Number 23. The Thomas Lord House. 17 High Street. This house was built in 1658 by Thomas Lord, who was a cordwainer (shoe maker). The house remained in the Lord family for generations. This house shows the basic form of the early saltbox houses. The roof sloped down to one story in the rear. The chimney shows the location of the large central fireplace. Doors were located in the center, with the stairway just beyond. Here the windows are 6 windows over 9, a common arrangement in early houses.In 1905, Thomas Franklin Waters wrote a two volume set entitled "Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony." According to Waters and the plaque on the house, this was originally the house of Robert Lord. "This lot was granted to Robert Lord, but came into the possession of Robert Roberts, who sold Thomas Lord, shoemaker, on Feb. 22, 1658, a house and ground, bounded by Thomas Clark southeast, the Street southwest and Wm. Bartholomew northwest (Ips. Deeds 2:9)." |