Ipswich, Massachusetts was founded in 1634 in an area the Native Americans called “Agawam.” The historic neighborhoods of Meeting House Green, High Street, the East End, and the South Green offer well-preserved streetscapes of 17th to 19th-century residences. Resistance by the citizens of Ipswich to a tax imposed by the Crown in 1687 is commemorated in the town’s seal, which bears the motto, “The Birthplace of American Independence 1687.”
Header photos are courtesy of Bill Congdon, Paul Damon, Gordon Harris, Sharon Scarlata, William Skelton, Elizabeth Sotis, Stoney Stone, Susan Stone and Irene Van Schyndel. Historic images were taken by George Dexter, Edward Darling and Arthur Wesley Dow.
Attractions - With the North Shore's best beach, dozens of outdoor attractions and the best-preserved Puritan town in America, there's so much to do in Ipswich, MA!
17th Century houses in Ipswich, Massachusetts - Ipswich is believed to have 59 houses with elements of "First Period" English construction, of which approximately 3 dozen date to the 17th Century. View also 18th and 19th Century Ipswich houses.
Trails and Outdoor recreation in Ipswich - More than 50% of land in Ipswich is protected by the town, state and non-profit organizations, offering extensive trails.
Plaques for historic houses - Homeowners may order a plaque after visiting the Historic Houses of Ipswich page to confirm the date of construction and the individual for whom the house is named.
Old North Burying Ground - Established in 1634, the Old North Burying Ground in Ipswich, Massachusetts is one of the oldest cemeteries in North America. 
Recent posts
Linebrook Parish
This remote area was originally known as Ipswich Farms. After the residents began pressing for their own church, the Massachusetts General Court on June 4, 1746, created the Linebrook Parish, the boundries of which were defined by 6 brooks and lines connecting them. The community had a church, store, school and its own militia.
Abigail Adams to John Adams: “All men would be tyrants if they could.”
March 31, 1776, Abigail Adams to John Adams: “In the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.”
My father’s letter, Feb. 10, 1948
In honor of Martin Luther King Day, this is a letter to the Atlanta Journal from my father David Aubren Harris, a Mississippi native, in support of President Truman’s civil rights initiatives. He received a vicious racist letter in response.
The Ipswich Sparrow
The Ipswich Sparrow, a subspecies of the Savannah Sparrow, was first identified on Crane Beach in 1868.
Winter photos
If you don’t go outside, what’s the point of winter?
The Ice House
Lathrop Brothers Coal and Ice Company harvested on the Ipswich River between Upper River Road and Haywood Street. The ice was then floated to the ice house where it was cut into blocks.
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Historic Ipswich 