Thomas Burnham sold his homestead on this lot to his son Aaron in 1710. The present house was purchased by John Patch in 1795. Although Patch owned the large farm and house at Castle Hill, he used this as his town house. Abner Day bought the house from the heirs of John Patch in 1814, and added the large ell in the rear for an inn and tavern, which under the ownership of Capt. Samuel Day was known later as the Franklin House. Sitting at the intersection of Turkey Shore and Poplar St., the house is only a block from County Road, which is part of the historic Old Bay Road.
Thomas Franklin Waters wrote that “the oldest part of the present dwelling is of venerable age, but no precise date can be assigned.” It is believed that the front part of the house may sit on the foundation of an earlier structure. Reused summer beams from a late 17th-century house are found in the basement supporting the floor joists, but for all practical purposes, this is a fine Georgian house, part of which is believed to have been constructed in 1730. This private home has a preservation agreement with the Ipswich Historical Commission. Read more about the house at the Historic Ipswich site.
Historic Ipswich 