Historic Photographs
The New Ipswich Historical Society has a collection of more than 1700 photographic images of New Ipswich and its people. The collection includes Daguerreotypes dating from the 1840s and 1850s, tintypes, cabinet photographs, cyanotypes, postcards, and amateur snapshots from the post-Civil War era. We also have several albums of hand-colored photographs made by Boston photographer Charles Plumer, dating from the turn of the last century. The most recent items are photographs of the town’s 250th Anniversary in 2000, donated by NIHS member John Cooke.
Here are a few images of Turnpike Road> from the collection.
The photographic collection is accessible through our digital collection database. Stop by with your queries and we will search the database for you. We have also begun a scanning project to make digital copies of all images, eventually to be accessible online through our website.
Recent Acquisitions
See what items have been donated to the Historical Society recently. If you can add any information about any of these, email us at info@newipswichhistoricalsociety.org.
Center Village Historic District
The Center Village of New Ipswich is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. If you want to see some of the houses included, as well as a map of the District and a complete listing of all properties included, go to our new Center Village Historic District page.
New Ipswich in the Civil War
During the American Civil War, New Ipswich people served both on the battlefield and at home. One resident, Lydia Clark O'Bear, even wrote a book about the contributions of townsfolk to the war effort. For more information, see our new Civil War pages.
Photo of the century: Our forebears
The Way We were, 1906 Group photo of the Historical Society, taken in 1906.
The photo was labelled "Cranford Company, 1906."
Does anyone know what that was, or where this picture was taken?
Back row, l to r: Hattie McKown, Prof. Poore, Abbie Phelps; 2nd row: Abby Beard, Mrs. Samuel Thayer, Ettie Taylor, Miss Marie Lindberg (a teacher), Annie Thayer, Miss Lee, Ella Walker, Lizzie Crowell; kneeling: Arthur Thayer, Edna Hudson.