Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/60293
destination Wide S Open rugged landscape. By Tasmin Venn paces Ipswich boasts a proud history that's still evident against a beautiful, ipswich wears its history casually, and so do its people; no one thinks twice about driving over the Choate Bridge, built in 1764, the oldest stone arch bridge in the U.S., to dine on a burger and sip an Ipswich Ale at the Choate Bridge Pub. Story has it that the bridge's engineer, Colonel John Choate, watched the opening ceremonies while mounted on a fast horse so he could make a quick escape in the event of a col- lapse. The bridge was a major shift from earlier wood structures. It—and Choate's name—has stood ever since. But the bridge isn't the only structure that's been here for centuries. Head down High Street and you'll pass a parade of 17th- century houses. Ipswich has more "First Pe- riod" pre-1725 homes than any town in the country—about 60 in all. All are lived in, and pride in home and hearth—many of which you can walk into—makes the designation of an historic district unnecessary. Farther along is the Old Burying Ground with head- stones dating to 1634; on the way is the site of the home of America's first poet, Anne Bradstreet, who wrote about the transition from English civilization to New World wilds. On East Street is the former home of Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Updike, whose novel Couples tells about Ipswich spouses with too much time on their hands. In between sits the former house of Ameri- can painter Arthur Wesley Dow, who ran his very own Ipswich Summer School of Art. Stop by the Ipswich Inn for a delicious photographs by robert boyd breakfast and pick up a recorded historic walking tour of High Street and beyond by Olde Ipswich Tours. On the way out to Crane Beach, you'll pass the Whipple House (1677), one of New England's oldest houses, and the John Heard House, a stately Federal mansion, both part of the Ipswich Museum. Up on Town Hill stands the plaque proudly pointing out that in 1687, Ipswich refused to pay taxes without representation, long before the Boston Tea Party. Across the street marks the spot where the devil left his footprints in the rocks after he jumped from the North Church's high steeple, driven by fright from the sermon that day. "What makes Ipswich special is the rich- ness of the historic stock," says Cindy Brockway, the program director of culture resources for all Trustees of Reservations properties. "I don't know any other town as deep and rich as Ipswich is." But Ipswich has much more than his- tory. For instance, nearly half the town's 33 square miles is open space. "The town's open space program has been very success- ful," notes Kristen Grubbs, Open Space Program Manager. The Trustees of Reserva- tions, Willowdale State Forest, and the south end of Plum Island make up that bulk, but the town, its businesses, and citizens have been very active in conserving any available land. The most recent addition May/June 2012 nshoremag.com 45