Emily Pearson Bailey, published a book of poems in the late 19th century. Continue reading

Apphia Jewett house, High Street, Ipswich Ma

311 High Street, the Amos Jewett House (1834) – Captain Moses Jewett purchased this land in the late 18th Century. His grandson, Amos, built the house in 1834 for his bride. His small shoe shop still stands on the property. Continue reading

Aphia Jewett house, 315 High St., Ipswich MA

315 High Street, the Apphia Jewett House (1834) – The land in the vicinity of 315 High Street was owned by the Jewett family since it was purchased by Captain Moses Jewett in the third quarter of the 18th century. Olive Jewett married Captain George W. Howe of Rowley on November 26, 1835, and Captain Howe built upon the lot. Continue reading

317 High Street, the Capt. George Washington Howe House (1850) – Olive Jewett, daughter of Moses Jewett, Jr., married Captain George Washington Howe of Rowley, who built the present house. The 1907 barn was originally on the north side of the house near the road. Continue reading

320 High Street, the Jonathan Crowell Fox Heel Factory (1888) – This is apparently the largest building constructed for the purpose of making shoe parts in Ipswich Village, although there were many smaller shops in the area in the 19th century. By 1910, the factory had gone out of business. Continue reading

321 High Street, the Jewett-Cate House (1780) – Aaron Jewett’s daughter, Eliza married Mark Cate of Rowley, and for years it was known as the “Cate house.” Sarah Houghton bought it in 1912 and opened a popular tea-room known as “The Rose Tree Inn.”… Continue reading

327 High Street, the Annie Donovan House (1873, reconstructed in 1914) – The 1873 house at this location burned in 1914, but was rebuilt with the same appearance of a one-and-one-half story cottage of the 19th Century. Continue reading

33 High Street, the John and Sarah Dillingham Caldwell House (1660/1709) – In 1654, Cornelius Waldo sold to John Caldwell for £26 the house and land he bought of Richard Betts. Caldwell removed the old house and built a very substantial house of the 1660s. Continue reading

34 High Street, the White Horse Inn / Jeremiah Lord House (1659 / 1763) – John Andrews, innkeeper, sold this lot with a house in 1659. The First Period structure was greatly altered and expanded after its purchase by Jeremiah Lord in 1763, and took its present appearance around 1800. Continue reading

37 High Street, Lord – Baker House (1720) – The house is believed to have been built by Robert Lord III in 1720. The property continued in the Lord family until 1775, when Samuel Baker, felt-maker and hatter, purchased it. This early 2nd period house is protected by a preservation agreement between the owners and the Ipswich Historical Commission. Continue reading

38 High Street, the Joseph N. Caldwell House (c. 1875) – Nathaniel Caldwell purchased by public auction the property of the late John Lord on December 20, 1861, and transferred to Joseph N. Caldwell half an acre with buildings on it on December 17, 1861. Continue reading

39 -41 High Street, the Daniel Lummus House (1746 with earlier elements) – This house has elements dating to 1686 but was significantly rebuilt in 1746. Jonathan Lummus bequeathed to his son Daniel “a small piece of land out of my homestead adjoining to his homestead to make a convenient way to his barn,” in 1728. Continue reading

William Caldwell house, High St., Ipswich MA

40 High Street, the William Caldwell House (1733) – William Caldwell built this house after purchasing the lot in 1733. The house remained in the Caldwell family into the 20th Century. Key features of the house include a large kitchen, fireplace, and exceptional period trim. Continue reading

42 High Street, the Abner Harris House (c. 1800) – This house was built by Abner Harris in 1800. The Ringe house that formerly stood on this lot is said to have been moved to Central St. Continue reading

43 High Street, the Fitts-Manning-Tyler House (1767) – This house is believed to have been built in 1767 at today’s 42 North Main Street. Sophia Tyler bought a lot on High St. in 1873 and removed the Fitts house to the property. Located between the Daniel and Jonathan Lummus houses, the three properties are on land that was originally granted to Thomas Dudley, governor of Massachusetts for four years, and Ann Bradstreet, America’s first poet. Continue reading

44 High Street, the Francis Goodhue house (circa 1800)

44 High Street, the Francis Goodhue House (c. 1800) – This house displays refined Federal-era features, indicating the late 18th or early 19th Century for its construction. The barn and the lower level of this house may be half a century older. Continue reading

45 High Street, the John Lummus House (1712) – Jonathan Lummus, who served in King Philip’s War in 1675, was appointed a tithing man by the town in 1700. Lummus bought Captain Symon Stacy’s land and dwelling on High Street in 1712. This parcel had originally been granted to Thomas Dudley, Governor of Massachusetts. The house underwent a careful restoration by Phillip Ross in 1964. Continue reading

48 High Street, Samuel W. Baker House (1852) – The straw-roofed Baker house that stood on the corner of High St. and Mineral St was razed in 1849 and replaced with the current structure. Continue reading

52 High Street, the Henry Kingsbury – Robert Lord house (1660)

52-54 High Street, the Kingsbury-Lord-Harris House (c. 1716) – Although in 1660, Henry Kingsbury sold a house on or near this lot to Robert Lord, the present house probably dates to after John Lord gained possession in 1716, based on architectural observations. Continue reading

57 High Street, the Stone – Rust – Abraham Lummus House (c. 1750) – This cape saltbox was built by Robert Stone and has many original features. William Rust bought the house in 1851, and his heirs occupied the estate into the 20th century. Continue reading

6 High Street, the Joseph Ross House (1884) – This Victorian home was built by Joseph Ross, who designed the country’s first movable span bridge, which he patented in 1849 at the age of 26. His horizontally folding drawbridge became the most common railroad bridge type in the Boston area. Continue reading

61 High St., Ipswich MA the timothy Ross house

61 High Street, the Timothy B. Ross House (c. 1870) – The house at 61 High Street was constructed in approximately 1870. Abutting the cemetery on the east, the owner was Timothy B. Ross, a teacher in the Ipswich schools. Continue reading

66 High Street, the John Harris-Mark Jewett House (1795) – This house was built in 1795 by John Harris. In 1784, John Heard convinced the town that if it would buy John Harris’s previous home at the corner of High and Manning, he would provide $400 annually for the care of the poor. Continue reading

68 High Street, the Wood – Lord House (c. 1740) – After her husband Daniel disappeared in 1727 at Penobscot Bay after being attacked by Indians, the court allowed Martha Ringe to marry John Wood before the customary three years had passed “in order to advance her circumstances.” It was owned by Nathaniel Lord and his heirs in the 19th Century. Continue reading

73 High Street, the Nathaniel Lord house (C 1720)

73 High Street, the Nathaniel Lord House (c. 1747) – This house is named after Nathaniel Lord, who spent 36 years as the Register of Probate in the Ipswich Court. The western half of this house predates the eastern side and may have 17th-century elements. Continue reading

77 High Street, the John Kimball House (1680) – Richard Kimball owned this lot in 1637. The property passed to John Kimball, and the present house dates from the time of his ownership. It belonged to the Lord family through the 19th century. … Continue reading

79 High Street, the Thomas H. Lord House (c 1835) – The ancient Joseph Lord house was at the approximate location of the present Thomas H. Lord house, which was owned at the beginning of the 20th Century by descendants of Joseph Lord. This house appears to have been built between 1814 and 1835. Continue reading

8 High Street, Frederick and Sally Ross House (1887) – Fred G. Ross was a director of the Joseph Ross Corporation, founded by his father, who lived next door. The company contracted for large construction projects in the Boston area. Continue reading

82 High Street, the John Brewer House (1680) – John Brewer came to Ipswich with his father Thomas Brewer, who is shown living in Ipswich in 1639. Town records show that in 1662, the town constables were ordered to pay John Brewer 20 schillings, charges he was due “about constructing the fort”. John Brewer Sr. died on June 23, 1684. Continue reading

83 High Street, the Isaac Lord House, 1696-1806 – This house was in the Lord family for several generations. The right side is probably the First Period. Boards and timbers from the 1771 Jail on Meeting House Green were used when the house was enlarged in 1806. Continue reading

84 High Street, the John Smith House (c. 1830) – This house first appears on the 1832 map of Ipswich, in the possession of John Smith. In 1958, the house was purchased by Wilbur Trask. Many of his photos are featured on this site. Continue reading

85 High Street, the Elizabeth and Phillip Lord House (1774) – This house was built about 1774 by Phillip Lord when he married the widowed Elizabeth Kimball Warner In 1832, the house was acquired by Benjamin Fewkes, who smuggled the first lace stocking machine into this country from England. Continue reading

87 High Street, the Sewall Jewett House (1830) – The heirs of John Lord sold the lot at 87 High St. to Sewall P. Jewett in 1830, which is the year in which the house is believed to have been built. At one time, this side of High Street was lined with homes owned by members of the Jewett Family. Continue reading

Shatswell-Tuttle House, High St., Ipswich MA

88-90 High Street, the Shatswell-Tuttle House (c. 1690/1806) – The oldest section of the Tuttle – Lord – Shatswell house was built before 1690 for Deacon John Shatswell. It was the home of Col. Nathaniel Shatswell, who commanded Union troops during the Civil War. Continue reading

89 High Street, the Moses Jewett House (1830) – Moses Jewett was born in Ipswich, Mass., March 15, 1778, to John Cole Jewett and Elizabeth Smith, whose home stands at 93 High Street. Continue reading

9 High Street, the Samuel Newman House (1762) – Joseph Newman built the house at 9 High Street in 1762. It was later owned by Samuel Newman. The present form of this house is composed of at least 3 structures, and the attic tells the story. It started out as a colonial home with a center chimney and center entrance. Continue reading

John Jewett Cole house, 93 High Street Ipswich

93 High Street, the John Cole Jewett House (1813) – John Cole Jewett bought the High Street estate of Josiah Martin by 1767, when he was mentioned in a deed of an abutter. Jewett’s heirs sold the property in 1813 to David Lord. Stylistic evidence indicates that the present house was built shortly before the 1813 transfer. Continue reading

95 High Street, the Simon and Hannah Adams House (c. 1700) – Simon Adams, a weaver and veteran of King Philip’s War, owned this property in 1707, according to a deed of the adjoining property. (20:15). This “half-house” was originally extended as a leanto over the rear rooms. In 1906, the front door and old sash were changed, and around 1919, the east ell was added. Continue reading

High Street Historic District – High Street was on the “Old Bay Road” and has the largest concentration of “First Period” houses in America. The Old Burying Ground is on High Street near Lord’s Square. Continue reading

Old North Burying Ground – Established in 1634, the Old North Burying Ground in Ipswich, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest cemeteries in North America. Continue reading

53 High Street, the Francis and Lisette Ross house (1847/1867) – In 1847, Andrew Russell, who lived across the street, tore down an old house and constructed a shop for cabinet making. In 1867, Andrew Russell sold the property to Francis and Lisette Ross (744: 254), who remodeled and expanded the cabinet shop into a dwelling. Continue reading

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Highland Avenue

1 Highland Avenue, the Wainwright School (1890) – The Wainwright School was constructed in 1890 at a cost of $7,700, and is identical to a schoolhouse that was once on Upper High Street, then was moved next to the Payne School at Lord Square, and now sits at the entrance to Highland Cemetery. In 1926, when the Shatswell School was constructed on Green Street, several small schools were closed. Continue reading

