The east side of the house at 27 High St. is a one-room over-one-room floor plan and may have been constructed by Edward Brown, who was allocated the lot in 1639 and died in 1659. The summer beam in the downstairs room on the right side has irregular saw marks indicating the use of a pit saw. The beams and posts in the room above it are cased and thus cannot be observed. The left side of the house and the leanto were added in the 18th century. A visit to the attic reveals that the chimney was constructed with different-sized bricks in three stages, the right side being the oldest. The original rear rafters of the house remain in place, with the shed rafters above them.
Edward Brown came to Ipswich with the original settlers, married Faith Lord, and served as a marshal for the town. This house, and the later house almost abutting it on the west were owned by descendants of Edward & Faith Brown well into the 19th Century. John Brown, third generation, created a large farm in the Candlewood area, and two of his descendants’ homes are still standing.
Read more about the Edward Brown house at the Historic Ipswich site.
Historic Ipswich 