Depot Square

The Eastern Railroad ran from Boston to Portland, continuing to Canada and was the primary competition of the Boston and Maine Railroad until it was acquired by the B&M in the late 1880’s to become the B&M’s Eastern Division. The Ipswich Depot sat at the location of the Institution for Savings at Depot Square.

Ipswich Depot and the Damon Building — Ipswich Depot is on the left and the Damon Building is on the right.

The Hayes Hotel is the red building in this postcard of the Ipswich Depot around the beginning of the 20th Century.

Eastern Railroad engine # 4 at Ipswich, 1882

Depot Square closeup from the 1893 Birdseye Map of Ipswich

The Eastern International house — In 1866 the Eastern International House was built by the Eastern Railroad at Depot Square in Ipswich, approximately where the Institution for Savings bank now sits. The Eastern International House was moved to Central Street and is now a condominium.

The Ipswich Depot was built on the site of the Eastern International house.

Hoax photo by Ipswich photographer George Dexter, 1908

Front view of the Ipswich Depot in 1884 during the 250th anniversary celebration of the founding of Ipswich, courtesy of Randy Maggelet

Teddy Roosevelt on the campaign trail stops at the Ipswich Train Depot in 1912. The old Damon Block, which was destroyed by fire, is in the background. The present day Market Place stands on the site today. Thanks to Fran Richards for photo and text.

This building stood at Depot Square for a few decades before the current institution for Savings Bank was built on the corner. — Between the time the Depot was demolished and the Ipswich Co-op built their bank, John Pechilis’ Strand Furniture sat at this location. Lee J. Pechilis was the son of John and Eva Pechilis and as a young man he was employed at Strand Furniture. Following the store’s closure, Lee and his former wife Brenda re-opened it as the Pechilis Family Furniture Store on Central Street, which closed in 1991.

Institution for Savings, Ipswich MA — The Institution for Savings now anchors the corner of Market Street and Depot Square

The Railroad comes to Ipswich, December 20, 1839 - The stagecoach era ended abruptly when the Salem tunnel opened, and two days later on December 20, 1839, a train from Boston made its first passage through Ipswich. The opening of the railroad and the end of stagecoach travel led to the decline of Ipswich as one of the most important towns of Massachusetts.… Continue reading

Teddy Roosevelt campaigning by whistlestop in Ipswich MA

Teddy Roosevelt’s Ipswich “whistlestop,” December 1912 - Teddy Roosevelt, a grandstanding performer with plenty of rhetoric but fewer accomplishments, campaigned from the caboose of a train in New England.… Continue reading

The Greek Hotel, corner of Market and Saltonstall Streets in Ipswich, photo taken 1913

The Greek Hotel - In 1868, the Ipswich Mills built a "fine mansion" for the use of its superintendent. By 1910 the building had become a tenement upstairs and coffee shop downstairs. The house was replaced by a succession of three diners, but the lot is now a parking lot.… Continue reading

The Hayes Hotel - The Hayes Hotel was constructed in 1842 as a woolen goods factory. Converted to a tavern and hotel in 1885, the building was being used as a rooming house when it burned in 1969 with a loss of life.… Continue reading

1894: the Year that Ipswich Burned - At about 1:30 am, Police gave the alarm that Central Street was on fire.The citizens of Ipswich tumbled out from their beds and faced as wicked a night as the town has ever seen. Four months later the other end of downtown burned.… Continue reading

The Agawam Diner - The Agawam Diner on Rt. 1 in Rowley was built by the Fodero Dining Car Company in 1954, and was originally located on Market St. in Ipswich. Two Strand diner cars preceded it at that location.… Continue reading

11 Depot Square, Russell’s Lunch (circa 1900) - Arthur Honey Russell is said to have been responsible for making the Ipswich fried clam famous. Folks from other cities and towns on the North Shore came to Ipswich on the train or by trolley just to eat at Russell's on Depot Square. … Continue reading

83 Central Street, the International House (1866) - In 1866 the International House was built by the Eastern Railroad beside the Ipswich Depot. It was moved in 1882 to make room for a new depot. It continued to be operated as a hotel, and In the 1970's and 80's was known as the House of Hinlin.… Continue reading

2 thoughts on “Depot Square”

jim brown January 21, 20151:05 pm Reply

Keep up the nice work please!
Kathleen Hegarty March 23, 20179:37 pm Reply

Hi Gordon, do you have any dates on the photographs? More directly, the express luggage building now sits in my back yard. Do you know where I can find the date it was built or when it was moved here? Thanks for any info.