4 Highland Ave., the George & Elizabeth Spencer House (c 1910) – The house at 4 Highland Ave. was constructed by George Spencer after he acquired the lot from his father, George Spencer II, in 1906. Continue reading

6 Highland Avenue, the George Spencer Sr. House (c. 1880) – The house at 6 Highland Ave. was first owned by George Spencer. Maps and deeds indicated a construction date of approximately 1880. Continue reading

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Hovey Street

3 Hovey Street, the John Kendrick house(c 1670 & later) – John Kenrick, a cooper by trade, owned this lot in 1665. He and his son sold it to Thomas Staniford in 1706. Structural evidence supports a construction date of about 1670. Much of the trim dates from the late 18th or early 19th centuries. Continue reading

6 Hovey Street, the Thomas Foulds Ellsworth House (1866) – Captain Thomas Ellsworth built this house after purchasing the old Mansfield lot in 1866. He sold the property to Howard C. Dodge in 1887. Continue reading

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Jeffreys Neck Road

2 Jeffreys Neck Road, the Merrill-Kimball House (1839) – Abigail Holland sold Ezra Merrill, a mariner, 3/4 of an acre in 1839, and he built the present house shortly thereafter. The house was conveyed to his daughter, Kate M. Kimball, upon his death in 1901. An interesting feature in this house is the presence of an oven on the second floor, suggesting that it may have been a 2-family house. Continue reading

30 Jeffreys Neck Road, The Searle Estate (1910) – This mansion was designed in the form of a Florentine villa, and the living room and dining room were decorated in a Louis XVI style. The house served as the Searle family summer home until 1919, and has been abandoned since the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur purchased the property in 1960, and is in a state of decay. Continue reading

Nathaniel Scott house, Jeffreys Neck Rd., Ipswich MA

31 Jeffreys Neck Road, the Nathaniel Scott House (1838) – The Treadwell family operated a farm at this location for nearly two hundred years. Nathaniel Scott succeeded and built this house in 1838. The residence features original fireplaces, ovens, beams, moldings and flooring. Continue reading

Dodge house at Greenwood Farm, Argilla Rd., Ipswich MA

47 Jeffreys Neck Rd., the Dodge House, Greenwood Farm (1870) – Greenwood Farm was a summer retreat for the Robert G. Dodge family. The 1694 Paine House sits behind, owned by the Trustees of Reservations. Continue reading

47 Jeffreys Neck Road, the Robert Paine House (1694) – This picturesque house remains on its original saltwater farm location. Three generations of the Paine family made their home here. From 1916, Greenwood Farm was a summer retreat for the Robert G. Dodge family, who used the Paine House as a guesthouse. Continue reading

48 Jeffreys Neck Road, the Hannah Aspell House (1854) – Deacon Aaron Treadwell sold a two-acre lot on Jan. 9, 1850, to Hannah Lumbur Aspell, wife of Larry Aspell, who built a small 2-room building on it. In 1880, Hannah sold the property to the Lombard family as a summer residence. They added a barn, a second floor, and a kitchen. Continue reading

52 Jeffreys Neck Road, Ross Tavern – Lord Collins House (c. 1690) – The house was moved from South Main Street in 1940 by David Wendel and restored to a high-style First Period appearance on the basis of observed physical evidence. The Collins-Lord house on High Street was moved and attached to the rear of this house. Continue reading

52 Jeffreys Neck Road, Shatswell Planters Cottage (c. 1646) – This small building on Strawberry Hill was moved from High Street and is believed to have been the original planters’ cottage of John Shatswell or his son Richard. Continue reading

6 Jeffreys Neck Road, the Oliver L. Sanborn House (1855) – Deacon Francis Caldwell sold a lot measuring 61 ft. on the road and 290 ft. deep on Jeffreys Neck Road to Oliver L. Sanborn, October 25, 1854, who built this house in 1855. Sanborn’s wife, Mary, was the daughter of Francis Treadwell on East Street. Continue reading

68 Jeffreys Neck Road, the Captain John Smith House (c. 1740) – Richard Smith came from Shropham, Co. Norfolk by 1641. His farm came into possession of Richard Smith. To his son, John, for £170, he conveyed an 18-acre pasture, bounded in part by the river, “with the new house and half the barn, standing at the south-east end of ye great field.” Continue reading

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Kimball Avenue

8 Kimball Ave, the W. B. Richards House (b. 1910) – This house originally was at Lords Square, owned by W. B. Richards. In 1940, the home was moved over the High Street bridge to 8 Kimball Avenue, where it still stands today, and Mutual built a new service station, which now houses Tick’s Auto Service. Continue reading

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Labor in Vain Road

10 Riverbank Lane, the John W. Newman House (c. 1880) – The Ipswich Directory of 1896 shows John W. Newman as the owner of a hardware store, and a painter. Hannah Ellen Lord, b. July 28, 1844, Ipswich, married John W. Newman on June 14, 1868. Sources:

McMahon house, Labor in Vain Rd., Ipswich

2 Labor in Vain Road, the McMahon House (b. 1856) – Local legend is that the house was built by a sea captain, and it is haunted. The first owner of record is Elizabeth McMahon, daughter of Elizabeth Appleton and Thomas McMahon. She sold the house to James Galbraith in 1864. The owner on the 1910 Ipswich map is Henry Perry Willcomb. Continue reading

29 Labor in Vain Rd., the Isaac Foss House (c. 1900) – The extensive Foss estate was sold in parcels in 1921. The house appears to be a mix of Tudor and Richardson Romanesque. Continue reading

Arthur L. Sweetser house, Labor in Vain Road, Ipswich MA.

42 Labor in Vain Road, the Arthur L. Sweetser House (c. 1898) – Arthur L. Sweetser, a Boston banker, and his wife, Laura Attwill, built “Greystone” as their summer home. The architecture was influenced by Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886). Continue reading

Joshua Giddings - Weatherall house, 66 Labor in Vain Rd., Ipswich

66 Labor in Vain Rd., the Giddings-Gould-Weatherall House (1795-1850) – This house was the home of Joseph and Abigail Patch Cogswell, who married in 1797. Their son, David, became an important figure in Wisconsin. For 48 years, this was the home of Mary Weatherall. Continue reading

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Lafayette Road

Agawam Heights – The Agawam Heights neighborhood, including Farragut Rd, Prescott Rd, Putnam Rd, and Lafayette Rd, was laid out at the end of the 19th Century on farmland above Topsfield Rd. Continue reading

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Lakeman’s Lane

21 Lakemans Lane, the John Manning Farm (c. 1825) – The house and barn at 21 Lakemans Lane were constructed by John Manning 3rd, who inherited the farm from his father. The barn features hand-hewn post and beam framing with gunstock corner posts, and may predate the house. Continue reading

27 Lakeman’s Lane, the Benjamin Fellows House (c. 1719) – Benjamin Fellows’ son Ephraim Fellows was a private in Captain Thomas Burnham’s Company, which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, fighting in the Battle of Lexington. Continue reading

34 Lakeman’s Lane, the Wade-Kinsman-Cameron House (c. 1860) – Deed searches suggest that Asa Wade’s barn may have been converted into a residence by Mary or William Kinsman., expanded and modernized in 1939. Continue reading

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Liberty Street

10 Liberty St., the Brown House (c. 1900) – The house at 10 Center Street is not in the 1884 Ipswich map, but appears in the 1910 Ipswich map under the name “C. Brown.”… Continue reading

Liberty St. Gothic Revival house, Ipswich

11 Liberty Street, the Levi Howe House (c. 1870) – The descendants of Levi L. Howe, a farmer, owned this Gothic Revival cottage until 1953. Ken Savoie restored its appearance and was the winner of the 1992 Mary Conley Award for historic preservation. Continue reading

12 Liberty St., Charles Brown House (c. 1890) – The earliest identified owner is Charles E. Brown, a proprietor who owned the house by 1910. Brown and his son, Walter Brown, operated a brick manufactory and contracting company. Continue reading

13 Liberty St., the Roberts House (c.1900) – The 1910 Ipswich map shows the owner of the house at 13 Liberty St. as D. A. Roberts. Continue reading

14 Liberty Street, the George B. Brown House (1898) – The elegant Victorian house at 14 Liberty Street in Ipswich was built between 1896-98 by George B. Brown, who owned a grain mill on Washington Street. Continue reading

15 Liberty St. (c 1870) – The earliest identified owner is C.W. Davis, who owned the house by 1872. By 1884, the house had been sold to John W. Russell, a freight agent, who continued to own the house into the 1920s. Continue reading

16 Liberty St., the Martha Curtis House (1885) – The 1910 Ipswich map shows the owners as John Brown. Continue reading

17 Liberty St., the Blaisdell House (c.1870) – The 1872 Ipswich map shows the owner of this house as “L. Blaisdell.” Continue reading

18 Liberty St. (1885) – The houses at #16 and # 18 Liberty Street were built between 1884 and 1887 by John A. Brown, a brick manufacturer and lumber dealer, probably in association with C.E. Brown & Son. Continue reading

3 Liberty St., the Foster House (c. 1880) – This house is shown in the 1872 and 1884 Ipswich maps owned by “S. Foster.”… Continue reading

6 Liberty St. (c. 1890) – A house at 6 Liberty St. is shown in the 1893 Birdseye map and the 1910 Ipswich map; the owner is shown as “C. Caldwell.” The modestly Italianate “Gable and Ell” form confirms the architectural period. Continue reading

7 Liberty St., the John W. and Annie M. Lord House (c. 1867) – The house at 7 Liberty St. first appears in the 1872 map, owned by John W. Lord and his wife Annie M. Pingree. Continue reading

9 Liberty St. (c. 1880) – This house first appears in the 1884 Ipswich map, with the owner shown as “Mrs. Foster.” It is also shown in the 1893 Ipswich Birdseye Map, but not in the 1872 map. The owner in the 1910 Ipswich map is T. H. Lord. Continue reading

Liberty Street – In the late 19th century, Washington Street was extended to Linebrook Road, and Liberty Street became its own street. Its houses date to 1850-1910. Continue reading

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Linebrook Road

166 Linebrook Road, the William Lummus House (before 1832) – The present house at 166 Linebrook and the ancient Kozeneski barn that stood across the street were built by the Lummus family. Continue reading

173 Linebrook Road, the Kozeneski Farm (c. 1900, demolished 2019) – On April 24, 2018, a demolition request was filed for the Kozeneski farmhouse at 173 Linebrook Road, The developer has offered assistance with removal costs. Continue reading

290 Linebrook Rd. the Chapman-Small House (c. 1840) – The two-story farmhouse was purchased by Bradley Palmer from the Small family in the early 20th century and became part of his large country estate. It formerly served as the forest headquarters and residence for the park superintendent. Continue reading

297 Linebrook Road, the Joseph Chapman House (1720) – This house is one of the oldest structures in Linebrook. The post and beam frame has summer beams with simple bevel chamfers, supporting the 1720 construction date. Continue reading

306 Linebrook Road, the Deacon William Foster Conant House (1833) – Deacon William Foster Conant (b. 1802, d. 1886) was, like his father and grandfather, a well-respected member of the community, a deacon of Linebrook Church, and captain in the Linebrook Militia. His business included lumbering, farming, and road-building. Continue reading

