Heard-Lakeman House
Why it's listed
Located at 2 Turkey Shore Road in Ipswich, this c. 1776 house is a 2½-story, end-gable building with a center chimney. The main block is two rooms deep and flanked by small one-story ells, with a symmetrical five-bay facade centered on an entry under a projecting cornice. Inside are raised-field paneling, a Georgian stairway with a turned balustrade, and an arched chimney base more than 11 feet long supporting fireplaces on each side. Facade windows and the entry date from a 1930s remodeling, and the house was extensively restored in the 1920s. Nathaniel and John Heard bought the land in 1776 and built the house for Nathaniel, a cordwainer. He sold it in 1795 to Richard Lakeman III, and it is still remembered as the Lakeman house; the Lakemans were a seafaring family who owned a fishing fleet and traded with the West Indies. With the nearby Burnham-Patch House, it anchors the south end of Turkey Shore Road, an old riverside way.
Significance in brief: The house is described as retaining integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship, with significant associations with Ipswich's early development. It is a Second Period house with fine interior woodwork and a Georgian stairway. It also later belonged to the seafaring Lakeman family and anchors the south end of Turkey Shore Road.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80000441, listed September 17, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2 Turkey Shore Rd., Ipswich |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | September 17, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000441 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Nathaniel and John Heard bought the land and built the house for Nathaniel Heard; no architect named |
| Architectural style | Second Period |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; subject to preservation easements under an agreement with the Ipswich Historical Commission. Restored in the 1920s, with facade sash and entry remodeled in the 1930s. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 42.67661, -70.83356 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80000441.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5691605
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.