Ipswich, Massachusetts was founded in 1634 in an area the Native Americans called “Agawam,” and is America’s best-preserved Puritan town. The historic neighborhoods of Meeting House Green, High Street, the East End, and the South Green are well-preserved streetscapes of 17th to 19th-century residences, with more “First Period” houses still standing than any other town in the country. Opposition by the people 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.” Shown above is the Ipswich Riverwalk Mural by Alan Pearsall.

America’s best-preserved Puritan town

Early settlers of Ipswich

Archived pages and posts

First Period houses of Ipswich

Something to Preserve

Ipswich and the Breach with Britain

Birthplace of American Independence

Ipswich and the Salem witchcraft trials