315 Linebrook Road, the William Conant House (1777) – William Conant (1747-1826) amassed considerable real estate in Ipswich. His son William, known locally as “Young Squire Bill,” was a selectman, assessor, and overseer for the Town of Ipswich for many years. Continue reading

320 Linebrook Rd., the Daniel Conant House (1875) – This building was one of a cluster of farmers’ or shoemakers’ cottages constructed on this stretch of Linebrook Rd. in the second half of the 19th century, and may be the surviving ell of an earlier building. The Conant family was prominent on this stretch of Linebrook Road in the 19th Century. Continue reading

341 Linebrook Road, the Lot Conant house (1717, altered beyond recognition) – Architectural evidence, family history, and deed research indicate that the oldest (center) part of this house was the home of Lot and Elizabeth Conant, the first of that family in Linebrook, constructed in 1717. Continue reading

347 Linebrook Rd., the Foster-Conant house

347 Linebrook Road, the Foster-Conant house (1840) – This building is one of several story-and-one-third 19th-century cottages in Linebrook, a popular building type of the mid-19th century. Cyrus Conant, the second owner, is said to have been the strongest man in town and “could cut and pile four cords of wood in a day.” Continue reading

375 Linebrook Rd., the Thomas Foster House (1800) – This area was settled by Fosters in the mid-17th century and remained in the family until the late 19th century, when it became part of the adjoining David Tullar Perley property. This is one of three traditional five-bay, two-floor Federal houses in Linebrook. Continue reading

387 Linebrook Road, David Tulley Perley Farm (1880) – David Tullar Perley owned the largest farm in the western part of the town. This house was built in 1850, but was ’embellished’ in the 1880s to its Victorian appearance. Continue reading

391 Linebrook Road, Linebrook Parish Church (1848) – Linebrook Parish was incorporated in 1746 by an act of the Massachusetts Legislature. The first sanctuary was located nearby on Leslie Road. It was dismantled and re-erected on this site in 1828. The building was taken down, and the present church was built 20 years later. Continue reading

392 Linebrook Road, the Emerson Howe House (1810) – Emerson Howe was a farmer and member of the Linebrook Militia. This house incorporates Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival features, and includes some reused First Period building materials. Continue reading

393 Linebrook Rd., the David Tullar Perley House (1851) – This building is one of the most unique Greek Revival cottages in Linebrook, built by David Tullar Perley soon after he began to purchase land in the vicinity. Perley became the largest cattle broker in the county and built the fine Victorian house and barn at 387 Linebrook Rd. Continue reading

395 Linebrook Rd., the Alvin T. Guilford House (1835) – This house is one of several story-and-one-third cottages constructed in Linebrook in the first half of the 19th century. Alvin T. Guilford, who lived here throughout the second half of the 19th century, was a farmer and shoemaker. Continue reading

403 Linebrook Road, the Timothy Morse House (1817) – Timothy Morse Jr. (b. 1783) was a fine carpenter by trade and the house retains much of his finish work. Antique wide pine floors and period detail have been maintained. Continue reading

41 Linebrook Road, Old Cross Farm (c. 1717) – Originally a smaller house, constructed by John Denison the elder, it came into the possession of Nathaniel Cross in 1761 and became a 25-acre working farm. Several generations of the Cross family lived in this house, operating a weaver’s shop, fruit farm, and poultry operation. Continue reading

411 Linebrook Rd. (1938) – This house is said to have been constructed in 1938 to resemble the house at 419 Linebrook, incorporating similar features of the Greek Revival Vernacular style. Continue reading

419 Linebrook Rd., the Eliza Howe Perley House (1840) – This house was constructed by William Perkins Perley shortly after his marriage to Eliza Howe, and was described as “beautiful of situation” and picturesque. Mrs. and Mrs. Perley divorced in 1845, and she acceded to ownership and managed the farm, living there until over 90 years of age. Continue reading

421 Linebrook Road, the Abraham Howe Barn (1725) – This early 18th-century barn served several generations of the Howe family, and was converted to residential use in 1948. Elizabeth Howe, convicted as a witch and put to death in 1692, lived nearby… Continue reading

437 Linebrook Road, the Allen Perley Farm (1784) – The house at 437 Linebrook Road assumed its present form in three stages. The right (east) side of the main house was originally a traditional five-bay center chimney house, and is traditionally said to have been constructed by wealthy land-owner Allen Perley in 1784. The left (west) side was constructed later, which added a second front entry… Continue reading

5 Linebrook Road, the Richard Lane House (1851) – Richard Rogers Lane built the house in 1851. He died in 1858, and his only child, Etta, inherited the house. which is mentioned in the 1898 deed when she sold it to Charles W. Woodbury. Continue reading

51 Linebrook Road, the Hart House (1678) – The oldest parts of the Hart House were apparently constructed in 1678-80 by Samuel Hart, the son of Thomas Hart, an Irish tanner who arrived in Ipswich in 1637. The two oldest rooms are exact duplicates of the originals, which were moved to museums in the early 20th Century. Continue reading

61 Turnpike Road, the John Foster House (1780) – The sign that hung at Foster’s Tavern has been stored in a barn at the Ipswich Museum for a century, and reads, “I shoe the horse, I shoe the ox I carry the nails in my box I make the nail, I set the shoe, and entertain some strangers too.”… Continue reading

7 Linebrook Road (1914) – The actual date of construction for the house at 7 Linebrook Rd. is unverified. There is a tradition that 5 Linebrook was originally at this location and was moved. Continue reading

8 Linebrook Rd., the C. Chester Caldwell House – In September 1867, Joseph and Joanna Ross sold Daniel R. Caldwell this lot. Continue reading

91 Old Right Road, the Jacob Potter House (c. 1845) – This property is in the vicinity of several early Potter family homesteads. With wide exterior casings and pedimented window heads, the house is one of the more elaborate Greek Revival cottages in Linebrook. Continue reading

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Loney’s Lane

3 Loney’s Lane, the Aaron Day Wells House (c. 1850) – Aaron Wells resided in the only house on Loney’s Lane, and each year he was a candidate for Selectman. Promising that if he won, he would have a tunnel dug under Town Hill so that people would not have to climb it. Continue reading

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Lords Square

4 Lords Square, Old Firehouse (c. 1870) – The empty yellow building at Lords Square once served as a fire station, housing engine #2 the Neptune, and the town’s first motorized fire truck, Hose 2. Continue reading

3 Short Street, the Short Street Store (1884) – The only building on Short Street is said to have originally been Asa Lord’s barn. In the first half of the 20th century, it was the home of Marcorelle Brothers. Continue reading

1 Lords Square, Payne School (1802) – In 1802, the North District decided to construct a schoolhouse with public subscription. In 1891, it was moved from its previous location, where the laundromat is now, and received extensive repairs. Payne School was last used for students in 1942, and since 1972 has served as the Ipswich School superintendent’s office. Continue reading

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Manning Street

1 Manning Street, the E.H. Martin House (1880) – The E.H. Martin house originally faced Central Street. It was moved back one lot and turned to face Manning St. Continue reading

10 Manning Street, the G. Haskell House (c. 1890) – 10 Manning Street, the G. Haskell house (circa 1890). Like most of the houses on Manning Street, this house first appears in the 1893 Birdseye map of Ipswich. In the 1910 Ipswich map, the owner is G. Haskell. Continue reading

12 Manning Street, the Edward T. Pike House (1885) – The mortgage for this house was taken out in 1885. Almost all of the houses on Manning Street appear in the 1893 Ipswich map. Continue reading

13 Manning St., the Fields House, (c. 1900) – 13 Manning St., is owned by “Mrs. Fields” in the 1910 map. The town assessor’s database gives the date of construction as 1870. However, the 1884 Ipswich map shows no houses yet constructed on the street, which had not even been added in the 1872 map. Continue reading

14 Manning Street (c. 1915) – The house at 14 Manning Street does not appear in the 1910 Ipswich map, but based on the architectural characteristics in common with other houses on the street is presumed to have been constructed shortly thereafter. Continue reading

15 Manning Street (c 1920) – The Ipswich assessors’ database provides a date of 1920 for this house. Continue reading

16 Manning St. (c. 1900) – 16 Manning St., circa 1900. G. A. Lord owned this house, another house next door, and one on High St. Continue reading

17 Manning Street, the Candlewood School (1856) (moved to this location) – Records indicate that the 1856 schoolhouse on Candlewood Road was moved to this location and enlarged in 1905 to relieve overcrowding in the original Winthrop School. The form of construction predates the Victorian style of the other houses on the street. Continue reading

20 Manning Street (1902) – 18-20 Manning St. is believed to have been constructed in 1902 and was owned by G. A. Lord in the 1910 Ipswich map. A different structure is shown in the 1893 Ipswich Birdseye Map. Continue reading

21 Manning Street – The date of construction for this house is uncertain. The Ipswich assessors’ database shows the date of construction as 1990. The 1893 Ipswich birdseye map and 1910 map show a utilitarian structure at this location, which may have been converted or a new house placed on an older foundation. Continue reading

23 Manning Street (1934) – The Ipswich Assessors database shows the date of construction as 1934. Continue reading

24 Manning Street, the A. P. Hills House (c. 1900) – This house first appears in the 1910 map of Ipswich. Continue reading

26 Manning Street, the Sullivan House (1927) – The 17th-century Caleb Lord house on the corner of High and Manning Streets was removed in 1927 and was replaced by the home of Bernard Sullivan. This is a modified form of the “American foursquare” house of the 1920s and 30s. Continue reading

3 Manning St. (after 1910) – 3 Manning Street. An empty lot is shown on the 1910 Ipswich map, owned by E. W. Russell. Continue reading

6 Manning Street, the H. K. Damon House (1890) – This 1890 Victorian house features a third-floor porch, slate shingles, 10-foot ceilings, two stained-glass windows, oak floors, original moldings, and pocket doors. Continue reading

7 Manning St., the Edward W. Russell House (c. 1890) – The house at 7 Manning St. appears first in the 1893 Ipswich Birdseye map. The 1910 Ipswich map shows the owner as E W. Russell, who worked as a dyer at the Ipswich Mills. Continue reading

8 Manning Street, the Jordan house, (c. 1890) – This house first appears in the 1893 Ipswich Birdseye map. Continue reading

9 Manning St., the Albert P. Hills House (c. 1890) – Like many of the houses on Manning Street, it first appears in the 1893 Ipswich Birdseye map. Hills owned a grocery on North Main Street. E. W.Russell was the owner in the 1910 Ipswich map. Continue reading

Manning Street from the 1893 Birdeye Map of Ipswich.

