The Hovey family were among the original settlers of Ipswich. Nathaniel Hovey Sr. lived only to the age of 28, about the time of the birth of his son. Nathaniel Jr. in 1696. This house was probably built by the younger Hovey. The asymmetrical layout of the front of this house suggests Hovey built a half house and expanded it later. The ell on the left appears to be a modification of a Beverly Jog. View MACRIS
Thomas Franklin Waters wrote the history of several houses on this side of Summer Street in Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, that Samuel Dutch in the year 1718 mortgaged his dwelling on County Street to Joseph Boles and John Gains (30: 105) and divided his orchard land on Summer Street into four building lots:
- 11 Summer St.: Nathaniel Hovey bought the lot about midway of the Lane, Nov. 5, 1718 (33: 260). Hovey enlarged his lot by the purchase of eleven square rods, from Alexander Lovell, in the rear of the land sold to William Donnton, in 1739 (88: 277).
- 13 Summer St.: Richard Ringe bought the adjoining lot on the southeast on the same day in 1718. (49 : 259). Richard Ringe, heir of Richard, sold to John Pinder Jr., Feb. 5, 1760 (163: 23). His widow, Sarah, sold to Wm. Leatherland, Jan. 3, 1799(163: 256). By order of Probate Court, Chas. A. Sayward as guardian of Jacob Leatherland, insane, sold the property, and it was purchased by Daniel Clark, Feb. 21, 1872 (855: 157), and the present house was erected. By the beginning of the 20th Century it was owned by his son, Philip E. Clark, whose cabinet shop and undertaker’s establishment occupied the site of the old house, which was moved to 5 County Street, where it still stands.
- 15 Summer St: Jonathan Pulcifer acquired the lot southeast of Ringe on Nov. 17th, 1718 (34:205)
- 17 Summer St: Deborah Lord, spinster, bought the next lot on Nov. 18, 1718 (35: 80).
Samuel Dutch died soon after, and his mortgagees sold his mansion-house, warehouse and part of his homestead, twelve rods in length on Dutch’s Lane, as it was commonly called, now County street, April 3, 1722 to Anthony Attwood (40: 76).
Historic Ipswich 