The John Appleton house, 2 N. Main St. (1707)

Colonel John Appleton was one of the leaders in the “Andros Rebellion.” against taxation without representation, for which they were jailed in Boston. He built this as a first three-story house in Ipswich, which was in a state of decay when it was purchased by Daniel Noyes in 1768. He removed the upper floor, and renovated the house to its present Georgian appearance.

The John Appleton house was untouched by the 1894 fire that destroyed an entire block of businesses on Central Street.

In 1962 the John Appleton House was purchased by Exxon to build a gas station on the site. The Ipswich Heritage Trust was formed in response, and succeeded in acquiring and preserving the Appleton house, followed by several others on N. Main St. Today it houses offices, and is known as the Appleton Professional Building. Read more about the John Appleton house at the Historic Ipswich site.