Manning Street, a Victorian Neighborhood – Central Street was laid out in 1872, and Manning Street in 1882. Manning Street first appears in the 1884 Ipswich map, newly created, with no houses yet. The 1910 Ipswich map shows all of the houses now on the street, and Warren Street has been extended from North Main to Manning Street. Continue reading

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Maple Avenue

16 Maple Avenue, the William H. Bodwell House (1890) – In 1891 this house appears on maps under the ownership of William H. Bodwell, a carpenter. Continue reading

3 Maple Avenue, the Harland and Blanche Burke House (1916) – Harland Burke was a superintendent at F.L. Burke & Son, heel manufacturers whose factory was at Brown Square. Continue reading

4 Maple Avenue, the Arthur H. and Madeline H. Tozer House (1915) – Arthur Tozer was a music teacher for the public schools and apparently worked out of his home. Prior to the construction of this house, the land on which it stands was part of a larger parcel belonging to G. Tozer. Continue reading

5 Maple Avenue, the Baxter-Campbell House (1890) – This small house features chamfered posts, brackets, and spindle friezes. The houses at 3 and 5 Newmarch Street in Ipswich are identical to 5 Maple Ave., all constructed between 1870 and 1890. Continue reading

8 Maple Avenue, the George Tozer House (c. 1890) – Maple Street first appears in the 1884 Ipswich map, without houses. George Tozer constructed this large house when the Washington Street neighborhood section behind it was still farmland. Continue reading

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Market Street

12 Market Street, the Abraham Wait House (1832) – Constructed in 183, this house is the only surviving early 19th Century brick building on Market Street. Abraham Wait and his brother operated a shoe store, and over the years the building has been used as a bank, business office, a doctor’s office, and dwelling house. Continue reading

Sstacey-Ross House, Market St., Ipswich MA

20 Market Street, the Stacey-Ross House (1734) – In 1733, John Stacey, “being incapable of labor, ” petitioned the town that he may build a house beside the rocky ledge on the lower North Green “for selling cakes and ale for his livelihood.” The house was moved to this location 100 years after its construction. Continue reading

24 Market Street, the Aaron Jewett House (c. 1800) – Constructed around the beginning of the 19th Century, this small building has served as the Tetrault Jewelry Store since 1941, one of the longest-lasting family businesses in Ipswich. Continue reading

25 Market Street, the Nathaniel R. Farley Shoe Factory (1830-56) – One of the oldest commercial buildings still standing on Market Street, it was originally the Nathaniel R. Farley shoe factory. The building was altered in 1856 to its current appearance. In the second half of the 20th century, the building housed Goodhue’s Hardware Store. Continue reading

27 Market Street, the Ipswich Post Office (1939) – The Ipswich Post Office was built on Market Street in 1939 with U.S. Treasury funds. Continue reading

48 Market Street, the Bailey House (c. 1887) – Dr. George Bailey served as medical examiner for Ipswich and Essex County. His Shingle Style Victorian home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Continue reading

50-56 Market Street, the Lord-Sullivan-Haskell House (1847) – Captain John Lord made his last voyage as master of the ship Miles Standish to Calcutta, sailing May 17, 1855. The next owner was John J. Sullivan was an inventor with multiple patents for improvements to sewing machines. Continue reading

61 Market Street, formerly the Damon Block (1982) – This is the third commercial building at that location. The courthouse on Town Hill moved to this location in the mid-19th Century by Curtis Damon. It was destroyed by fire in 1894 and replaced by a large, elegant Victorian building that burned twice. Continue reading

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Meeting House Green

1 Meeting House Green, the First Congregational Church (1971) – A meeting house was built here by 1636. This is the sixth church on this spot. The previous historic building burned in 1965. This green has always been the religious and governmental heart of Ipswich. Continue reading

12 Meeting House Green, the First Church Vestry (1832) – Built in 1832, the Vestry at 12 Meeting House Green was deeded to the First Church in Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1838 by George W. Heard, Esquire. It has served First church and the community of Ipswich as a Chapel and now as a coffee house and meeting place. The historic building was recently restored. Continue reading

Joseph Farley House, Meeting House Green, Ipswich MA

2 Meeting House Green, the Joseph K. Farley House (1842) – Joseph K. Farley bought an old house on this lot in 1842, moved it to upper High Street, and built this “mansion.” The Ipswich Manufacturing Company opened in 1830, and Joseph Farley Jr. was the clerk and paymaster. Continue reading

6 Meetinghouse Green, the Captain Israel Pulcifer House (1812) – On the night of June 9, 1811, the house on this lot burned with most of its contents. Captain David Pulcifer rebuilt at once. Originally a hip-roof Federal style house, restoration in the 1870s added a Second Empire mansard roof. Continue reading

8 Meeting House Green, the David T. Kimball House (1808) – In 1808, the jail site was sold to Reverend David Tenny Kimball; the old jail was removed, and he built the house that is located there now. Rev. Kimball was highly respected for his ministry and a staunch abolitionist. Continue reading

Meeting House Green Historic District – The North Green was once the religious, governmental and commercial center of Ipswich, and where the town’s most successful businessmen built fine Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate and Victorian homes. Continue reading

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Mill Road

2 Mill Road, the Sullivan House (c. 1890) – William Warner Jr. sold a four-acre lot at what was then known as Bush Hill Corner to Samuel Spiller, who built a small house. In 1870, Spiller’s house and land were bought by Eugene Sullivan, who, within 10 years, had purchased over 70 acres of farm land extending from Topsfield Rd. to the Ipswich River. Continue reading

35 Mill Road, the Captain William Warner House (1780) – The road from the dam to Topsfield Road was originally located west of Mill Road. This house was moved from its original location near the bridge, and a section of the old road is now the driveway. Continue reading

44 Mill Road, Holiday Hill, The William and Violet Thayer House (1897) – William Thayer was headmaster of St. Mark’s School in Southborough, MA, and this was their summer home. Information and photos are provided by David Thayer. Continue reading

50 Mill Road, the Caleb Warner House (1734) – Caleb Warner, clothier, bought Michael Farley’s interest in the dam and married the 16-year-old daughter of the miller. By 1755 he had a large farm and built this mansion. The rear section incorporates two earlier structures dating to before 1734, the year he came into possession of the land. Continue reading

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Mineral Street

10 Mineral Street, the Webster Smith House (c.1862) – The 1872 Ipswich map and the 1884 map show a house at this location owned by “W. Smith.” In the 1910 map, the owner is J. A. Smith. Continue reading

14 Mineral Street (c. 1915) – The house at 14 Mineral Street does not appear on the 1910 Ipswich map, but was probably constructed or moved to this location soon after. Continue reading

John Wise Saddle Shop, Mineral St. in Ipswich

16 Mineral Street, Daniel Ringe House c. 1742/ Wise Saddle Shop (1801) – Jabez Farley sold this lot to Joseph and John Wise in 1801, who probably built this small dwelling shortly thereafter. As late as 1832, this was the only house on Mineral Street. Continue reading

17 Mineral St., the Baxter-Adamowicz House, (c. 1885) – This house is part of what was a double lot, constructed in the early 1880s by J. J Philbrook, who sold it soon thereafter to Edward H. Baxter. The Adamowitz family owned it from 1926 into the 21st century. Continue reading

19 Mineral Street (1856) – In 1856, Mary Lord Baker, widow of Stephen W. Baker, transferred 1 1/2 acres, including this lot to Mary Philbrook. The Philbrook family constructed a house on the property, which appears in the 1872 Ipswich map. Continue reading

20 Mineral Street, the Lucy Ackerman House (c. 1870) – This house began as a story-and-a-half Mansard cottage, with the Mineral Street wing added later. The small front mansard cottage is shown in the 1872 map with the name “Mrs. L. Ackerman,”… Continue reading

22 Mineral Street, the Warner-Harris House (c. 1696, alt. 1835) – The earliest sections of this house were built by Daniel Warner in 1696 on Market Street. In 1835, Ephraim Harris, builder, was commissioned by Capt. Robert Kimball to build a new house on the lot. Harris removed a portion of the Warner house to his own land at the corner of Central and Mineral Streets and enlarged it. Continue reading

23 Mineral Street, the Lydia and Joseph Lord House (1871) – Andrew Geyer purchased the lot in 1871 and in 1873 sold the lot with a house on it to Lydia and Josiah Lord. Continue reading

26 Mineral Street (c. 1870) – In the 1872 map, this house and the house at 22 Mineral Street are owned by Ephraim Harris, but only the latter appears in the 1856 map. By 1910, both houses were owned by Mrs. A. Spiller. Continue reading

28 Mineral Street (c. 1880) – The house at 28 Mineral St. is shown in the 1884 Ipswich map and the 1893 Ipswich Birdseye Map. The owner’s name is shown as “Miss Moore. Continue reading

3 Mineral Street, the Charles H. Baker House (c. 1870) – The house at 3 Mineral Street was constructed between the publications of the 1856 and 1872 Ipswich maps. The earliest owner to be identified is Charles H. Baker who owned the house by 1884. Baker is listed in town directories as a “flagman”, possibly for the local branch of the Boston & Maine Railroad. Continue reading

31 Mineral Street (c. 1870) – This house first appears in the 1872 Ipswich map. The first owner is shown as “Caldwell.” “Gable and Wing” houses with Italianate Victorian woodwork are found throughout Ipswich, dating to the period from 1860-1880. Continue reading

33 Mineral Street, the Caroline Norman House, 1884 (moved from Central St.) – The house at 33 Mineral Street was moved from the location of Cumberland Farms on Central Street in Ipswich. Continue reading

35 Mineral Street, the Smith House (c. 1835) – The Ipswich Assessors map shows the date of construction as 1823, but it first appears in the 1856 Ipswich map, and continues into the 20th Century as the Smith house. Continue reading

39 Mineral Street (c. 1920) – The building at this location in the 1910 Ipswich map was a two-story barn or storage building belonging to the Smith family. It is unclear if this is the same structure converted into a residence. Continue reading

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Mitchell Road

34 Mitchell Road, the Mitchell Farm (1800) – There has been a farm on this site since the late 17th century. Structural evidence suggests that the present house was constructed about 1800. From 1870 until the 20th century, the building was owned by the Mitchell family. Continue reading

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Mount Pleasant Ave.

13 Mount Pleasant Avenue, the Mary Nugent House (1874) – This house is probably the oldest on Mount Pleasant Avenue, but its early history is uncertain. Continue reading

4 Mount Pleasant Ave., the William Hayes Building (c. 1890) – The house at 4 Mount Pleasant Ave. was originally the William Mayes apartments and boarding house at the corner of Central and Manning Streets. Continue reading

Mount Pleasant Neighborhood – Featured image: Mount Pleasant neighborhood on the 1910 Ipswich map. Information is from the MACRIS site. These houses were built at a time when the foreign-born population of Ipswich was on the rise, increasing 446% between 1875 and 1915. At the time these houses were built, manufacturing had become the basis of Ipswich’s economy. Continue reading

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Newbury Road

3 Newbury Road, the Philomen Foster House and barn (1787) – Philomen Foster was a deacon of the Linebrook Church and was a member of the Linebrook minutemen. This 18th-century cape retains much of its historic character. Continue reading

6 Newbury Road, the Joseph B. Perley House (1865) – The site was first settled by Nehemiah Abbott, who married James Howe Senior’s daughter Mary in 1659, and farmed this part of his father-in-law’s land. By the late 18th century, the Perley family owned and farmed the site. Continue reading

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Newmarch Street

38 Newmarch Street, the Tobias Lakeman House (1732) – In 1732, Stephen Minot, acting on behalf of the heirs of Francis Wainwright, deeded a three-acre parcel for £75 to Tobias Lakeman, a fisherman who drowned 6 years later in Casco Bay. Continue reading

6 Riverbank Lane Ipswich, the Kenyon house

6 Riverbank Lane, the Henry Rodman Kenyon house (1902) – In 1899, Henry Rodman Kenyon married the pastel portraitist Caroline A. Savary, and by 1901, Kenyon and his wife had settled at Ipswich in a home they called the Riverbank House. His small, scenic paintings record the seasons in Ipswich. Continue reading.

