The lot at 12 Green St. came into the possession of Andrew Burley before 1688. He bequeated to his son Andrew “all my housing and land where I now dwell” in 1718. In that year, Andrew Burley Jr. married Lidia Pingry, and following her death in 1735, he married the Hannah Burnham, the widow of William Cogswell. He became a wealthy merchant and a representative to the General Court, and updated his father’s house with fine Georgian features. Andrew Burley died in 1753 and his will included detailed directions for the care of his widow Hannah.
Capt. John Smith purchased the Andrew Burley house, April 15, 1760 from the estate of Andrew Burley’s widow Hannah, and operated it as Smith’s Tavern. His two daughters, widow Elizabeth Perkins and Eunice, wife of Isaac Stanwood, inherited the house, and the two families continued to each own half of the house throughout the 19th Century. The present owner has owned the house since 1984, who replaced the chimney. An overgrowth of trees and other vegetation have caused this house to fall into a state of disrepair.
Read more about this private residence at the Historic Ipswich site.
Ipswich Visitor Center 
I am related to Andrew Burley and am curious why the Andrew Burley house has fallen in such a state of disrepair?
The owner is intentionally doing this. Unfortunately the Town of Ipswich doesn’t have a preventative maintenance bylaw.
Thank you for the update on the Andrew Burley house. When I vacationed in Ipswich in 2015, I was disappointed how poorly the landscaping looked at the Burley house. However, my wife and I loved everything else about Ipswich.
‘Tis a shame that it has been allowed to fall into such a state…such a lovely olde house should not be hidden behind the overgrowth! Just 50 years ago, it was a beaut!
Thanks so much Gordon… paula