In 1733, John Stacey “being incapable of labor” was granted by the town a spot beside the rocky ledge at the lower end of the North Green to build a small house for “selling cakes and ale for his livelihood.” He died two years later, and the house came into the ownership of Samuel Ross, where he operated a blacksmith shop.
In 1834 the Town decided to relocate part of North Main St. for easier access to the hill by stagecoaches approaching from the Choate Bridge, and the house was moved to its present location on Market St. with the gable end facing the street. The house continued to be owned by the Ross family into the 20th Century. The upstairs was used as a residence, and the downstairs served as a package store, barbershop, and more recently as the legal offices of Arthur & Peter Ross.
Read more about the Stacey-Ross house at the Historic Ipswich site.
Historic Ipswich 