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Northgate Road

27 Northgate Road, the Asa Stone Barn (1839) – This restored barn was moved from its previous location on Argilla Rd. The barn is a good example of an early 19th-century “Yankee Ground Barn.” Continue reading

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North Main Street

Treadwell's Inn, 12 N. Main St., Ipswich

12 North Main Street, Treadwell’s Inn (1737) – In 1737, Captain Nathaniel Treadwell opened an inn in this building. John Adams visited Ipswich frequently during the 1770s in his capacity as a lawyer and always stayed at Captain Nathaniel Treadwell’s inn. It was once erroneously named the Christian Wainwright house, which no longer stands. Continue reading

16 North Main Street, the Stephen Coburn house (1845) – This Greek Revival home was built in 1845 by postmaster Stephen Coburn. After the death of his widow, it became the Lucy B. Coburn Home for the Elderly, a benevolent institution, and is now Kaede Bed and Breakfast. Continue reading

18 North Main Street, the Charles Kimball House (1834) – Charles Kimball attained honor as a colonel of the militia, a distinguished probate lawyer, and deacon of the Church. He was one of the original trustees of the Ipswich Female Seminary. The house shares a subdued Greek Revival style with the Stephen Coburn house next door. It is remembered as the home of the Manning School master. Continue reading

19 North Main Street, Thomas Manning house (1799)

19 North Main Street, Thomas & Margaret Heard Manning House (1799) – This house was built by Dr. Thomas Manning in January 1799, and remained in the family until 1858, when it became a parsonage. This house is protected by a preservation agreement between the owners and the Ipswich Historical Commission. Continue reading

2 North Main Street, the John Appleton House (1707) – In 1962, the Appleton House was purchased by Exxon, which intended to build a gas station on the site. The Ipswich Heritage Trust was formed to save the house, the first major preservation action in Ipswich. Continue reading

21 North Main Street, the Theodore Cogswell House (1880) – Abram D. Wait sold this lot to Theodore F. Cogswell who removed the 17th-century house and built this Second Empire house at 21 North Main Street in Ipswich in 1880, with a fine Mansard roof. Cogswell was a grocer as well as clerk and treasurer of the Ipswich Savings Bank. He also built the Victorian “painted lady” on North Main Street for his daughter and her husband after demolishing a first-period home on that site. Continue reading

22 North Main Street, the Colonial Building (1904) – The Colonial Building at 22 North Main Street was built in 1904 as a commercial venture by the Feoffees of the Little Neck Trust. Ralph A. Daniels of Rowley had a furniture store in the building, and Howard J. Blake, Jr. had a hardware store at one time. One floor of the building was rented by the School Board in 1907 to accommodate the 9th grade. Charles Lampson converted the building into apartments about 1945. Continue reading

25 North Main Street, the Ipswich Public Library (1869) – The Ipswich Public Library at 25 North Main Street in Ipswich is an 1869 Greek Revival building. The library and the first books were a gift to the town from Augustine Heard, and a large endowment by Professor Daniel Treadwell, whose family homestead originally sat at this location. The wings on either side were added later. Continue reading

26 North Main Street, the Agawam House Hotel (1806) – Nathaniel Treadwell built the second Treadwell’s Inn in 1806. In the mid-1800s, the inn was modernized with Victorian architectural elements and was renamed the Agawam House. It continued to be the town’s first-class hotel until it closed in the late 1920s. Continue reading

29 North Main Street, the Odd Fellows Building (1817) – In 1817 the Probate Court and Registry erected this building for its own use. In the year 1852, the Registry and its records were removed to Salem. By 1884 a second floor had been added, and it housed the Odd Fellows upstairs, with Blake’s Drug Store downstairs. Continue reading

31 North Main Street, the Methodist Church (1859) – The Methodist Society was established in Ipswich in 1824. The current Methodist Church on Meeting House Green was constructed in 1859. The steeple appears on the town’s seal, drawn by Ipswich artist Arthur Wesley Dow. Continue reading

33 North Main Street, the Nathaniel Wait House (1865) – Nathaniel Wait was a cobbler, and placed on exhibit at the Essex County Fair a pair of fishing boots judged excellent for their absence of an inside seam. He was a trustee of the church and helped arrange the purchase of County land for the construction of the present edifice in 1859. Continue reading

William Pulcifer house, 34 North Main St., Ipswich

34 North Main Street, the William Pulcifer House (1836) – William Pulcifer was a dry goods storekeeper who built the combination storefront, office and residence building at 34 North Main St. in 1836. This is the only brick residence in the Meetinghouse Green Historic District… Continue reading

Dr. John Manning house, North Main Street, Ipswich

36 North Main Street, the Dr. John Manning House (1763) – This house has one of the first preservation agreements in Ipswich, created by the Ipswich Heritage Trust. Dr. Manning built an unsuccessful wind-driven woolen mill next to the Choate Bridge. Continue reading

38 North Main Street, the Old Post Office (1763) – This structure was built in 1763 as part of the historic Dr. John Manning property. Probably originally a barn or warehouse, it became the post office in 1790. This building also served as the shop of Daniel Rogers, a master gold and silversmith who later moved to Newport, RI. Continue reading

40 North Main Street, the Captain Brewer House (1825) – Captain John Brewer bought two small parcels on North Main Street in 1824 and on them built the present house as a general store. Continue reading

42 North Main Street, the John Johnson House (1871) – Margaret Kendall sold John A. Johnson this lot on Oct. 15, 1870. The old Fitts residence on the lot was moved to 43 High Street. Johnson built a large, elaborate Italianate mansion, which remains one of the finest examples of that style in Ipswich. The gabled carriage house, complete with cupola and characteristic Italianate details, still remains. The Johnson shoe store was down the hill on Market Street. Continue reading

44 North Main Street, the Harry K. Dodge & Josephine Hurd House (1886) – Harry K. Dodge bought the homestead of the widow Margaret S. Kendall in 1886. He tore down the old house and erected this Victorian home. His wife was Josephine Hurd of Amesbury. Continue reading

45 North Main Street, the Isaac Flitchner House (1860) – In 1860 the Captain John Lord house was moved to Washington Street, and Dr. Isaac Flitchner built this fine Italianate house on the lot. It was the home of Justice Charles Augustus Sayward who tried the 18 defendants in the 1913 Ipswich Mills riot. Continue reading

46 N. Main Street, the James Damon House (1866) – James Damon bought this property from Thomas Morley in 1866, removed an 18th century house and built this Italianate mansion. The 2 1/2 story house has Italianate window hoods, quoins, bracketed and decorated cornice, a bold arrowhead and dentil eaves. Damon was a businessman who owned the County Street Mill on Falls Island at Sawmill Point, as well as the “Damon Block” downtown in Ipswich. Continue reading

47 North Main Street, the George Farley House (1888) – In 1888, Theodore Cogswell bought the ancient Dodge house built in 1660 and tore it down to build this Victorian “Painted Lady” for his daughter Emiline and her husband George Farley, owner of the Farley and Daniels shoe company. Their son, Theodore, was a hero of WWI. Continue reading

48 North Main Street, the Thomas Morley House (c. 1750, alt. 1845) – This house and its northern neighbor, 50 North Main, were a single structure before 1845, when Thomas Morley bought the southern portion of that house, separated and rotated it 90°. Continue reading

49 South Main St., Ipwich MA, the John Chapman House

49 North Main Street, the John & Joanna Chapman House (1769) – This house was built in 1770 by John Chapman, a “leather breeches maker.” In 1822, Captain Ephraim Kendall sold the house to Ebenezer and Daniel Russell, and throughout the rest of the 19th century, the house stayed in the Russell family. Continue reading

50 North Main Street, the James Brown House (1700 / 1721) – The James Brown house is part of a larger 1700 house that was divided into three houses in the 19th Century. The chamfered oak frame in the southern portion indicates late First period, while the northern section appears to date from the 1720s. The Morley house next door was separated and turned sideways. Continue reading

51 North Main Street, the Sarah Lord House (1849) – Sarah Lord was the wife of A. P. Lord, whose general merchandise store existed at Lords Square for 100 years. Italianate motifs are featured in this house. Continue reading

Treadwell-Hale House, 52 North Main St., Ipswich MA

52 N. Main Street, the Treadwell-Hale house (1799) – This building is believed to have been built after the land was sold to Nathaniel Treadwell 3rd in 1799. He transferred to Joseph Hale one month later. There is a stone cooking hearth in the basement of the house, which is protected by a preservation agreement with the Ipswich Historical Commission. Continue reading

56 N. Main St., the Dodge and Spiller Grocery (c. 1850) – In 1854, Manning K. Dodge, who owned several lots at this end of North Main Street, sold the house to Richard K. Dodge. For several decades, it was the location of the Dodge and Spiller grocery store. Continue reading

57 North Main Street, the Day-Dodge House (1737) – This unusual house has three entrances and asymmetrical bays. The corner at North Main and East Street is the oldest section and appears to have elements of a barn constructed by Francis Wainwright at this location in 1696. This house is protected by a preservation agreement. Continue reading

58 North Main Street, the Captain Richard Rogers House (1728) – Captain Richard Rogers bought this lot in 1728 and built this high-style, gambrel-roofed house shortly thereafter. The balustrade, paneling, and shell cupboards in this house indicate a high-style Georgian influence, one of the finest of its vintage in New England. Continue reading

6-8 North Main St., Taverner Sparks (c. 1671-1710) – The left side of this first period house was the home of taverner John Sparks and his wife Mary. The right side was added in the early 18th Century during ownership by the Smith family. Sparks’ nearby hostelry was known far and wide, and sessions of the Quarterly Courts met there for 20 years. Continue reading

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Old England Road

1 Old England Road, Moritz B. Philipp and Jane Peterson estate (1885) – “The sightly residence of Moritz B. Philipp crowns the rugged eminence known in Mr. Hubbard’s day and from the earliest times as Rocky Hill. The earliest name associated with the Hill is that of Humphrey Griffin.”… Continue reading

Captain Treadwell house, 2 Old England Road, Ipswich MA

2 Old England Road, the Captain Jabez Treadwell House (1748) – The Captain Treadwell house features Georgian-era construction. Captain Treadwell’s ships, “The Dolphin,” and “Hannah” sailed from the town wharves to Trinidad, St. Lucie, Point Petre, and other West India ports. Continue reading

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Poplar Street

1 Poplar Street, the Lathrop House (1912) – This lot is part of the old “School Orchard” on which the town’s first grammar school was built. In the 1800s, Wallace and Charles Lathrop purchased the land for their well-established coal, ice and wood distribution business. Continue reading

11 Poplar Street, the George H. Green House, (c. 1890) – The house at 11 Poplar St. was constructed for George H. Green between 1884 and 1893, when it first appears in the Ipswich Birdseye map. The owner of the house in the 1910 Ipswich map is G. Green. Continue reading

