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Tag: North Main Street

1695 William Donton House: a Lost Architectural Treasure

January 4, 2025January 12, 2025 Gordon HarrisLeave a comment

William Donton, a mariner bought the lot on the corner of North Main and Summer Streets in 1695 and constructed a picturesque post-medieval-style house, a landmark whose disappearance we still regret today.

Posted in HousesTagged Farley, First Period, jetties, North Main Street, photography, post-medieval, William Dunton

John Sparks, Taverner, 6 North Main St. (1671)

March 7, 2024November 14, 2025 Gordon Harris6 Comments
Sparks Tavern

John Sparks was granted a license to open an inn and sell beer "at a penny a quart." The tavern became a popular stopping place on the Bay Road, where men of business would meet for food and drink. The Court met at this location, where it heard and dismissed charges of witchcraft.

Posted in HousesTagged North Main Street, sparks tavern
Ipswich MA historic photos by William Varrel
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Early Inhabitants of Ipswich, Massachusetts by Abraham Hammatt
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Ipswich Massachusetts Revisited by William Varrel
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© Gordon Harris 2026

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