Three Old Houses at the intersection of Poplar St. and Turkey Shore

The house at 5-7 Poplar St. was the home of Dr. John Calef, the town’s representative to the General Court from 1754 to 1760. A Loyalist by nature, he was one of only 17 members who voted to retract the “Massachusetts Circular Letter,” gaining him the enmity of the town and engraver Paul Revere. When the Revolutionary War began, Dr. Calef sold the property and served the British troops at Fort George as a physician. The Calef house is an example of fine Federal architecture but is believed to be a house built for Deacon Thomas Knowlton Sr. on Dec. 26, 1671. Originally at the location of the Ipswich Museum on S. Main Street, it was moved to this location by John Heard. Read more about the John Calef House at the Historic Ipswich site.

The house at 2 Turkey Shore Rd. actually faces Poplar St. The lot was purchased by Nathaniel and John Heard in 1776 and Nathaniel, a cordwainer by occupation, built the house. It was sold to Richard Lakeman in 1795. The house has a preservation agreement, listing the front facade, the central chimney, and several interior wooden architectural elements. Read more about the Heard-Lakeman House at the Historic Ipswich site.

This lot was purchased by Thomas Burnham in 1667, but architectural features indicate that the house was built around 1730 on the foundation of the earlier house. First Period summer beams were re-used in the cellar to support the first floor framing. The property remained in the Burnham family until 1795 when the house was sold to Col. John Patch. In 1814 Abner Day bought the house, added the ell, and Samuel Day ran a popular inn and tavern called the Franklin House for many years. This house has a preservation agreement with the Ipswich Historical Commission. Read more about the Burnham-Patch-Day House at the Historic Ipswich site.