2 Poplar Street, Swasey Tavern (1718) – John Ayres built a house in 1693 and sold it in 1705 to John Whipple, who did extensive alterations. In 1725, Increase How purchased the “good mansion house” from Whipple and ran an inn. In 1789, President George Washington addressed the citizenry from these steps. It was owned by General Joseph Swasey in the early 19th Century. Continue reading

5-7 Poplar Street, the Dr. John Calef House (1671) – This house was built on South Main St. between 1671 and 1688 by Deacon Thomas Knowlton. In the mid-18th Century the house was owned by Dr. John Calef, a Loyalist. John Heard moved the house to its present location in order to build his elaborate Federalist home which now houses the Ipswich Museum. Continue reading

9 Poplar St., the Seward-Mavroides House (1873) – William Seward built the house at 9 Poplar St. in 1873, but for 7 decades its been owned by the Mavroides family. The “gable with ell” plan with vernacular Italianate features was popular in the second half of the 19th Century. Continue reading

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Scottons Lane

1 Scotton’s Lane, the Choate-Scotton house (c. 1863) – In the year 1834, Charles Choate moved to Ipswich from Essex with his family and began building vessels at Baker’s Wharf. His sons Lewis and Edward took up the trade and continued the business. Amos Scotton immigrated to Boston and settled in Ipswich. He married Eliza Brown and had 8 children. He passed away on 1905 in Ipswich. His son Amos Scotton, an Ipswich jeweler and knit goods, purchased this property before 1910. Continue reading

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South Green

1 South Green, the Captain John Whipple House (1677 / 1690) – The oldest part of the house dates to 1677, when Captain John Whipple constructed a townhouse near the center of Ipswich. In 1927, the Historical Society moved it over the Choate Bridge to its current location and restored the house to its original appearance. … Continue reading

11 South Village Green, the Gables (1838) – This house was designed by mathematician David Baker as an upscale lodging for lawyers in town for the Ipswich court. He was unable to repay the money he borrowed from Augustine Heard, who took possession. In the 1920s, Nellie Huckins purchased the house and ran the Gables Tea Room. Continue reading

Aaron Smith House, South Village Green, Ipswich

5 South Village Green, the Aaron Smith House (1776) – Aaron Smith married Lucy, the daughter of John and Eunice Baker, next door. A metal worker, He produced bayonets for the Revolutionary War. The clocks he produced are highly valued. Continue reading

7 South Village Green, the Col. John Baker House (c. 1761) – Daniel Rogers sold the old Rogers homestead to John Baker in 1761, and Baker greatly altered or built this house, which has much original material, including Georgian paneling and original fireplaces. This house is protected by a preservation agreement with the Ipswich Historical Commission. Continue reading

Stylized painting of the Ipswich South Green

South Green Historic District – The South Green dates from 1686, when the town voted that the area be held in common, and became known as the School House Green. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Continue reading

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South Main Street

15 South Main Street, the Caldwell Block (1870) – The Caldwell Block stands on the site of the former Massachusetts Woolen Manufactory, constructed by Dr. John Manning in 1794. The property was sold to Stephen Coburn in 1847 and housed the post office and other shops. The building was destroyed by fire, and in 1870 Col. Luther Caldwell erected the present building. Continue reading

30 South Main Street, the Old Town Hall (1833) – The Unitarians built their church here in 1833 but sold it to the town ten years later to be used as the town hall. The lower section was constructed at the corner, and the old Unitarian Church was moved on top. Continue reading

Josephy Manning house, South Main Street, Ipswich

31 South Main Street, the Dr. Joseph Manning House (1727) – A house on this lot was purchased by Timothy Souther in 1794 and stayed in the Souther family until 1860. It was taken down in 1917, and the Dr. Joseph Manning house was moved to this location so that an automobile dealership could be constructed across from the Old Town Hall. Continue reading

36 South Main St., the Hall-Haskell House / Ipswich Visitor Center (1820) – The Ipswich Visitor Center is located in the Hall-Haskell House on South Main Street. Open weekends in May, seven days a week Memorial Day through October. Continue reading

37 South Main Street, Baker’s Store (b. 1828) – The former Baker’s Clothing Store at 37 South Main Street was built in 1828. Properties along the river side of South Main St. were granted in the late 17th Century to establish businesses along the corridor where people entered the Ipswich. Continue reading

R. W. Davis automotive dealership, S. Main St. Ipswich MA

41-47 South Main St., R. W. Davis Dealership (1930) – The buildings at 41 and 47 South Main were the R. W. Davis automotive dealership. By 1930 the Thomas Manning House had been moved to the Timothy Souther lot, and R. W. Davis had built a brick building for his automobile dealership. The buildings currently house the store, “Anntiques.”

54 S. Main St., the Heard House / Ipswich Museum (1795) – The Museum provides tours of the First Period Whipple House and works by nineteenth-century Ipswich Painters, including Arthur Wesley Dow. Continue reading

57 South Main Street, Ipswich Mills Boarding House (1876) – The building at 57 South Main Street was erected by the Ipswich Mills Corporation for use as a boarding house. In the early 20th Century, Madeline Linehan operated the Ipswich Mills Tea House in the building. Continue reading

59 South Main Street, the Philomen Dean House, Old Lace Factory (1716) – Dr. Philomen Dean bought this lot in 1715 and built a house soon thereafter. After various owners, the building was sold to the Boston and Ipswich Lace Co. in 1824, and an addition was built for use as a factory. Continue reading

6 South Main Street, the Shoreborne Wilson – Samuel Appleton house (1685) – This house was built by joiner Sherborne Wilson. 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 central chimney structure, and it is believed that Appleton expanded the building on the southeast side. The house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Continue reading

Samuel Dutch house, S.Main St., Ipswich MA

69 S. Main Street, the Samuel Dutch House (c.1723 & later) – Samuel Dutch bought this land in 1723 and built this house by 1733. The front appears to have been enlarged with a third floor and a hip roof during the early 19th Century. The rear wing has a chamfered summer beam, suggesting that it was an older house. Continue reading

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Spring Street

15 Spring Street, the William & Mirriam Burrows House (after 1856) – The 1832 Ipswich map shows a house at this location owned by Moses Caldwell. In the 1856 map, W. Burroughs is shown as the owner. The 1872 map and the 1884 map show the lot with a house, owned by W. Burrows. The house at 15 Spring Street is shown in the 1893 Ipswich Birdseye… Continue reading

13 Spring Street, the George V. Millett House (1886) – Built about 1886, the George V. Millett house is an outstanding example of Victorian-era “shingle style” architecture. Millett was a partner in the company “Millett, Woodbury & Co., Shoes.” Continue reading

17 Spring Street Ipswich, Arthur Wesley Dow house

17 Spring Street, the David Dow House (1857) – This is the childhood home of renowned Ipswich painter Arthur Wesley Dow. Continue reading

21 Spring Street, the G. F. Swain Summer Estate (b. 1910) – George Swain married Mary Hayden Lord, the daughter of William Safford Lord of Salem. This house was their summer home. Continue reading

3 Spring Street, the James Scott House (1840) – The first use of 3 Spring Street as a residence was between 1832-1856. It is possible that the building may have been used as a barn or shop before that. The 3 Spring St. property was portioned off from the large two-acre parcel originally owned by Francis Jordan. Continue reading

5 Spring Street, the Henderson House (c. 1880) – This house stayed in the Henderson family through the 19th Century. In the 1960s, it was the site of a gunfire exchange with Ipswich police officers. Continue reading

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Summer Street

10 Summer Street, the Charles and Abigail Cotton / Moses Harris House (1838) – Moses Harris was the son of Thomas and Hannah (Soward) Harris and married Emily A. Cotton, age 18, the daughter of Charles and Abigail (Jewett) Cotton who owned several parcels in the area, probably including this house or lot. Continue reading

11 Summer Street, the Nathaniel Hovey House (1718) – The Hovey family was among the original settlers of Ipswich. The builder of this house was the son of Daniel Hovey and Abigail (Andrews) Hovey. His grandfather was the settler Daniel Hovey. (There were several descendants of the settler Daniel Hovey given the name Nathaniel. This is not the Nathaniel Hovey who removed to Windham, CT. Continue reading

12 Summer Street, the Ezra W. Lord House (1848) – This was the childhood home of Walter Ezra Lord, born January 22, 1856. He graduated from the high school with the class of 1871, and established himself in a general dry goods business in Ipswich, and was regarded as one of the substantial men of that town. He served 5 years as a selectman, and in 1895 was chosen representative of Ipswich in the lower house of the General Court. Continue reading

13 Summer Street, the Daniel Clark House (1872) – This lot with a house was purchased by Daniel Clark in 1872. The old house was moved to 5 County Street, and the present house was erected. It served as Phillip Clark’s funeral home. Continue reading

14 Summer St., the Isaiah Rogers House (c. 1870) – The first known owner of 14 Summer St. is Isaiah Rogers, shown on the 1872 Ipswich map. The property was sold in 1886 to Sarah Fellows Lord. Continue reading

15 Summer Street, the Jonathan Pulcifer House (1718) – Jonathan Pulcifer built this house in 1718 on Summer Street, one of the “oldest ways” in Ipswich. He was a descendant of Benjamin Pulsipher, an early settler of Ipswich who died in 1695. Continue reading

16 Summer Street, the Treadwell House (1852) – The house at 16 Summer Street was built by the husband of William Treadwell’s daughter, Elizabeth. Continue reading

17 Summer St., the William and Margaret Chapman House (after 1832) – Margaret L. Chapman, wife of William Chapman, died Nov. 21, 1889, aged 80 yrs, 10 mos. William Chapman, son of Jedediah Chapman, died July 24, 1899, aged 86 years, 3 months. Continue reading

19 Summer Street, the Solomon Lakeman House (before 1745) – This lot was owned or occupied by Solomon Lakeman in 1745, but could have been constructed earlier. The 1832 map shows the owner as “The widow Lakeman.”… Continue reading

24 Summer Street, the William E. Barton House (1884) – This house first appears in the 1884 Ipswich village map under the ownership of J. E. Barton. In the 1910 map, it belonged to William J. Barton. Continue reading

27 Summer Street, the Thomas Knowlton House (1688) – Humphrey Bradstreet. sold his house and land to Deacon Thomas Knowlton in 1646. In 1688 Knowlton passed his house and land to his grand nephew Nathaniel Knowlton with a new house erected on the property, and it is this house that survives today. Continue reading

3 Summer Street, the Benjamin Kimball House (c . 1730, moved in 1803) – This house was a single-floor 2-room cape moved to this location in 1803. The first floor outside corners have gunstock posts, evidence that they once supported the roof. Continue reading

30 Summer Street, the Smith-Barton House (moved 1880) – The house at 30-32 Summer Street may have been the High Street home of Daniel Smith, and was moved to the current location in the 1880s by John Conley. The house was occupied by Civil War Veteran John Barton. Continue reading

31 Summer Street, the Bartlett House (c. 1870) – Ezekiel Bartlett sold this property to Frederick Willcomb in 1872. The decorative brackets under the soffets and porch roof are Italianate, suggesting a mid-century construction. Continue reading

