45 County Street, the Amos Dunnels house (1823)

The Amos Dunnels house was constructed in 1823 or soon thereafter on South Main Street, and was moved to this location at an undetermined date in the 20th Century. The 1884 Ipswich map and the 1910 Ipswich map show the location of the Dunnels house on South Main Street. Skillman Services is at that location today.

Thomas Franklin Waters wrote that in the division of the estate of William Appleton in 1808 of the ancient Shoreborne Wilson – Samuel Appleton estate (Pro. Rec. 378: 179) “a lot of orchard land part of the homestead of the old house,” about an acre, was assigned to his daughter Mary, wife of Ebenezer Bowditch. John Baker 3d and Lucy sold the old house and land “and other buildings situate” to Amos Dunnels, Jan. 1, 1823 (231: 248). The old dwelling gave place to the modern house, still owned by the Dunnels heirs.” The house that was torn down had been built by John Appleton (3) in 1745.

This early 20th Century photo of South Main Street. Left to right are the Ross Tavern, moved to Strawberry Hill; the Shoreborne Wilson-Samuel Appleton house (still standing), and the Amos Dunnels house on the right. It was moved sometime after 1910 to 45 County Street.

Amos Dunnels

Amos Dunnels (1797 – 1877) is listed as an employee of the Ipswich Customs Office in 1839. He was the son of Amos Dunnels and Elizabeth Creesey of Rowley, and was the grandson of Zacheriah Dunnels and Grace Ireland of Newbury.  Lucy Townsend (1798 – ?) married Amos Dunnels on November 12, 1818 . Their children were Thomas, Horatio, Lucy, Amos, Edward, George and Ezra. (*Caldwell Records)

The Amos Dunnels house on South Main Street is behind the Hapgood’s News Co. sign in this early 20th Century photo.

1832 map showing the Amos Dunnels house on South Main Street.

This photo of the Benjamin Grant house at the corner of Elm Street and County Street was taken in the late 19th Century, before electricity came to Ipswich. The house on the right adjoining the bridge was used as an industrial shop and no longer stands.

Sources:

• Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts
• The Historic Genealogy of the Lowells of America from 1639 to 1899
• Register of All Officers and Agents in the Service of the United States, Thirtieth September 1839.
• Sort By Name
• Ancestry.com
• Waters, Thomas, Ipswich In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Vol. 1
• Historic maps of Ipswich
• Caldwell Records