New Ipswich Center Village Historic District

The New Ipswich Center Village Historic District comprises the primary settlement area in the town of New Ipswich which is located in rural southwestern Hillsborough County. The District possesses examples of periods of historical development and architectural styles spanning from the 1730s to the 1920s. The most densely populated section of town, this area became the center of community life. Although the structures represented are primarily residential, the grouping also indicates resources relating to the commercial, industrial, professional, religious, and educational life of New Ipswich, as will become clear based on the following property descriptions. The examples of open space, all but one of which are contributing, follow the numbered site descriptions. Although undeveloped, these areas reinforce the historic character of the Center Village. Buildings of minor significances, size, and scale were not described and counted individually although they are discussed as part of the larger property with which they are associated. (The guideline used to determine these buildings were a footprint of less than 50 square feet, less than 50 years of age, lacking a permanent foundation, and not housing a significant activity.)

#1 Reverend Stephen Farrar House, c.1762 (Turnpike Road)

This woodframe Georgian center-chimney dwelling sits, surrounded by shade trees, on a rise close to the Turnpike at the top of Town Hill facing south, at the west corner of the District/ It has received many additions over the years, but the main house represents the oldest surviving major dwelling within the District. The foundation of the main house is of small, layered irregularly cut granite stones, which support a typical Georgian 2 1/2 story 5-bay house with a large central chimney. The front doorway has flat pilasters with caps and a handsome Georgian entablature. The exterior door is of vertical boards with 3 strap hinges, and transom window above. The window sash (all replacements) is 12/12 on the first floor and 8/12 on the second floor and in the gables. The window trim is flat. The flat corner posts in both front and rear have molded caps. The roof is asphalt shingle. An early short gable-roof ell extends to the east on a concrete and rubble foundation. It has received recent additions of a shed-roof dormer to the north and a further addition enclosing what was once a porch which extended around the ell. It now features a shallow hip roof. The north side of the old ell is of old brick; it extends two bays wide across the rear of the main house. A woodframe addition has recently been added which extends it by one bay. To the west extends a 1 story short ell with a gable roof and a front porch supported by slender square posts. The floor is brick, which also faces the front at the foundation level. Two windows with 8/12 sash and an entry door of vertical boards with old strap hinges face the street. The ell leads to a 2-story woodframe addition having a saltbox configuration. Both ell and addition were added in 1978. The addition stands directly on the ground, and contains 12/12 and 8/12 window sash
similar to that on the main house. There is a single, small, low chimney at the east end. The roof is asphalt shingle. A photograph in the Historical Society shows the main house with a long, 1-story woodframe ell extending to the rear from the northwest corner. It was once an 18th century house situated across Thayer Road to the west, which belonged to Peter Warren, who worked for Parson Farrar. It contained 2 8/12 windows, a 4-panel entrance door and a shed door. It was removed many years ago. Additions have been carefully done, and the main house retains many of its antique features, such as wide board pine floors throughout, elaborate paneling and fireplaces. One small room is completely paneled with 20-22 inch pine boards; one interior paneled shutter remains in this room. In one downstairs room is found a built-in elaborately carved and arched corner cupboard. It is flanked by fluted pilasters with a frieze above. in 1924 the owner of ‘ the house offered the cupboard for sale, and a descendent of Parson Farrar who happened to be visiting in town purchased it and donated it to the New Ipswich Historical Society. When the Society had carpenters look at the cupboard, they advised that it would be almost impossible to remove it without damage to it and the room, and it was decided to leave it in place. The agreement was that
if the Historical Society should cease to exist, the cupboard was to go to the New Hampshire Historical Society.

#2 Mrs. Mattie Russell House, c.1880 (Turnpike Road)

This 1 1/2 story, L-shaped, woodframe Second Empire residence occupies a rise above the Turnpike, facing south. It sits on a granite block foundation, and has a bell-curve Mansard roof .sheathed with asphalt shingles. The entrance is in the easternmost bay of the facade of the main house, and has a flat hood supported by a large fancy sawn brackets with pendants. A bay window fills the other side of the facade; it has a brick foundation and paired flat-sawn eave brackets with paneling beneath. Capped corner posts are surmounted by a flushboard frieze extending around the house, with molded eaves abovQ and paired flat-sawn brackets. There are two dormers in the center of the main house; they have flat trim and shallow flatboard pediments with molded eaves with paired brackets beneath the pediments. A similar dormer is on the east side of the main house, and two on the ell. To the west there is a single bay, enclosed to the rear, with an entrance; the front half is a small porch featuring flat-sawn brackets and a support made of a square column with openwork and decorative detail in the center. To the east
the ell has a 3-bay hip-roof porch with the same brackets and openwork supports; the bay closest to the house is enclosed and features a single window and an entrance. Window sash throughout is 2/2. A more recent garage with a rectangular overhead door is found on a lower level below the porch. A single capped chimney rises from the west portion of the roof in the main house; there is another in the rear; and a third tall chimney rises from the ridge in the ell. This house was built for Mrs. Mattie Russell about 1880 by Dr. Francis N. Gibson, who lived in the former Stephen Farrar Jr. House (#47) at the crest of Porter Hill Road. Mrs. Russell remained here through the early
20th century.