36 Summer Street, the John Brocklebank House (1856) – The Brocklebank family in Essex County traces its roots to John Brocklebank Sr., born about 1630 in Yorkshire, England, who moved with his wife, Sarah, to Rowley, MA in 1657. Jenny Ellsworth came into possession of this house and 38 Summer St. in 1930. Continue reading

37 Summer Street, the William H. Jewett House (b.1872) – The elegant Cape Cod Colonial at 37 Summer Street first appears as the W. Jewett house in the 1872 Ipswich map, although the town website lists the date of construction as 1825. Continue reading

38 Summer Street, the William M. and Jennie Ellsworth House (1881) – This house was built by William Merrill Ellsworth and his wife, Jenny (Lord) Ellsworth. Two similar houses side by side are on the same lot in the 1910 map, owned by Mrs. Jennie Ellsworth. Continue reading

39 Summer Street Ipswich MA, the Foster Grant house

39 Summer Street, the Foster-Grant House (1717) – In 1717, Nathaniel Knowlton sold a small lot to James Foster, who is believed to have built the house. In 1826, the family sold to Ephriam Grant, and the house was long known as the “Grant house.” Early Colonial features are preserved throughout the house. Continue reading

4-6 Summer Street, the Cotton-Nourse House (1840) – Ebenezer Russell sold this lot to Charles C. Cotton, Feb. 27, 1840. Cotton built a double house, and sold half of the house with a partition running through it, and half of a barn to Foster Russell and Daniel P. Nourse in Feb. 1841. Cotton retained half of the house, but by the late 19th Century the house was owned solely by the Nourse family. Continue reading

40 Summer Street, the Denison Rust House (b. 1872) – Denison Rust deeded the house to Vallancourt E. Rust in 1906. In the late 20th Century this house was owned by the Brockelbank family. Continue reading

43 Summer Street, the Wilcomb-Pinder House (1718) – This timber-framed First Period house was built in 1718 by William Wilcomb. The interior of the home features hand-hewn summer beams, wide plank flooring, and the original fireplaces. The next owner, William Benjamin Pinder, was a corporal with Col. Appleton’s company during the French and Indian War. Continue reading

46 Summer Street, the James Foster House (1720) – James Foster bought this former orchard land in 1720 from Nathaniel Clark, who moved to Newbury. The northwest side is the original half-house, which was doubled in size and remodeled to appear Georgian, with the two chimneys, dormers, and a symmetrical front. The house was owned by the Soward family in the 19th Century, and partially burned. Continue reading

48 Summer St., the Alonzo and Abbie Butler House (1868) – In 1884, Abbie Butler and Alonzo Butler sold to Sarah Burnham the house next door at 46 Summer St. Ownership was transferred to Nathaniel Burnham in 1923. Continue reading

5 Summer Street, the Widow Fuller House (1725) – In 1754, Elizabeth Fuller sold this house and land to Thomas Treadwell, who also owned the house at 7 Summer Street. Stylistic evidence points to a construction date of c. 1725. Originally, the house was one room deep, with a cased frame. An ell was added at the turn of the 19th century. Continue reading

7 Summer Street, the Thomas Treadwell House (c. 1740) – The original house consisted of a large room with a chimney and entry at the right. The sloop, “Endeavorer,” under Capt. Thomas Treadwell was part of the fishing fleet of 1716. Continue reading

8 Summer Street, the Daniel Glazier House (1840) – Manning Dodge sold a part of his lot fronting on Annable’s Lane (Summer Street) to Daniel Glazier on July 20, 1835. Glazier built his house here soon thereafter, about 1840. Continue reading

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Topsfield Road

Jacob Brown house, Topsfied Rd., Ipswich MA

11 Topsfield Road, the Jacob and William G. Brown House (b. 1832) – William Gray Brown, occupied this house after his father’s death and continued his father’s ice and coal business. He also owned and operated the Agawam House hotel facing Meeting House Green. The turret and porch are Victorian additions. Continue reading

114 Topsfield Road, the Goodhue-Adams House (1763) – The home at 114 Topsfield Road is known as the Goodhue-Adams-Patch house. The Goodhue and Adams families were among the original settlers in Ipswich. The house is believed to have been built in 1763. Continue reading

130 Topsfield Road, the William Wallis House (c. 1800-20) – This large farm was granted to Ensign Nicholas Wallis in 1639, and it appears to have stayed in the family until a descendant of William Wallis, the presumed builder of this house, sold it in 1875. Continue reading

16 Topsfield Road, the Joseph Peatfield House and Nursery (1877) – In 1846, Joseph Peatfield bought about seven acres bounded by Topsfield Road and the Ipswich River and planted a nursery in a part of this purchase. Continue reading

208 Topsfield Road, the Joseph and Judah Goodhue House (1767) – After the death of Charles G. Rice in 1943, the Winthrop family purchased their farm and the old Goodhue house. The Winthrops built a large house close to the river and left this house still standing. Continue reading

24 Topsfield Road, the Moses Kimball House (1688) – The land on which the Moses Kimball house was built is part of a larger grant to early settler Samuel Appleton. His son John Appleton sold a five and 3/4 acre lot on the south side of Topsfield Road to Moses Kimball, a taylor, who built some portion of this house in 1688. Continue reading

251 Topsfield Road, Turner Hill (1900) – Construction on the Turner Hill mansion-house began in 1900 for Charles and Ann Rice. She was killed in an equestrian accident in 1933, and a decade later, the estate was purchased by the La Salette Fathers. It is now a golf club and condominium development. Continue reading

28 Topsfield Road, Sacred Heart Church (1903) – Large numbers of Polish immigrants began coming to Ipswich in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The church and rectory were constructed in 1908. In 1999, the Archdiocese announced plans to close the church. While the Sacred Heart building retains most of its original appearance, the interior was converted into luxury apartments. The Rectory is now a private residence. Continue reading

84 Topsfield Rd., the Charles Leonard Goodhue House (1881) – Sue Nelson’s inventory of historic houses in Ipswich lists 84 Topsfield Rd. as the Davis-Goodhue House, constructed 1872-74. On June 22, 1874, Melinda J. Davis of Ipswich, and Ephraim Davis, in consideration of $375, sold William Goodhue of Ipswich a parcel of land with the buildings thereon, on Topsfield Rd. and bounded by land formerly… Continue reading

Sullivan’s Corner: The Last Years of the Farm – For eight decades, the Sullivan farm in Ipswich 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. Continue reading

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Turkey Shore Road

1 Turkey Shore Road, the Burnham-Patch-Day House c. 1670-1730 – This house has a preservation agreement with the Ipswich Historical Commission. The house was built by Thomas Burnham in 1730 on the foundation of the earlier house he bought in 1667. The large ell on Poplar Street was added in the early nineteenth century. Abner Day bought the house of the heirs of John Patch in 1814 and kept a well-known tavern. Continue reading

17 Turkey Shore, the John Edward Norman House (1895) – Capt. John E. Norman was lost at sea, only twenty-eight years old, leaving a widow and a young family. This house is presumed to have been built by his son, John E. Norman, 2nd. Continue reading

Heard-Lakeman house, Poplar St., Ipswich

2 Turkey Shore, the Heard-Lakeman House (1776) – Nathaniel and John Heard bought this land in 1776 and built the present house. Nathaniel sold the house to Richard Lakeman III in 1795. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and has a preservation agreement with the Ipswich Historical Commission. Continue reading

First Period Howard House, Turkey Shore, Ipswich MA

41 Turkey Shore Road, the William Howard House (c. 1680/1709) – Architectural evidence suggests that William Howard removed the 1638 home of Thomas Emerson and built the left side of the present house about 1680. The right side was added in 1709. Continue reading

48 Turkey Shore Road, the Nathaniel Hodgkins House (1720) – The house at 48 Turkey Shore Road is believed to have been built by Nathaniel Hodgkins in 1720 on land formerly owned by Daniel Hovey. The gambrel roof indicates early Georgian era construction. A 19th-century rear ell was removed in 2022 and replaced with a modern but compatible addition. Continue reading

49 Turkey Shore Road, the Austin Measures House (1874) – Austin Measures’ Candy Shop was first located in a small building on North Main Street, and later on Central Street. This house was built in 1874. The low-pitched roof, window hoods, and corbels supporting the flat roof portico are of Italianate influence. Continue reading

59 Turkey Shore Road, the Elizabeth and Otis Glover House (c 1870) – Elizabeth Glover, wife of Otis Glover, inherited the property at 59 Turkey Shore Road from her father, Abraham Soward. She moved the old house off the lot and built this large Queen Anne house on the location. Her husband, Otis Glover, was in the Civil War from 1861 to 1864 and lived until 1903. Continue reading

63 Turkey Shore Road, the Isaac Foss House (1870) – The Foss House is the finest example of the Gothic Revival era in Ipswich. The steep front gables on this home show the influence of a romantic movement in architecture inspired by medieval design, a departure from the classical Federal and Greek Revival styles popular earlier in the century. Continue reading

Boardman house, Turkey Shore Ipswich, 1725

67 Turkey Shore Road, the Stephen Boardman House (1725) – This house is named for Stephen Boardman, the son of Thomas Boardman and Sarah Langley. The wide pine board floors in the house are original, and 4 restored fireplaces share a central chimney. Continue reading

15 Turkey Shore Rd. (c. 1900) – The Queen Anne Free Classic style of the early 20th Century shares some of the characteristics of the more elaborate Queen Anne houses of the late 19th Century, but is a separate class style of architecture,… Continue reading

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Turnpike Road

61 Turnpike Road, the John Foster House (1780) – The sign that hung at Foster’s Tavern has been stored in a barn at the Ipswich Museum for a century, and reads, “I shoe the horse, I shoe the ox, I carry the nails in my box, I make the nail, I set the shoe, And entertain some strangers too.”… Continue reading

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Waldingfield Road

11 Waldingfield Road, “Applefield,” the Oliver Appleton Farm (1759 and earlier) – This property was part of the original Samuel Appleton farm. The 18th-century homes of Oliver Appleton and his son Oliver Jr. were moved a short distance and combined into one house by Charles Tuckerman. Continue reading

55 Waldingfield Rd., “Waldingfield” (1929) – Daniel and Helen Appleton built the original Waldingfield mansion with the early Samuel Appleton homestead attached. The houses were destroyed by fire in 1916. A new house was later built by his daughter, Julia, and her husband, Charles Bird. Trails on the Julia Bird Reservation are open to the public. Continue reading

58 Waldingfield Rd., the Hoyt House (c. 1885) – This boxy, white house on Waldingfield Road, neighboring Appleton Farms, is all that remains of the “Hoyt House,” the summer residence of May Appleton Hoyt and her family. Mary “May” Eliza Appleton Hoyt (1860-1927) was the youngest daughter of Daniel Fuller Appleton of New York and Julia Randall Appleton. Continue reading

65 Waldingfield Road, Sunswick (1890) – In 1882, Bayard Tuckerman married Annie Osgood Smith, daughter of Rev. Cotton Smith and Hariette Appleton, daughter of General James Appleton. A lot on Waldingfield Rd. near Highland Street that had once belonged to Daniel Fuller Appleton was purchased in 1890 by Tuckerman. He built his summer house on a slight rise and named it “Sunswick.” Continue reading

