100 High Street, the Joseph Fowler House (1720 – 1756)

Joseph Fowler House, 100 High St., Ipswich MA — Joseph Fowler House, 100 High St.

The plaque on the Joseph Fowler house at 100 High Street states that it was built in 1756, but that is not completely certain. Fowler was a carpenter and bought the lot in 1720. Records indicated that the house may have existed on this spot before Fowler obtained it, although at least one old-timer long ago reported that it had been moved to this location from Mineral Street. The house has a 1-1/2 story, gambrel roof with a central chimney. View MACRIS

Joseph Fowler House 100 High Street Preservation Agreement

High-100-joseph-fowler-preservation-agreement

This house is protected by a preservation agreement between the owners and the Ipswich Historical Commission. Protected elements include:

All front and side exterior elements
Roof, chimney, central frame, primary, and secondary wooden architectural elements, including paneling, mantelpieces, doors, windows, and other early details of the original house.

100 High St. Ipswich — The Joseph Fowler house, about 1980, from the MACRIS site

From the Fowler Family History, we learn that in 1721, Elizabeth Fowler, widow of Phillip Fowler, sold to her son Joseph Fowler “for £3 per year, well secured by bond, halfe of his housing & Lands in said Ipswich, which is reserved in his Deeds of Gifts for me, During the time of my natural Life”

Thomas Franklin Waters wrote:

“The Fowler property has been a family inheritance for generations. It was originally in the Tuttle family, and Simon Tuttle sold a house and one and three-quarter acres to Joseph Fowler, a carpenter, on June 30, 1720 (39: 118). He bought the adjoining land in 1745, and for more than sixty years, both estates remained in the Fowler family. The original lot, bought in 1720, still belongs to the Fowler heirs (in 1900). The early trade of the Fowlers was tanning, and it is said that some of the old vats were found many years ago on the lower end of this lot. The gambrel-roofed house, now on the spot, old ‘Sir’ Smith used to say, was moved from Mineral Street to this spot, perhaps a century ago (around 1800).”

The First Joseph Fowler

Gunstock post in the Joseph Fowler house

Joseph Fowler, the early settler, was born about 1629 in England. He married Martha Kimball, who came to America with her parents, Richard and Ursula Scott Kimball, on the ship Elizabeth when she was about five years old. They had four children, one of them also named Joseph Fowler.

In 1649, Joseph Fowler Jr. was admonished for drinking in the woods with his cousin and his wife’s brothers. From Essex Court records we read the following: “We present Joseph Fowler, Thomas Cooke, Thomas Scott, and two of ye sons of Richard Kimball, for goeing into ye woods, shouting and singing, taking fire and liquors with them, all being at an unseasonable time in ye night...occasioning your wives and some others to go out to them.”

Thomas Franklin Waters had no kind words for this Joseph Fowler: “Offenders of every grade came and went, and some so frequently that their names became familiar. Joseph Fowler, the lawless and defiant insulter of magistrates, assailant of watchmen, and brawling disturber of the public peace, was a perennial culprit. In 1647, roistering Joseph Fowler, often at fault, was sentenced to pay a considerable fine or sit in the stocks some lecture day, for saying there were liars in the church and wondering they were not cast out, “and if one would lie soundly he was fit for the church.” Joseph Fowler’s father, Philip Fowler, had seen enough and took Joseph’s child, Philip, away from Joseph and adopted him in 1651.

Joseph Fowler I died May 19, 1676, in Deerfield, Mass, during King Philip’s War, killed by the Indians on his return from the Turner Falls Fight. His widow married Ezekiel Rogers, nephew of the Rev. Ezekiel Rogers of Rowley, who disinherited him because he persisted in wearing his hair long, contrary to his wishes.

Photo by George Dexter before 1900. In this photo, you can see that the elevation of High Street (Rts. 1A/133) was much lower at that time.

Sources and further reading:

Joseph Fowler Ipswich Ancestry

Source: The Fowler Family, a Genealogical Memoir

First Generation: Philip Fowler, (1589-1679) born in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Died in Ipswich in 1679.

Second Generation: Joseph Fowler (1626-1676) born in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Married Martha Kimball. Joseph Fowler died in 1676 in Deerfield MA during King Philip’s War.

