Recent Posts: Historic Ipswich

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Hurricane Carol, August 31, 1954

The 1954 storm knocked down trees and power lines all over Ipswich. Hurricane Carol devastated the Massachusetts south coast and Rhode Island, and was responsible for 65 deaths. On September 11, Hurricane Edna hit New England with additional destruction.

Walking Tour of Historic Ipswich, Sunday, September 6, 2026

This tour is led by local historian Gordon Harris, who shares the stories of our historic houses and the people who lived in them. The first part of the tour focuses on the fascinating history of the Meeting House Green area, accompanied by early photos. The walk takes us past many of the town’s most…

Sketches of Ipswich by William Gordon Keyworth

Early in his artistic career, William Gordon Keyworth (1927 – 2017) lived in Ipswich and worked as an art teacher at Shore Country Day School in Beverly. During his years in Ipswich, he painted a series of sketches and watercolors of historic buildings and scenes. Their first home in Ipswich was on Meeting House Green,…

A Simple Badge and Gun Does Not a Copper Make

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting some retired Ipswich Police Department friends at a late summer cookout. It was a magical evening of story-telling. I was grateful we had all made it to the other side relatively unscathed, and I realized once again how fortunate I was to have been broken in by such…

Ipswich Village (Upper High St.)

This Ipswich neighborhood has historically had a close social connection with neighboring Rowley. Jewett’s mill was created in the 17th Century, and historic houses still line the street.

The Devil’s Footprint

Imprinted into the rocks in front of the First Church in Ipswich is the footprint of the devil, left there forever in a legendary encounter with the traveling English evangelist George Whitefield in 1740.

In the 19th Century, Religion Divided the Town

Revivalist Rev. John N. Maffit held a “protracted meeting” which was undoubtedly the most extraordinary episode in the history of the churches of Ipswich since the days of George Whitefield and Gilbert Tennent, preaching sixty nights to congregations which occupied every inch of the meeting-house.

Indigenous Peoples of the North Shore

A Brief History of Native Americans in Ipswich Before English Colonization Native Americans began moving into New England after the retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet. In the early 1950s, a group of young amateur archaeologists, men now known as the “Bull Brook Boys,” discovered one of the largest Paleo-Indian sites in North America along…

The Dark Day, May 19, 1780

At noon, a “midnight darkness” had fallen on Essex County. Candles were lighted, and fowls went to roost. By the next morning, dark ash lay four or five inches thick.

Choate Bridge Sign is Destroyed by Driver

An accident at 4:40 pm on July 3 at the southeast end of the Choate Bridge destroyed the beautiful hand-made wrought-iron 1764 Choate Bridge sign, installed in 1996. The same spot on the bridge has seen two other accidents in recent years that dislodged sections of the parapet, requiring replacement. Former Ipswich Historical Commission member…

The Battle of Middle Ground, July 3, 2005

Gather all ye noble men and listen to my song. I know you have more pressing things But this shouldn’t take too long. Our tale occurs on slippery sand at a place called Middle Ground.

Sarah Goodhue’s Advance Directive, July 14, 1681

On July 14, 1681, Sarah Whipple Goodhue left a note to her husband that read: “Dear husband, if by sudden death I am taken away from thee, there is infolded among thy papers something that I have to say to thee and others.” She died three days after bearing twins. This is the letter to…

“The Hobby Horse of Popularity”

Alexander Hamilton wrote these words in a letter to George Washington on August 18, 1792. Political divisions between the Federalist Party (led by Hamilton) and the Democratic-Republican Party led by Thomas Jefferson were deepening. Jefferson’s adoring supporters organized large, well-attended events where they praised him in speeches and songs, while his political opponents portrayed him as a radical…

Downtown Tuesdays, July – August, 2026

The 2026 Ipswich Downtown Tuesdays will again be hosted at the Take-out Terrace Truss & Stage on the Riverwalk Extension next to the Ipswich Mural. Admission is free!

Hundreds Turn Out For Ipswich Independence Day Parade and Festivities

Despite the hot weather, a crowd estimated by some at over 1,000 people turned out on July 4, 2026, for the Independence Day Community Walk, Bike and Town Hall Field Day. The event marked the town’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The one-mile parade route began at…

Ipswich and the American Revolution: The Breach with Britain

In John Adams’ 1765 opposition to the Stamp Act, he referenced the citizens of Ipswich who resisted a tax imposed by the Crown in 1687. An Ipswich town meeting on August 11, 1768 approved of “the Conduct of those Gentlemen of the late House of Representatives…when it was required of them at the Peril of…

January 10, 1776: Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” is Published

In 1776, Thomas Paine’s 47-page pamphlet “Common Sense” inspired the American Revolution. The following excerpts still speak true today: “The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. Many circumstances have, and will arise, which are not local, but universal, and through which the principles of all lovers of mankind…

The Birthplace of American Independence, 1687 

The important events I shall describe were a mere tradition in the town where I was born. It was almost a revelation, when, in later years, I found unquestioned historical records deserving of national attention.

