Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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and people... Ipswich is not a snobby town. —william wasserman What is it about Ipswich? "Geography supported agriculture. Mercury Brewing will move into a renovated brick shoe tan- nery downtown and start a brew pub and tours. Castle Hill excavated its cistern to water the newly replanted white pine and Norway spruce on the Grand Allee. What is it about Ipswich? William Wasserman, the former publisher of the Ipswich-based North Shore Weeklies, says, "First, geography—beach, forests, rivers, clams, oysters," he says. "Second, people— Ipswich has a good mix. Some commut- ers, some local artists, some strictly local folks who can make a living in town, some Democrats and some Republicans, good schools, and intense interest in local gov- ernment. [Ipswich] is not a snobby town." Ipswich is also replete with beautiful views, but undoubtedly the best view in town is from the top of Castle Hill—which is also a popular wedding venue. While the Great House, the mansion Richard Crane built in the 1920s, is the most popular venue and can accommodate the most wedding guests, the Casino, Barn, and Steep Hill Beach are also popular. Laura feature Clam Squad honored tradition—and industry—in Ipswich. Clamming is a time- ipswich has been tied to clams ever since Masconomet, chief of the Agawams, spent summers in the 1660s fishing and clamming on Hog Island. The salt, the mud beds of the tidal estuaries, and the ocean's numerous nutrients all contribute to the clam's abundance and taste, says Ipswich shellfish constable Scott LaPreste, a former clammer. "They taste real sweet, which is a function of the cold water. It keeps them fresh and firm," adds LaPreste. Clamming is still a robust business in town, worth up to $14 million annually. Despite all-weather digging, the whims of a clam's lifecycle (it takes two to four years to grow to legal size), closings due to pollution or red tide, it makes sense as a good part-time living. The key to the clam's survival is a cap of 125 commercial licenses, reserved for residents only. That ensures that only the serious stewards stay in business and self man- age the 1,000 acres of flats. Clammers dig in beds rang- All About Clams: Fresh Ipswich clams, and the Clam Box, inset. Daley, event manager for the Crane estate, revels in couples' first views of the Grand Allee, the half-mile-long lawn designed by Ipswich landscape architect Arthur Shur- cliffe that sweeps down the hill to a cutout view of the Isles of Shoals. She says, "We have had people come in and stand in the door, their jaws agape, going 'Wow.'" Those not getting married can still enjoy the grounds when summer is in full swing: Thursday night concerts start at Castle Hill in July, with grounds open for picnicking on the Grand Allee at 5 p.m. The Peabody Institute Library. History Books ing from Plum Island Sound to the Castle Neck River. Residents can buy a recrea- tional license with daily limits. Non-Ipswich residents can buy a day license. Need gear? Tedford & Martin's Hardware on Hammat Street sells clam forks and baskets. "Most dealers have their regulars they buy from year round," says David Pulsifer, a clammer and the warehouse manager for Ipswich Shellfish Fish Market. They sell to distributors like Ipswich Shellfish, which in turn sells to restaurants like the Clam Box and Choate Bridge Pub in Ipswich, or Woodman's and Farnham's in Essex. A bo- nus: State rules dictate that because of the clear water, Ipswich clams can go straight to market without having to be cleaned. Lawrence "Chubby" Woodman of Woodman's may claim to have invented the fried clam, but Ipswich clammer Thomas Soffron took the surf clam, sliced it, fried it, and invented clam strips. The Soffron Brothers Company, started in Ipswich in 1938, had an exclusive deal with Howard Johnson's restaurants to provide its trademark strips. People will drive miles for a box of fresh Ipswich steam- ers dipped in clam broth and melted butter. They also line up at The Clam Box on Route 133, seeking just the right degree of crunch into the juicy fried clam. For some, summer is a box of Ipswich fried clams. May/June 2012 nshoremag.com 47 "