12 High Street, the William Russell House (1890)

The following is taken from “A Walking Tour and Brief History of Early Ipswich, Massachusetts“ produced by the Ipswich Visitors Center, Marjorie Robie, and William Varrell.

This is a Queen Anne period house built in 1890, relatively unusual in Ipswich. Vertical and horizontal exterior decorative boards demonstrate the Victorian “Stick” architectural style. The sitting room contains a fireplace decorated with sea serpents. According to tradition, this house had the first inside bathroom in Ipswich. View MACRIS.

A house was standing on this lot at the time William Russell, who owned a dry goods store on Market Street, bought the property. Rather than tear down a serviceable house, he sold it and moved it to the other side of the block on Warren Street, and it is probably the same house that still stands, known as the David Grady house. When Russell bought the property, it was owned by Aaron Ross.