John Winthrop’s “City on a Hill” and William Penn’s “Holy Experiment”

A tale of two visions for development and their outcomes By: Stephen Miles, Member, Ipswich Historic Commission, Former Board Member Ipswich Historical Society (now Ipswich Museum). June 15, 2026. Contact: smiles@sloan.mit.edu In 1629, John Winthrop was appointed head of a corporate venture under the jurisdiction of King Charles I (reigned 1625–1649). In John Winthrop’s 1630…

June 10, 1776: Ipswich Pledges to Support Independence

Shortly after the battle of Bunker Hill (actually Breeds Hill) on June 17, 1775, the Provincial Congress ordered that 10 companies of 50 men each should be raised in Essex County. Ipswich soldiers spent a long cold winter in Cambridge with insufficient supplies. The British finally evacuated Boston on March 17, 1776 after Washington’s surprise…

The Burke Heel Factory and Canney Lumber Fire, June 19, 1933

The factory at Brown Square burned after volatile glues burst into flames. In the adjoining lot was the Canney Lumber Co. where the building lumber were destroyed. The smaller brick building on the right survived and is now the Ipswich Ale Brewery.

First Church Burns, June 13, 1965

It was a sad day for Ipswich when on June 13, 1965, lightning hit the steeple on the sanctuary of the First Church on Meeting House Green and the building was destroyed by fire. The building was over a century old and considered to be one of the best examples of Gothic church construction in…

The Rev. John Wise of Ipswich

The concepts of freedom about which Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence originated from the pen of the Rev. John Wise of Ipswich: “The origin of civil power is the people…and when they are free, they may set up what species of government they please.”

Ipswich Independence Day Walking and Bicycling Parade And Town Hall Field Day

The Town of Ipswich July 4 Independence Day Parade on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence will be a historic walking and bicycle event. We muster at 9:30 am at Winthrop School, to decorate bikes, trikes and wagons, and the one-mile parade begins promptly at 10:00 am. This year’s parade will pass by,…

Dow Brook and Bull Brook

Bull Brook originates in Willowdale, crosses Linebrook Rd. and merges with Dow Brook at the Ipswich Utilities site on Rt. 1A. From that point the combined stream becomes the Egypt River.

Area Town Meetings Call on Congress

Featured image: Ipswich Post Office Mural signifying the Ipswich Revolt of 1687. On Tuesday, May 12, Ipswich Town Meeting voted 326 – 162 for Article 14, calling on Congress to “fully exercise its constitutional duty of oversight and authority, including, but not limited to, the power to impeach and remove the sitting President of the…

Unjust Town Meeting is a Problem Older than Ipswich

Opinion article by Michael Corbelle “Are we kinda being pricks?” Those words, spoken recently by Marblehead citizen David Modica as he questioned why his town’s leadership was voting to shirk its state-mandated responsibility to alleviate the housing crisis, have become a rallying cry against the “Not In My Backyard” attitude of so many property owners…

Public Safety snubbed at Town Meeting but passes at election.

At the May 12, 2026 Ipswich Town Meeting, by an 8 vote margin, voters failed to secure a 2/3 majority to approve funding for construction of a new Public Safety building. For 73 years, the town has tried to replace the Central St. Fire Department, constructed in 1907 for horse-drawn fire trucks. Town Meeting’s failure…

John Wise Would Be Proud; May 12, 2026 Town Meeting passed Article 14, asking their duly elected representatives in Congress to perform their oversight duties over the executive branch in our government.

Featured image: Ipswich Post Office mural representing a meeting in 1687 for which Ipswich is known as the “Birthplace of American Independence.” By Stephen Miles In a resounding vote at the May 12, 2026 Town Meeting, citizens of Ipswich, in the spirit of their forebearers, passed Article 14, asking their duly elected representatives in Congress…

Ipswich Town Meeting Calls Upon Congress to Oversee the President: May 12, 2026

RESOLVED: That this duly assembled Town Meeting, as the legislative body of the Town of Ipswich, Massachusetts, respectfully calls upon the Congress of the United States to fully exercise its constitutional duty of oversight and authority, including, but not limited to, the power to impeach and remove the sitting President of the United States.

Installing Linux Mint or Kubuntu on your Windows computer.

by Gordon Harris On October 14, 2025, Microsoft ended support for Windows 10, which will no longer receive hardware and security updates. An estimated 200 million computers built before 2017 (Intel 8th Generation) don’t have TPM 2.0, and can’t be updated to Windows 11. Windows 10 will still be safe for any purpose that doesn’t…

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