Third Generation: Phillip Fowler (1648-1715). Born in Ipswich. Married Eliza Herrick of Salem. In 1668 (23 Dec.) he received a deed of gift from his grandfather, ” in consideration of naturall affection, … as also in consideration of his being with me, and doeing my business for me, as formerly, … all that my now dwelling house and lands I stand now possesst off, after my decease (excepting what by agreement with my wife upon marriage . . . ).” “He acquired a large estate, and the homestead of his grandfather, which has been continued in the male line of descent to the present time, over two hundred years, and is occupied now by Joseph Fowler, [251] of High Street, Ipswich, Mass. (in 1883).

Fourth Generation: Joseph Fowler [Philip-Joseph-Philip] (1683-1745) was born in Ipswich. Married Sarah Bartlett of Newbury (1687-1721). In 1714, his father Philip Fowler’s will granted him “the House & homestead &. buildings which he lives in part of now, & ye pasture I bought of Mr. Allin, that is to say’ the one halfe of it now & ye other halfe after my Decease, & my wifes, ye Longest liver of us Two, all ye said buildings.” In June 1720 he buys of Simon Tuttle, his homestead in Ipswich, ” on ye North side ye river in ye Long Street so called 60 rods North on Long Street” etc., which he, with wife Mary, sells 5 March, 1722-3, to Joseph Bolles. On May 15,1721, his mother, Elizabeth Fowler, of Ipswich, widow, sells him for £3 per year, well secured by bond, “ all that moiety or halfe of his houseing & Lands in said Ipswich, which is reserved in his Deeds of Gifts, for me, Dureing the time of my natural Life,” which was acknowledge 5 March, 1722-3. When he died in 1745, his son Joseph Fowler inherited his home. Joseph Fowler likely built the house still standing on High Street.

Fifth Generation: Joseph Fowler (Joseph-Philip-Joseph-Philip) was born in Ipswich, 9 Oct., 1715; married 26 May, 1739, Mary Prince, who died in Ipswich, 26 July, 1771, said to be the daughter of Jonathan and Hannah (Rogers) Prince of Ipswich. He married 2nd, int. 29 Nov., 1771, Widow Esther Huse, who died in Ipswich, 31 Jan., 1807, in her 74th year. In 1745, he was a soldier at the siege and capture of Louisburg. He was the executor of his father’s will, which was proved 6 Jan., 1745-6, and inherited his estate.

Sixth Generation: Joseph Fowler “3rd”: (1746–1846). (Joseph-Joseph-Philip-Joseph-Philip) was born in Ipswich, 9 Jan., 1746-7. Married Lydia Ross, who was born in Ipswich, 20 Nov., 1748, the daughter of Samuel and Lydia (Davis) Ross. She died in Winthrop, Me., 3 March, 1831. In 1774, when called Joseph Fowler 3rd of Ipswich, blacksmith, he bought land and buildings from Thomas Gaines.

On the 24th of January, 1775, he volunteered as a “Minute Man” of Ipswich: “We, whose Names are hereunto Subscribed, do voluntarily Inlist our selves, as Minute Men, to be ready for Military operation, upon the shortest notice. And we hereby promise & engage, that we will immediately, each of us, provide for & equip himself with an effective firearm, bayonet, pouch, knapsack, & thirty rounds of cartridges ready made. And that we may obtain the skill of complete soldiers, we promise to convene for exercise in the Art Military, at least twice every week; and oftener if our officers shall think necessary.” (Source: Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony Vol. II)

Ipswich minutemen who marched upon the alarm of April 19th, recorded in the History of Essex County by M.V.B. Perley included John Fowler Jr and Joseph Fowler 3d. On the 10th of May, 1775, enlisted as a private under Capt. Nathaniel Wade of Ipswich was in the Battle of Bunker Hill.

In 1787, listed as Joseph Fowler Junior, he was a blacksmith living in Ipswich. In July 1803, with his wife Lydia, he sold Nathaniel Smith of Boston, physician, land and dwelling house in Ipswich; on 11 July, he received a mortgage deed from him on this property, which was discharged on January 24 (172:248), but it was not this property. Joseph Fowler and his wife moved to Winthrop, Maine, about 1804.

Seventh Generation: James Fowler. (Joseph-Joseph-Philip-Joseph-Philip) was born in Ipswich, 1758; married Mehitable Davis, who was born in Portland, Me., in 1771, and died in Ipswich, in 1846, aged 78 years. In 1792 (3 March), he is of Ipswich, yeoman, and buys from his father, for £100, land there. He occupied the ancient homestead in Ipswich, of his emigrant ancestor Philip Fowler, which descended to him in a direct line, and died there August, 1839, aged 81 years. In the 1832 Ipswich map, this house was owned by James Fowler.

Every map continuing through the last one available, 1910, shows the owner as “J. Fowler.”