William Hodgkins came with his father William from England in 1640 and settled in Ipswich. He built a house in 1668 and died in 1693. He had a son named William as well, born in 1668, who apparently built this house in 1690. William Jr. died in 1719. William Hodgkins sold the house to his brother Christopher Hodgkins, who sold the house to Archelaus Lakeman, a taylor, who died in 1745. Solomon and Archelaus Lakeman owned a portion of the Perkins property at the beginning of Jeffreys Neck Road, no longer standing.
The Hodgkins, Perkins and Lakeman families intermarried and owned properties throughout the area around the wharf in the East End Historical District.
From MACRIS
William Hodgkins probably built this house before 1700. In 1718 he sold the dwelling to Archelaus Lakeman and the property remained in the Lakeman family for almost 200 years. The Lakemans were a sea-faring family with extensive wharves and warehouses on the property and on the Town Wharf across the street.
Arthur Johnson is said to have installed a wall of paneling from this house in the Lakeman-Johnson house on upper East Street. A pre-Revolutionary wall painting was removed as well, and is now located In the Whipple House. Original rafters from the earliest construction reveal that the house was only one room deep. The rafters were lengthened later to cover the the two story rear leanto.
Sources:
- MACRIS
- First mention of deed: Hodgkins to Lakeman: May 13, 1718 (34.:207)
- T.F. Waters, Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Vol I., p. 400
Historic Ipswich 