Wilson, Shoreborne, House
Why it's listed
At 4 South Main Street in Ipswich, a 2½-story end-gable house with a center chimney preserves much of its late seventeenth-century character. Shoreborne Wilson, a cooper, bought the lot in 1672 and built the house sometime between 1685 and 1692. Its framing shows the northwest portion to be the oldest. In 1702 Col. Samuel Appleton, a veteran of the Andros Rebellion and the Indian Wars, acquired the property and added the southeast portion. The plan is rectangular and two rooms deep, with a raised rear lean-to and a center entry under a hip-roofed porch. Windows combine eighteenth-century double-hung sash with casements introduced in a 1920 restoration, which also added trim and fireplaces. The house is valued as a First Period building that retains most of its original features, especially its chamfered frame and evidence of the original casement windows. It is used as apartments, with a restaurant attached at the rear.
Significance in brief: It is a First Period house that keeps most of its original features, notably a chamfered frame and evidence of the size and arrangement of the original casement windows. It is also tied to the early development of Ipswich through Shoreborne Wilson and later owner Col. Samuel Appleton, and it retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship.
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 80000456, listed September 17, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4 S. Main St., Ipswich |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | September 17, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000456 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Shoreborne Wilson (original owner, cooper; built the house) |
| Architectural style | First Period |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is apartments, with a restaurant attached to the rear. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.67890, -70.83680 (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 80000456.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7501382
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.