78 East Street, the James Glover house (c 1860)

78 East Street, the James Glover hosiery factory (c 1860)

James Glover came to Ipswich from England with a long warp weaving machine about 1845. He worked at the Lower Mills until he opened his own textile factory ca. 1860. He manufactured hairnets, then in vogue for ladies wear, knit goods, hoods, and shawls. Glover employed 40-50 hands during the Civil War, but the number dropped to a quarter of that by 1888. By 1897, Glover was retired and the mill was closed.

The Ipswich River at East St. in Ipswich — #78 East Street is the middle house in this photo circa 1900. The wharf had not yet been extended to Agawam Avenue, and East Street ran along a bay in the River at this location. An outbuilding is seen behind #78 but it is difficult to tell if it is Glover’s textile mill.

Originally, this house was Glover’s mill, an L-shaped building. When the factory closed, the main body of the factory was moved approximately 20 feet to the west and converted into the present dwelling. The remainder of the building was used as a workshop and garage by the owners of #80 East Street, but was taken down in 2006 and the frame was put in storage. The shop is on the right in the photo below, circa 1980. Evidence of its original use could be seen in the wall construction of the workshop. Plaster wees laid directly onto the wooden planking of the walls, without any lathe—a type of wall treatment common in factory buildings of this period. (Text modified from MACRIS listing). Read more about Glover’s Mill at Great Marsh Associates.