The part of Ipswich known as the Hamlet (now Hamilton) was “set off” as a separate parish (church) in 1714-15. The Hamlet was incorporated by the name of Hamilton on June 21, 1793. Rev. Cutler of the Congregational Church in the Hamlet had served in Congress before becoming one of the town’s longest-serving pastors, was a strong advocate of Federalism, and urged that the new town be named after Alexander Hamilton.
The following images of First Period, Georgian, and Federal houses in Hamilton, MA are provided by the Massachusetts Historical Commission site (MACRIS). Photos were taken in the late 20th Century, are displayed alphabetically in order of street name, and house numbers may have changed. Click on any image to view a larger photo. Descriptions were provided by the Hamilton Historical Society in 1978.
Dodge, Col. Robert – Gibney House, 435 Bay Rd, 1772. This substantial house was built in April 1772 by Col. Robert Dodge (1743-1823), a Revolutionary War hero. Dodge fought at Bunker Hill as a Captain of the Minute Men and served in the Line in the Revolution. His sword hangs over the fireplace in the old dining room. His son Francis Dodge, b. 1782, was a successful Georgetown, D.C. merchant who owned the farm at his death in 1853. Col. Dodge’s grandson, the Hon. Allan W. Dodge (1804-1878), Harvard 1826, was a legislator and in 1852 became Treasurer of Essex County. He sold the house to John Gidney, a Salem merchant, in 1866 (reported elsewhere as 1851). In 1882, the members of the newly formed Myopia Hunt Club leased the Dodge/Gidney House; they subsequently purchased it in 1891. At that time, Hamilton had broad meadows and treeless slopes which were ideal for hunting meets. The members had previously hunted in Winchester, and Brookline had been dissatisfied with the terrain there. As described above, the home was easily renovated to provide cozy dining and lodging facilities for members, who were largely residents of Boston.
Hamilton First Congregational Church, 630 Bay Rd, 1762. This is the area where the origin of the Town took place. The church was first gathered in 1714, with a building constructed in 1713. In 1843, the building was remodeled, using the frame of the 1762 meeting house. It was turned to face Bay Road. The floor was raised, and heat was installed for the first time. In 1843, the church was used for all Town Meetings. Selectmen also rented office space until Town Hall was built. The clock was installed on the tower in 1795. It still belongs to the Town, which pays for its upkeep. There are several memorial stained glass windows. Three prominent ministers, Wigglesworth, Cutler, and Felt, served there for the first 150 years.
The Whipple-Bown House, 638 Bay Rd, c 1700. The land without improvements was conveyed to Matthew Whipple by his father, Capt. John Whipple, on June 25, 1680. Capt. John, in his will dated August 2, 1683, confirms the conveyance and provides “that my son Matthew enjoyes ye Lands [and] houses where he now lives,” which can be identified with the present property. The inventory of Capt. John’s estate, taken September 10, 1683, includes “Matthew’s house & barn” appraised at £140. Later owners included Capt. Daniel Brown, son of Jacob Brown, was the first postmaster (1803), tavern keeper, and blacksmith. His son, Israel D. Brown, was later postmaster and tavern keeper. Daniel received the deed to 1/2 of the property in 1782 from Jacob and the other half in 1802 from Samuel and Hannah Whipple. The building is said to have served as an inn and stagecoach stop. The house was acquired by Nathan Matthews on June 1, 1912, and was restored by Norman Isham in 1914–1915. The interior of this house is modern with no historic fabric. The above information is from MACRIS and the Colonial Society of Massachusetts.
Poland, Nathan – Porter, Benjamin House, 700 Bay Rd, r 1795. Nathan, a blacksmith, bought the property in 1772. His wife was Elizabeth. Samuel Roberts was his administrator. He sold the house at public auction to Joshua Porter in 1806. Porter was a carpenter. Joshua Giddings, who bought it in 1812, was one of the townsmen who helped incorporate the Town of Hamilton in 1793. He died in 1835 at the age of 90 and is buried in the Hamilton Cemetery. He was a tanner.
Dodge, Isaac House, 786 Bay Rd, c. 1799. John Whipple III sold a farm of several parcels to Isaac Dodge in 1799. K.L. Dodge ”son of Isaac Dodge,” to James B. Dodge & Isaac B. Dodge, 1850, Isaac B. Dodge to Albert W. Smith.
Peck, Benjamin House, 799 Bay Rd, c 1793. Sept. 71 1793 – Nathaniel Whipple to Benjamin Peck, a house lot along the “country road”, for 10 pounds. Benjamin Peck is referred to as “a chairmaker.” The lot lay in the north corner of Nathaniel Whipple’s pasture land adjoining the land of John Whipple.
Patch, Emeline House, 918 Bay Rd, c 1725. The old Patch House was originally “built about 1680, and added to about 1720. The late First Period frame of this house is visible only in the right-hand front room and lobby. The longitudinal summer beam of the right-hand room has flat chamfers and tapered stops, while the chimney girt and post are unchamfered. Rafters of the original principal rafter, common purlin roof are still in place on the front slope of the roof. When the roof was raised, new timbers were pieced between the original rafters and the ridge.
