The Thomas Lord House at 17 High Street in Ipswich features original chamfered summer beams, unpainted feather-edge paneling in the front rooms and hall, an original saltbox frame, a center chimney, and five cooking fireplaces with bake ovens and large hearths. The saltbox roof slopes down to one story in the rear. The front entry features the original stairway and paneling. Typical of many early homes, the windows are 6 panes over 9 (cottage style). The house was meticulously restored during the second half of the 20th century by Carroll Julius Hebbel and his wife, Carmen P. (Quint) Hebbel.
The lot was granted to Robert Lord, who arrived as one of the first European settlers of Ipswich in 1634 and served as town clerk until his death in 1683. The property was transferred to Robert Roberts and then to Thomas Lord (1633-1713), a cordwainer (shoemaker). Tradition is that he built all or part of this house in 1658. This First Period house stayed in the Lord family until the 1860s.
The Ipswich Historical Commission provides the following information at the MACRIS site:
This lot was first granted to Robert Lord (c. 1602-1683), but by 1658, Robert Roberts (1617-1663) was in possession, when he sold the land with a house to Thomas Lord, a shoemaker (2:9). The main frame of the present house may correspond to that early dwelling (*unsubstantiated). This oaken frame with simple chamfers encloses a two-room over-two-room house; the lean-to is framed in pine, suggesting a later addition. A restoration of the house, beginning in 1949, exposed the early frame and opened the fireplaces. The original fireplaces with carved backs, made of bricks laid up with mud and clamshells, were found and restored. In the west chamber, the fireplace had never been reduced in size.” The fireplace in the rear ell is said to have an opening by which one can climb on the outside of the chimney stack to the underside of the roof.
History of This House, by Thomas Franklin Waters
“This lot was granted to Robert Lord but came into the possession of Robert Roberts, who sold Thomas Lord, shoemaker, on Feb. 22, 1658, a house and ground, bounded by Thomas Clark southeast, the Street southwest, and Wm. Bartholomew northwest (Ips. Deeds 2:9).”
“Philip Lord was in possession later, and his homestead is alluded to in a deed of the adjoining property, Nov. 19, 1738 (81:259). The Philip Lord estate was inherited by his sons. Philip sold to Samuel Lord of Gloucester half a dwelling with land, “extending two feet from ye easterly end of ye house, towards my father, Mr. Philip Lord, late of Ipswich, & 2 rods 9 ft. from the northeast corner of sd. house towards the barn, then on a square one rod & 6 ft. to Samuel Lord Jr.’s land and by said Lord’s land through the chimney to the County Road,” about 6 rods, Nov. 1, 1754 (137: 211).
“Philip Lord left two minor sons, John and Ebenezer, upward of fourteen, under the guardianship of Charles Bolles, May 14,1755 (Pro. liec. 33.3:98).
“Samuel Lord 3d sold to Asa Lord, the northwest half of his house, with half an acre of land, bounded west by Capt. Ebenezer Lord, Sept. 9, 1797 (167: 275). Asa Lord owned the northwest part. Polly Lord had an interest in the middle, and Samuel Lord, who died in 1813, aged 91, owned the northeast part.
“The present residence of Mr. John Blake was purchased by him and his father, Asher Blake, of Capt. Wm. Lamson, and his wife Maria, daughter of Deacon Daniel Bolles Lord, June 1, 1868. The guardian of Daniel B., Samuel A., and Ann M. Lord, children of Daniel Bolles Lord, cabinet maker, sold to Wm. Lamson, two-fifths of the house and three-quarters of an acre of land, late the dwelling of Daniel B. Lord, which descended to him from his father, Samuel, Dec. 22, 1847. This is identical with the Philip Lord homestead of earlier days, and the earlier Robert Lord. The house is of the 18th century beyond a doubt.”
Bev Wanlin added:
“I am descended from Thomas and Alice (Rand) Lord. Thomas, of course, was the son of Robert and Mary (Waite) Lord. Her brother was John Ward, the father of Rev. Nathaniel Ward, according to Charlestown Genealogies and Estates (pg.628). Robert served in various town offices as mentioned by Gordon, including deputy of the general court (1637), the committee to adjust town, county, and farm boundary lines (1637), clerk of court at Ipswich (1648), court recorder (1649), sealer of weights and measures (1649), clerk of Salem court (1658), empowered to issue executions (1652), marshal/sheriff for Ipswich court (1648-60) [Cutter].”
Sources:
Historic Ipswich 