“A priceless reservoir of early American history”

Ipswich, Massachusetts was founded in 1634, and is America’s best-preserved Puritan town. Opposition by the people and leaders of Ipswich to a tax imposed in 1687 is commemorated in the seal of the town of Ipswich, with the motto, “The Birthplace of American Independence 1687.”

Records of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County MA

Stories from the Courts - In 1641, the General Court established four quarter-annual courts kept yearly by the magistrates of Ipswich & Salem, two to be held at Salem & the other two at Ipswich, with jurisdiction in all matters not reserved to the Court of Assistants. Read stories of Ipswich residents who faced the magistrates.

Drunkards, liars, a hog, a dog, a witch, “disorderly persons” and the innkeeper - As the young boys who arrived with the first settlers of Ipswich approached adulthood, they developed a fondness for hard liquor and rowdiness, which frequently landed them in court. The words of accusers, witnesses and defendants provide an entertaining narrative.

Leslie’s Retreat, or how the Revolutionary War almost began in Salem: February 26, 1775 - In our struggle for Independence, the British military received its first setback from the inhabitants of Salem in an episode that could not have been more ludicrous or entertaining if it had been written for Monty Python.

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.

Early settlers of Ipswich - The Puritan settlers of Ipswich arrived during the “Great Migration. Sources include "Early Inhabitants of Ipswich" by Abraham Hammatt, "Vital Records to 1850," and "Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony" by Thomas Franklin Waters.

Tombstones of the settlers of Ipswich Massachusetts - The Old North Burying Ground was established in 1634 upon the founding of the town of Ipswich. Many of the tombstones and homes of the settlers are still standing.

Birthplace of American Independence - Resistance by the citizens and leaders of Ipswich to a tax imposed by the Crown in 1687 is commemorated in the seal of the town of Ipswich, which bears the motto, "The Birthplace of American Independence 1687."

First Period and other Colonial-era houses of Ipswich - There are more remaining first Period houses (1625 through 1725) in Ipswich MA than any other town in the country.

Historic Districts - The contiguous historic neighborhoods of Meeting House Green, High Street, the East End, and the South Green are well-preserved streetscapes of 17th to 19th century private residences.

Ancient houses of Essex County - Historic houses in Amesbury, Beverly, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Groveland, Marblehead, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, Rowley, Salem, Topsfield, Wenham and West Newbury.

Legends of the North Shore - 400 years of legends and remarkable stories from Ipswich and other historic communities on the Massachusetts North Shore

Ipswich history - Ipswich, Massachusetts was settled in 1633 in an area the Native Americans called "Agawam," and is one of America's best-preserved Puritan towns.