968 Bay Road, Hamilton, MA (C. 1725.
935 Bay Road, Hamilton, MA, the Dane House: The 1872 Hamilton map shows the owner of this house as Captain G. Dane. The owner in 1884 was “L. Dane.” The age of this house is not available. John Dane emigrated to this country in about 1635. His son John was born in Ipswich about 1644 and lived at the Hamlet. In 1692, he was a juror in the witch cases. He married Abigail Warner and was an ancestor of the Dane family residing in Hamilton. By the time of the 1910 map, there were several members of the Dane family owning properties near this corner.
Brown, Austin House, 1028 Bay Rd, c 1725. The ell to the right was added by 1907. In 1915, the house was again enlarged and stuccoed to create a Colonial Revival-style country estate. At that time, a new higher roof with the ridge on the central axis and three dormer windows was built and porches were added to the left wings. There is a one-story porch across the facade. First-period features, in the form of an exposed decorated oak frame, are visible in the left-hand room and in the right-hand and left-hand chambers. In the left-hand room, the 12-inch wide longitudinal summer beam has flat chamfers and tapered stops. In the right-hand and left-hand chambers, the 9-inch wide summer tie beams have flat chamfers and taper stops. Posts are deeply jowled but unchamfered.
Joseph Browne, Sr. House, 76 Bridge St, c 1670. The house was on the site by 1673 when John Brown Sr. gave the property to his son Nathaniel, but may have been built c. 1662 when Brown originally acquired the land. The Brown House is associated with the early 20th-century restoration movement. Mrs. W.G. Mitchell had the house restored in c. 1920. The restoration included replication of the original sheathing for fireplace wall finish, the introduction of a staircase copying the Parson Capen House staircase, and the reconstruction of the exterior chimney along the lines of the plastered chimney at the Parson Barnard House. First-period features are found in all four front rooms and on the exterior. The right-hand room is a little over 19 feet wide and 21 feet deep. The longitudinal oak summer beam in that room is 12″ wide by 15″ deep and is decorated with broad quarter-round chamfers and lamb’s tongue stops, except on the south face at the right-hand end. Joists are tusk-tenoned and are spaced 18 inches on centers.
The house is representative of construction in the third quarter of the 17th century in the configuration of its chamfers and shadow-molded sheathing, and in the retention of the principal rafter/principal purlin roof framing system. That roof system, derived from East Anglian practices, was supplanted almost completely after the third quarter of the century by the principal rafter/common purlin system. The roof also retains a rare example of a diagonal wind brace between rafter and principal purlin, a feature found in the Fairbanks house of 1637. The house has an intact framed overhang which still retains its original cyma-molded overhanging girt and two large drops. The gable end was long concealed by the lower story, having been built outflush with the upper.
Woodberry – Quarrels House, 180 Bridge St, c 1690. The oldest part of this 2.5-story, seven-bay wood frame house is the central doorway and the rooms to its right, which were built c. 1690 along with a central chimney that was probably removed during Federal-period alterations. Later in the First Period, rooms to the left of the entry were added, and there have been a series of alterations and additions since then. The First Period core of the house has been modernized, with exposed original beams, rafters, purlins, and corner posts throughout. First Period features are visible in the downstairs front rooms and in the left-hand chamber. In the original cell of the house, the right-hand room displays an ample longitudinal summer beam with wide quarter-round chamfers and lamb’s tongue stops. Joists 20 inches on centers are set into butt cogs in the summer beam, but rest on top of the front and rear girts. These girts and the chimney girt are flat chamfered. The overhanging portion of the tie beam has a two-inch-wide rabbet to receive vertical planks. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Patch, Gen. House, 293 Bridge St, 1783. The house was built for General Patch, who served under General Washington.
Woodbury, J. L. House, 327 Bridge St, 1790.
Woodbury, A. House, 375 Bridge St, 1757. The house was probably built by a member of the Woodbury family who settled in this area. Isaac Woodbury married Elizabeth Herrick, and 10 children survived. One, Nicholas, was captured by the Indians in 1711 and returned to the Hamlet 9 years later after payinga ransom for his release.
Ingalls, J. T. House, 466 Bridge St, 1671. The home is shown as owned by J. T. Ingalls in the late 19th-century maps. One room has an early 18th-century fireplace, with two bake ovens in the back wall.
230 Asbury St., Lovering, H. P. House.
109 Cutler Rd., built in 1760. This house is said to have originally been a post office, but the History of the Hamilton Post Offices lists the first post office in Hamilton as the Old Tavern, 9 Farms Rd. Samuel Story, Jr. was the first Postmaster, serving from 1803 to 1841.
117 Cutler Rd. (1930?)
188 Essex St., Knowlton, Joseph House
288 Essex St., Knowlton, I. F. House. This was the farmhouse for the Knowlton Farm, which covered a large area in this section of the town.
366 Essex St., Norris, George House, 1823
428 Essex St., Woodbury, W. House. This area was known as the Woodbury Crossing, as the Essex Railroad crossed Essex Street by this house.
17th & 18th Century Houses of Essex County, Massachusetts 