Featured image: Mount Pleasant neighborhood on the 1910 Ipswich map. Information is from the MACRIS site
Mount Pleasant is in the foreground in the 1893 Birdseye map
These houses were built at a time when the foreign-born population of Ipswich was on the rise, Increasing 446% between 1875 and 1915. At the time these houses were built, manufacturing had become the basis of Ipswich’s economy. Many small manufacturing interests were located near the center of Ipswich and most of the houses in the survey area were occupied by immigrants. By 1875 English, Irish, and Canadian immigrants accounted for 93% of the foreign-born population of Ipswich. Through the late 19th century, the foreign-born population diversified with the addition of Poles and Greeks.
Brown’s Stocking mill
Many of the houses in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood were constructed as worker housing for Brown’s Stocking mill around 1907. Between 1910 and 1916 his business failed and it appears that the houses were sold off.
Broadway Ave.
The houses on the south side of Broadway Avenue were built around 1907 by the Brown Stocking Mill Company as housing for their mill workers. The mill was located near the west end of the street on the opposite side of Brownville Avenue. Between 1906 and 1908, Harry Brown established this mill, the Brown Stocking Mill Company, which remained in operation until at least 1910. He built workers’ houses on Brownville Avenue and Broadway Avenue,
14 Mount Pleasant Ave. Former Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church Rectory. This rectory was built in 1889 to house the pastor of the adjacent church. St. Joseph’s Church was organized to serve a large population of Irish immigrants. More recently the church was taken over by the American Orthodox Church, a denomination with Russian heritage. The Irish Immigrants came to Ipswich to find employment in the mills that were prospering at the time. IPS.330
16 Mount Pleasant Ave., formerly St. Joseph’s Catholic Church (1872). The first large group of foreign immigrants to settle in Ipswich (excluding some English lace and hosiery makers and Canadian mill workers) were the Irish, driven from their island by the great famine. By 1873 their numbers were sufficient to erect a Catholic Church, and St. Joseph’s on Ht. Pleasant St. was dedicated on Nov. 9 of that year. In the early 20th century Polish and French Canadian immigrants built additional Roman Catholic churches in Ipswich, while St. Joseph’s continued to serve the Irish community. More recently the church has housed the American Orthodox Church, a denomination with Russian heritage. IPS.330
17 Mount Pleasant Ave., (1930)- Brown Mill Company Workers Housing IPS.332
18 Mount Pleasant Ave. (1873)
19 Mount Pleasant Ave. (1925) The earliest occupant of this house to be identified are John and Adeline Gilman who lived here by 1940 and worked for the WPA. IPS.333
24 Mount Pleasant Ave. Harold Bowen wrote that this house was the rear wing of Asa Lord’s Store on Lords Squre and was moved here after the store closed.
28 Mount Pleasant Ave. This building was constructed between 1910 and 1916. Prior to construction of the building, the lot on which it stands was part of a much larger parcel belonging to the estate of J.F. Brown. On of the occupants in 1916, Napoleon Duval, was a grocer whose store is listed at this address, indicating that perhaps the first floor was a retail space for some time.
31 Mount Pleasant Avenue, IPS.335 the former Burley School. The Burley School was erected in 1908 to serve the growing school age population of the survey area. Most of the residents of the area were foreign-born immigrants who came to Ipswich to work in the mills. Plans for the school were provided by B.W. Woodward and construction was undertaken by contractor E. A. Abbott. More recently the buiding was converted to apartments.
Closeup of Pleasant St. from the 1893 Ipswich Birdseye map
Pleasant Street
The houses on Pleasant Street appear to have been built beginning around 1885. As early as 1884 the house at #15 is shown on maps under the ownership of George A. Lord. The earliest owner identified for # 11 is Thomas E. Burns, a teamster for brick manufacturer and housewright John A. Brown, Burns lived here as early as 1891 and as late as 1910. The earliest owner Identified for # 15 Is Frank E. Howe. Howe lived here as early as 1900, at which time he worked in a local mill. By 1908, the house at #13 was occupied by Mary A. McLaughlin, who is listed in town directories as a bookkeeper.
3 Pleasant St.. This house was constructed circa 1890
4 Pleasant St., c 1890
7 Pleasant St., circa 1900
8 Pleasant St. (1917)
9 Pleasant St. (1908)
11 Pleasant St. (1920)
13 Pleasant St., (1906)
16 Pleasant St., the Stephen R. Harris house (1885)
17 Pleasant St. James McLaughlin house (1886)
18 Pleasant St. Samuel Halum – Maselbas house (1870)
19 Pleasant St. George A. Lord house (1884)
20 Pleasant St. James H and Eliza Estes, house (1865)
21 Pleasant St. J. Lowe – F. Parsons house (c 1880)
Historic Ipswich 