Ipswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich is a coastal town in
Essex County,
Massachusetts,
United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to
Willowdale State Forest and
Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of
Plum Island and
Plum Island State Park. A residential community with a vibrant
tourism industry, the town is famous for its
clams, celebrated annually at the
Ipswich Chowderfest and also for Crane Beach, a beautiful barrier beach near the Crane estate.
Native Americans called the area "Agawam," meaning "lowland, marsh or meadow (with water)." Here they hunted and caught fish, especially
shellfish, leaving behind
mounds of
shells. Captain
John Smith would write about the region in
1614, referring to it as "an excellent habitation, being a good and safe harbour." A
plague of about
1617, perhaps
smallpox brought from abroad, devastated the once populous
Indian tribe. In
1633,
John Winthrop, governor of the
Massachusetts Bay Colony, sent his son, also named John, and 12 men aboard a shallop to settle the town. It was incorporated in
1634 as "Ipswich," after
Ipswich in
Suffolk County,
England, the source of prominent early settlers. The tidal
Ipswich River provided
water power for mills, and
salt marshes supplied hay for
livestock.
Pioneers would become
farmers,
fishermen,
shipbuilders or traders. A
cottage industry in
lace-making developed. But in
1687, Ipswich residents, led by the Reverend
John Wise, protested a tax imposed by the governor, Sir
Edmund Andros. As Englishmen, they argued,
taxation without representation was unacceptable. Citizens were jailed, but then Andros was recalled to
England in
1689, and the new British
sovereigns,
William and Mary, issued colonists another charter. The rebellion is the reason the town calls itself the "Birthplace of American Independence."
Great
clipper ships of the
19th century, however, bypassed Ipswich in favor of deep-water
seaports at
Salem and
Newburyport. The town remained primarily a fishing and farming community, its residents living in older homes they could not afford to replace -- leaving Ipswich with a considerable inventory of early
architecture. In
1822, a
stocking manufacturing machine which had been smuggled out of England arrived at Ipswich, violating a British ban on exporting technology, and the community would develop as a
mill town. In
1868, Amos A. Lawrence established the
Ipswich Hosiery Mills beside the river. It would expand into the largest stocking mill in the country by the turn of the century.
In
1910, Richard T. Crane, Jr. of
Chicago, and
magnate owner of
Crane Plumbing, bought "Castle Hill," a prominent
drumlin on Ipswich Bay. He hired
Olmsted Brothers, successors to
Frederick Law Olmsted, to landscape his 3,500 acre estate, and engaged the
Boston architectural firm of
Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge to design an
Italian Renaissance Revival style
villa on the summit. A
grande allee, 160 feet wide and lined with
statuary, would run the half mile from house to sea. But his wife, Florence, loathed the building. Crane promised that if she still didn't like it in 10 years, he would replace it. True enough, in
1928 a new 59-room
mansion designed by Chicago architect
David Adler in the English
Stuart style stood in its place, called the "Great House." At Mrs. Crane's death in
1949, the entire property was bequeathed to the
Trustees of Reservation, which uses it as a venue for concerts. The house was designated a
National Historic Landmark in
1998. It was a filming location for the
1987 movie
The Witches of Eastwick, based on the
novel written by
John Updike. For many years a resident of Ipswich, Updike used the community as a model for his fictional town of
Tarbox. Other movies filmed here include
The Thomas Crown Affair (
1968),
Glory (
1989) and
The Crucible (
1996).
Flooding in May of 2006 caused extensive damage to three bridges in town. The Choate Bridge (built in 1764), a stone arch bridge, was closed as a result of structural damage. County Street Bridge and Mill Bridge were also closed for repairs. The closing of the Choate Bridge caused Route 1A, a major artery, to be detoured. Following the bridge closings, a fire occurred in an historical block of shops adjacent to the Choate Bridge. A bridal shop and 8 apartments were destroyed. In June of 2006, a sinkhole opened up on Ipswich Road, causing further travel headaches. Ipswich businesses encourage visitors to stop by. Crane Beach is open once again for the summer. Repairs are under way and the town expects to get back to normal in the near future.
Notable Inhabitants:*
Simon Bradstreet, governor
*
Thomas Dudley, governor
*
John Updike, author
*
Nathaniel Ward, clergyman & jurist
* John Wise, clergyman & activist
Historical Sites & Museums:*
Castle Hill (
1928)
*
John Heard House (c.
1800)
*
John Whipple House (
1677)
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 109.1
km² (42.1
mi²). 84.4 km² (32.6 mi²) of it is land and 24.8 km² (9.6 mi²) of it (22.69%) is water. Ipswich is drained by the Ipswich River.
This article describes the town of Ipswich as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the more densely-populated central settlement or village within the town, although that detail is included in the aggregate values reported here. See: Ipswich (CDP), Massachusetts. As of the
census of 2000, there were 12,987 people, 5,290 households, and 3,459 families residing in the town. The
population density was 153.9/km² (398.6/mi²). There were 5,601 housing units at an average density of 66.4 persons/km² (171.9 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.60% White, 0.39%
African American, 0.08%
Native American, 0.80%
Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 5,290 households out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were
married couples living together, 8.4% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 34.6% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $57,284, and the median income for a family was $74,931. Males had a median income of $51,408 versus $38,476 for females. The
per capita income for the town was $32,516. 7.1% of the population and 4.1% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 7.8% are under the age of 18 and 13.0% are 65 or older.
*
Official Website**
Appleton Farms**
Crane Beach**
Greenwood Farm**
Hamlin Reservation**
Ipswich Chowderfest**
Ipswich Public Library**
Ipswich Historical Society & Museum**
Plum Island State Park**
Sandy Point State Reservation**
Willowdale State Forest
