Jacob Brown built this substantial house before 1832, as it appears on a map of that year. The porch is dominated by a central tower and flamboyant Queen Anne woodwork, added about 1890.
Jacob Brown was a farmer and a pioneer in the ice business. Brown owned a coal wharf and dispensed anthracite coal. For many years he was the only dealer of ice and coal in Ipswich. After his death in 1863 the business was carried on by his son William Gray Brown, who also occupied this house after his fathers death. William, who was born in Ipswich in 1830, not only continued his father’s ice and coal business but also owned the Agawam House, a well-known hostelry, and operated a livery stable. By 1910 the house was owned bv C. Carter.
