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.”

Ipswich Illumination Ipswich Illumination - Ipswich Illumination, Saturday, September 18, 2021, 5-10 PM Saturdays, October 2, 16 & 30, 2021 5-9 PM
Ipswich MA settlers maps Land grants, homes and gravestones of the early settlers of Ipswich - Photos of houses and tombstones of the early inhabitants of Ipswich and their descendants, with maps of the lots granted to the settlers.
Ipswich band, late 1800's Bygone Ipswich - Many of these photos were digitally developed from original glass negatives taken by three early Ipswich photographers Arthur Wesley Dow, George Dexter, and Edward L. Darling.
Milestone 33 on the Old Bay Road Along the Old Bay Road - In 1639, the Colony ordered that a road be laid out from Boston to Portsmouth, to be constructed by each town along the way. The Bay Road made Ipswich an important stagecoach stop. Several milestones to indicate distances are still standing.
The Preston-Foster house, Ipswich MA Something to Preserve - This important book described the process by which the town of Ipswich began to preserve at-risk historic homes after the town rejected efforts to set up a legal historic district.
1832 Ipswich map The ancient names of Ipswich streets and places - Many Ipswich Streets lost their original names, but a few streets gained them back. During our long winters, Ipswichites retreat to Facebook and debate the names of familiar places. If you call us Ipswichians, we'll know you're not from around here.
hiking trails on the Massachusetts North Shore 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.
Settlers and early inhabitants 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.
Old North Burying Ground - Established in 1634, the Old North Burying Ground in Ipswich, Massachusetts is one of the oldest cemeteries in North America.
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.