Appleton Farms – Owned by the Trustees of Reservations, Appleton Farms is America’s oldest working farm, with 12 miles of walking trails, a visitor center, and Community Supported Agriculture program. Continue reading

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Warren Street

11 Warren Street, the Old Warren Fire House and School (1884) – In 1884, the Town built a firehouse on Warren Street, and purchased the Warren engine. In 1910, the Warren Street firehouse was converted to a school to house two 7th-grade classrooms. The building is now a private residence. Continue reading

12 Warren Street, the Widow Louisa Wells House (c. 1840) – The small “broken back” cottage at 12 Warren Street in Ipswich is listed on the town assessors’ site as having been built in 1700, but the house lacks First Period features, indicating a later date. It was moved a short distance to this location, which had been the site of the town pound in the… Continue reading

David Grady house, Warren St., Ipswich MA

8 Warren Street, the James Harris House (1772) – In 1887, William Russell removed a house built in 1772 by James Harris at 12 High Street and built his Victorian house. The old house at that location was removed to 8 Warren St., in the ownership of David Grady, and expanded. Continue reading

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Washington Street

10 Washington St., the Mary Holmes and Captain John Lord House (b. 1770) – The house was constructed before 1770 at 45 N. Main St., and was moved to this location in 1860 by Michael Ready. The second floor was probably added at that time. Continue reading

12 Washington Street, the Patrick Riley House (1880) – This house was built between 1872 and 1884 for Patrick and Ellen Riley. Riley was a farmer, and he and his wife owned this house and the one at #16. By 1924, this house was occupied by Maurice and Mary Blaquiere. Continue reading

Patrick Riley House on Washington Street, Ipswich MA

16 Washington Street, the Patrick Riley House (c. 1865) – Patrick Riley is listed in town directories as a farmer. By 1924, this house was occupied by Isaac W. Mitchell, a carpenter. Continue reading

18 Washington Street, Sanford Peatfield House (1860) – This house was built for Sanford and Mary Peatfield around 1860. Sanford and James Peatfield built a brick mill on Washington Street and continued making woolen underwear until about 1877. The factory became the Hayes Hotel, and burned in the 20th Century. Continue reading

31 Washington St., the Laffy-Chapman-Morrill House (c. 1880) – This house was built between 1872 and 1884. By 1884, it was owned by Michael Laffy; Laffy is listed in town directories as a laborer. By 1910, the house was owned by Walter Chapman, a farmer who lived on Pineswamp Road and presumably rented this house. In 1916, the house was occupied by Euclid A. and Charlotte B. Morrill. In 1924, it was occupied by Insurance agent William F. Connor and his wife, Mary. Continue reading

32 Washington Street, the Frederick Bray – Daniel Nourse House (c 1870) – The first owner of this house, built around 1865, was Frederick Bray, a Civil War veteran. By 1884, it was owned by Daniel P. and Sarah Nourse. Nourse died by 1888 and the house was sold. By 1916, it was occupied by Dennis and Nora Monahan. Dennis is listed in town directories as a mason. Continue reading

35 Washington Street, the Charles and Margaret Bell House (c. 1890) – These identical houses on Cottage St. were built for Charles E. and John A. Brown, who were also involved in speculative development on Brown and Liberty Streets. Continue reading

37 Washington Street, the Brown-Grossman-Doucette House (1884) – This house was built before 1884 by George V. Brown, one of several houses he built on a large parcel. Brown operated a large hay & grain business nearby at Brown Square and lived on Liberty Street. In 1916, this house was occupied by Charles (& Mary) Grossman and Denis (& Maggie) Doucette. Continue reading

41 Washington Street, the George Brown House (1883) – John A. Brown sold this lot to George B. Brown in 1883, and he built a house shortly thereafter. Brown’s house is one of the few Stick Style Victorian homes in Ipswich. Brown built a grist mill, also located on Washington St., in 1881. He started with a single team and by 1888 employed 6 men. Brown was the first in the area to install a roller mill, which removed all foreign iron substances from the grain before it entered the mill… Continue reading

42 Washington Street, DJ’s Variety Store (1938) – This small grocery store was built between 1936 and 1940, and was operated by Christ G. Geanakos as a grocery store. Geanakos lived at 1 Burley Avenue. … Continue reading

44 Washington St., the Howard Hills House (1905) – The house at 44 Washington Street was built between 1902 and 1907, and was constructed for Howard S. Hills, who was the manager of Russell’s Ideal Lunch at Depot Square. Continue reading

46 Washington Street, the James S. Marble-James Peatfield house (1859) – This two-family house came into the possession of Sanford and James Peatfield in 1859. James Peatfield came to America in 1827. He built one of the first lace machines in this country and invented a warp machine, after which he began manufacturing woolen underwear. Together with his brother, Sanford, Peatfield built a brick mill on Washington Street. Continue reading

53 Washington Street, the George W. Smith – Pickard House, (1880) – The earliest owner to be identified is George W. Smith, who owned the house by 1884, and is listed in town directories as a flagman for the railroad. By 1910 the property was owned by Henry A. Pickard. Continue reading

56 Washington Street, the Ephraim Goodhue House (1875) – The earliest owner of the house was Ephraim Goodhue, listed in town directories as a blacksmith and grocer with a shop on Pleasant Street. By 1902 the house had been converted to two-family use. Continue reading

59 Washington Street, the Charles W. Bamford House (C 1887) – This house was built between 1884 and 1888 for Charles W. Bamford, who was at various times in his career the Town Clerk, Treasurer, and Justice of the Peace. The elaborative cornices and multiple colors of paint are a mix of Italianate and Queen Anne Victorian. Continue reading

62 Washington St., the Robert Stone House (1869) – 62 Washington St., Ipswich MA… Continue reading

78 Washington Street, the Daniel Haskell House (1835) – The Federal trim and substantial chimneys identify this house as perhaps the earliest of the story-and-one-third 19th-century cottages on Linebrook. It is uncertain which Daniel Haskell, Sr. or Jr., was the owner. Records show that both died of dementia. Continue reading

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Water Street

12 Water Street, the Glazier-Sweet house (1728) – This house was built in 1728 by Benjamin Glazier, a sea captain, and transitions the First and Second Periods of Colonial construction. The original half-house and early Beverly Jog addition remain intact, with later additions. Continue reading

28 Water Street, the Harris-Stanwood House (1696) – The Harris–Stanwood house was built in 1696 by John Harris. John Stanwood acquired the property in 1809, and it remained in his family for many years. The right wing was added c. 1884. Continue reading

32 Water Street, the Jabesh Sweet House (1713) – Jabesh Sweet built this house on a quarter-acre lot by the river at 32 Water Street in 1713. People said that the ghost of Harry Maine, the mooncusser, haunted the house that once sat where the garage for this house now stands. He was found guilty and staked to the Ipswich Bar for eternity. Continue reading

36 Water St. Ipswich MA the York-Averill house

36 Water Street, the York – Averill House (1715) – Captain Samuel York built this house in 1715 after selling two smaller lots on East Street. The earliest portions of this house date from the early years of his ownership. Benjamin Averill, a Revolutionary War veteran, bought the house in 1793, and it remained in the Averill family until the late 19th century. Continue reading

4 Water Street, the Jewett House (1849) – This house was built in 1849, framed with lumber taken from the 1747 Meeting House of the First Church when it was torn down, prior to the building of the Gothic church that stood on that location for a century. Continue reading

6 Water Street, the Reginald Foster House (1690/1745) – Ipswich deeds list the transfer of a house at this location from Roger Preston to Reginald Foster in 1657, but construction of this house dates to about 1690. Massive chamfered summer beams in the right section, the sharp-pitched roof and purlins provide evidence of an early date. Continue reading

8 Water Street, the Pengry-Harris-Sutton House (1677-1743), completely reconstructed in 2000) – Abner Harris bought this lot and enlarged the house in 1743. When the house was dismantled and reconstructed in the early 21st Century, evidence was discovered indicating that the eastern part of the house may date to 1677. Continue reading

View of Summer and Water Streets in Ipswich in the 19th Century

Images of Water Street – Today’s Water and Summer Streets are the town’s oldest public ways, and were in the early years called simply, “the Way to the Meeting House” or “the Way to the River.” On either side of the River, a public way was sedulously preserved from any encroachment. Continue reading

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Woods Lane

10 Woods Lane, the Plouff-Grant House (1837) – Sanford Peatfield sold this lot to Eliza Plouff, wife of Edward Plouff, Feb. 4, 1837. Plouf purchased and operated the old Farley tannery from 1849 to 1863. Their sons, John W., and Edward Plouff Jr. both were sent to the front during the Civil War. Continue reading

11 Woods Lane, the Merrifield House (c. 1725-1800) – The oldest part of the large house at 11 Woods Lane was built in 1792 by Francis Merrifield, Jr,. who served as a lieutenant in Capt. Nathaniel Wade’s Co. during the Revolutionary War. Continue reading

12 Woods Lane, Grant’s Barn (1865) – The house, land, and barn at 12 Woods Lane came into the possession of Joshua B. Grant in 1860, who owned the property for 53 years. It is Joshua B. Grant who likely built the barn. Continue reading

12 Woods Lane, the Joshua B. Grant house (before 1878) – The house was constructed between 1872 and 1878, and is shown in the 1884 Ipswich map with Joshua B. Grant as the owner. Continue reading

29 Woods Lane, A.L.R. Mahoney House (c. 1900) – Built circa 1900, the house at 29 Woods Lane appears on the 1910 Ipswich map with the name “Mrs. A.L.K. Mahoney.”… Continue reading

8 Woods Lane Ipswich MA the James Peatfield house

8 Woods Lane, the James Peatfield House (1833) – James Peatfield purchased this lot on what was then called Fruit Lane in 1833, one of the earliest brick capes in Ipswich. He sold the house to Asa Kinsman in 1859 and built a large home at 46-48 Washington Street by 1860. Continue reading

The Mary Wade house, 9 Woods Lane, Ipswich MA

9 Woods Lane, the Mary Wade House (1792) – Francis Merrifield, Jr. bought this corner lot from his father in 1792 and built the gambrel cottage. Mary Wade, Jr., daughter of Col. Nathaniel Wade of Revolutionary War fame, bought the property in 1827. Continue reading

COMPREHENSIVE IPSWICH INDEX

Agawam Ave.

Argilla Road

Brown Square

Brown Street

Candlewood Road

Central Street

County Road

County Street

Depot Square

East Street

Elm Street

Essex Road

Estes Street

Fellows Road

Fox Creek Road

Green Street

Hammatt Street

Heartbreak Road

High Street

Highland Avenue

Hovey Street

Jeffreys Neck Road

Kimball Avenue

Labor in Vain Road

Lafayette Road

Lakeman’s Lane

Liberty Street

Linebrook Road

Loney’s Lane

Lords Square

Manning Street

Maple Avenue

Market Street

Meeting House Green

Mill Road

Mineral Street

Mitchell Road

Mount Pleasant Ave.

Newbury Road

Newmarch Street

Northgate Road

North Main Street

Old England Road

Poplar Street

Scottons Lane

South Green

South Main Street

Spring Street

Summer Street

Topsfield Road

Turkey Shore Road

Turnpike Road

Waldingfield Road

Warren Street

Washington Street

Water Street

Woods Lane

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