Meetinghouse Green Historic District
Why it's listed
Meeting House Green in Ipswich, Massachusetts, is a district of about 15 acres built around a steep, rocky green and along North Main Street. It includes thirty houses, three churches and the town library, with roughly half the buildings from the eighteenth century and half from the nineteenth. Styles range from early Georgian and Federal to Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne and Colonial Revival. The green was set aside for public use in 1634, a year after the town's founding. In the seventeenth century it held a meeting house, jail, fort, town pound and stocks. Later a post office, probate court, female seminary, hotel and shops surrounded it. A granite Civil War obelisk erected in 1871 stands on the hillside. The green is also linked to the 1687 protest led by Dr. John Wise against taxation under Sir Edmund Andros. Today the area is mainly residential and well maintained, with churches and the library nearby.
Significance in brief: The district surrounds a green set aside for public use in 1634, which served as a religious, commercial and residential center. It holds a wide range of architectural styles, with about half the buildings from the eighteenth century and half from the nineteenth. The green is also tied to the 1687 protest against taxes levied under Sir Edmund Andros, led by Dr. John Wise.
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 80000464, listed September 17, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N. Main St., Ipswich |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | September 17, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000464 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Mixed 18th- and 19th-century styles, including Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Renaissance Revival |
| Areas of significance | Military, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as well maintained, privately owned and in residential use, with churches and the library also present. |
| Acreage | 15 |
| Coordinates | 42.68148, -70.83625 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 80000464.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6807924
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.