Sanford Peatfield sold this lot to Eliza Plouff, wife of Edward Plouff, Feb 4, 1837 (296:291).and built the existing house. Edward Plouff purchased and operated the old Farley tannery from 1849 to 1863. Their sons John W. and Edward Plouff Jr. both were sent to the front during the Civil War. The Plouff family are buried at the Old North Burying Ground in Ipswich.
- Plouff, Carrie b-134 June 6, 1870
- Plouff, Edward b-130 May 8, 1891
- Plouff, Edward JR b-132 September 8, 1897
- Plouff, Eliza b-129 March 20, 1887
- Plouff, John W. b-131
- Plouff, Martha b-132 January 25, 1920
Edward Plouff sold house and land to Robert Jordan in 1849. William Grant acquired the property in 1859 (594:88).
Joshua B. Grant is shown as the owner in the 1872 map as well as the 1884 map and the 1910 map. He purchased a quarter of the former Appleton orchard which occupied the west side of Woods Lane where it turns to Turkey Shore, and divided it into lots. (A deed search at the Salem Deeds site should keep this in mind.)
In the Old Salem Scrapbook we read, “The Salem Senate, a group of elder tanners, met in Joshua B. Grant’s store, in Blubber Hollow, where he made tables and tools for tanners. Joshua, as a youth, sailed to California in 1849 to hunt for gold, returned home and for many a year kept his shop, and then retired to his farm in Ipswich where he lived to be four score and more. His clerk, Frank Wade, of such sound sense that he was called ”The Ipswich Lawyer” also retired to his farm, and the records say that at 90 he “fished, hunted and skated.”
Wikipedia: The “State Senate”, of old Blubber Hollow, was a spontaneous organization. Tanners were active members, as well as sea captains and sailor, merchants and mechanics. The headquarters of the Senate were at the tannery supply store of Joshua B. Grant, on Boston Street, in the heart of Blubber Hollow. Discussions were long and loud and on topics of the day. Business at the store continued around these lively talks. Joshua B. Grant died in 1913.
The 20th Century history of this house has not yet been researched, but additional information and photos were provided by the current owners:
Sources and further reading:
- MACRIS
- Thomas Franklin Waters, Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony Vol. 1
- Thomas Franklin Waters, Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony Vol. 2
- Ipswich Business Directory Map, 1872
- Old Salem Scrapbook
- Joshua B. Grant, maker of tables and tools for tanners and the Salem Senate which met in his store, an old Salem story Author: Fred Augustus Gannon Publisher: Salem : Salem Books Co., [1944] Series: Leather journal, no. 3. Can be viewed in the Salem Library
Historic Ipswich 
