Ipswich, Massachusetts, is a small historic town that is home to the highest concentration of 17th-century homes in America.
The following is a list of historic sites in Ipswich, Massachusetts:
Brown’s Manor:
Address: 115 High Street, Ipswich, MA
Built in 1886, Brown’s Manor is a historic house on High Street in Ipswich. The house is a two-and-a-half-story Second Empire-style brick house with white wood trim and a mansard roof.
The house was built by George A. Brown on 30 acres of land he purchased on November 6, 1886. Brown was from a family of brick makers, lumbermen, and housewrights.
Brown’s Manor was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 17, 1980.
Choate Bridge:
Address: Route 1A, Ipswich, MA
Built in 1764, Choate Bridge is a historic stone arch bridge that is the oldest documented two-span masonry arch bridge in the United States. It is named after Colonel John Choate, who supervised the construction, and is located on South Main Street and spans the Ipswich River.
The bridge originally measured 80 feet 6 inches long and 20 feet 6 inches wide but was widened in 1838 to accommodate more traffic. The bridge features two elliptical arches and is constructed of random-coursed granite ashlar block.
The Choate Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 21, 1972.
Castle Hill:
Address: 290 Argilla Road, Ipswich, MA
Built in 1928, Castle Hill is a historic mansion on the Crane Estate on Argilla Road. The fifty-nine-room mansion was designed by architect David Adler of Chicago and is a Stuart-style house with octagonal towers, parquet wood flooring, and paneled interior rooms from an 18th-century townhouse in London.
The mansion was built to serve as a summer home for Mr. and Mrs. Richard Teller Crane, Jr. The Crane Estate is 165 acres in size and features landscape designs by the Olmsted Brothers which include a series of ornate terraced gardens and an expansive grass mall lined with evergreens.
Castle Hill was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 2, 1977, and was designated a National Historical Landmark on August 6, 1998.
Isaac Goodale House:
Address: 153 Argilla Rd., Ipswich, MA
Built in 1695, the Isaac Goodale House is a First Period house on Argilla Road. It is a two-and-a-half-story end gable clapboard house with a split white-cedar shingle roof and a central chimney.
The house was built in Peabody by colonist Robert Goodale for his son Isaac. The house remained in the Goodale family until 1915. In 1929, the house was purchased by a Goodale descendant, Dr. Robert Goodale, and moved to its present location in Ipswich.
The Isaac Goodale House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 9, 1990.
House on Labor-in-Vain Road:
Address: Labor-in-Vain Road, Ipswich, MA
Built in 1725, the House on Labor-In-Vain Road is a historic Colonial-style house. It is a two-and-a-half-story clapboard house with a side gable roof and a central chimney.
The house has had three additions: a left wing addition was added in 1810, a full lean-to was added to the rear in the 20th century, and another extension was added to the rear at a later date.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 9, 1990.
Heard House:
Address: 54 S Main St, Ipswich, MA
Built in 1795, the Heard House is a historic house on South Main Street. It is a three-story Federal-style clapboard house with six chimneys and four wings.
The house, built by wealthy businessman John Heard, is a quintessential Federal-style house with a Palladian window over the entrance, a wide central hall, and a Chippendale staircase.
In 1939, the house was purchased from the Heard family by the Ipswich Historical Society, who now operate it as a historic house museum called the Ipswich Museum.
John Whipple House:
Address: 1 South Green, Ipswich, MA
Built in 1677, the John Whipple House is a historic First Period house on the South Green. The house is a two-story saltbox house with a steep-pitched thatched roof and casement windows of the Elizabethan mode.
The house was originally built by Captain John Whipple, but his son Major John Whipple added a second half-house to the right of the entryway in 1690. By 1705, a series of additions had been built on the west side of the house.
In 1898, the Ipswich Historical Society bought and restored the house. The John Whipple House was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 9, 1960, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.
Merrifield House:
Address: 11 Woods Lane, Ipswich, MA
Built in 1792, the Merrifield House is a historic Federal-style house on Woods Lane. It is a two-and-a-half-story wood-frame end gable house with a central chimney. It also has a second cooking fireplace on its second level, which is considered an unusual feature.
The house was built by Revolutionary War veteran Francis Merrifield, Jr., who made many rambling additions to enlarge the house as his family grew.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 17, 1908.
Ross Tavern:
Address: 52 Jeffrey’s Neck Road, Ipswich, MA
Built in 1680, the Ross Tavern is a historic First Period house on Jeffrey’s Neck Road. It is a wood-frame clapboard building made up of two different historic houses.
In 1940, Ross Tavern was relocated by Daniel Stone Wendel, an amateur architectural historian, from its location near the Choate Bridge to its current location on Jeffrey’s Neck Road.
Around the same time, Wendell also moved another building, an ell from the 17th-century-era Lord-Collins House, to the property and adjoined it to the rear of the house and also added a kitchen to the right-hand side of the house. Wendel then restored the house to its original 17th-century appearance.
Ross Tavern was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 9, 1990.
Sources:
“Historic Building Detail: IPS.633 Goodale, Isaac House.” MACRIS, mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=IPS.633
“Historic Building Detail: IPS.148 Brown’s Manor.” MACRIS, mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=IPS.148
“Historic Area Detail: IPS.AO Castle Hill.” MACRIS, mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=IPS.AO
“Choate Bridge.” ASCE, asce.org/about-civil-engineering/history-and-heritage/historic-landmarks/choate-bridge
“Historic Bridge Detail: IPS.909 Choate Bridge.” MACRIS, mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=IPS.909
“Historic Building Detail: IPS.467 Labor in Vain Road House.” MACRIS, mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=IPS.467
“Historic Building Detail: IPS.41 Heard, John – Heard, Capt. Augustine House.” MACRIS, mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=IPS.41
“Historic Building Detail: IPS.40 Whipple, John House.” MACRIS, mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=IPS.40
“Historic Building Detail: IPS.33 Merrifield ‘Rosebank’ House.” MACRIS, mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=IPS.33
“Historic Building Detail: IPS.466 Ross Tavern.” MACRIS, mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=IPS.466