2012 Houses

 

Open Doors is proud to present the participants of the 2012 event which took place on Saturday, October 20th.  All of the homes were open between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m and either the ticket or brochure allowed participants to enter any of the houses.

The homes showcase a range of architectural styles, with excellent representative examples from the last four centuries.  You can locate all the participating houses on these maps

Open Doors of Ipswich House Tour 2012 Map of Houses (html)
Open Doors of Ipswich House Tour 2012 Map of Houses (pdf)

You can also view the houses thematically by Scenic, Historical and Countryside themes.

 

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the building of this classic example of American Second Empire architecture. Built originally in 1812 as a hip-roof Federal style house by Captain Israel Pulcifer, the house underwent significant restoration in the 1870’s incorporating the then trendy French inspired Second Empire stylistic upgrades. The centerpiece of the make over is, of course, the addition of a complete Mansard roofed third floor. In addition, the house was widened by four feet, windows were re-centered accordingly, an interior staircase (taken from a prominent Colonial house in Salem) was added and two mantels of the original seven in the house were updated. During the 1960’s the house was broken into apartments. The present owners returned it to a single-family residence in 1996. Miraculously, all original woodwork, wainscoting, molding, ornamental trim, a Samuel McIntire inspired carved mantle and Vermont slate roof all survived these changes and have been renovated to their original condition. Also included in the property is a carriage house, also dating from 1812 with post and beam construction. It too has been renovated to original condition. The house has been featured in the “Preservation Perspective” of Old House Journal as an example of the “Frenched Out” American early homes.

 

A historic house built in the center of the original town, the Treadwell-Hale house C1740 has many details from the Georgian Period of Architecture. Recently renovated, it has a rare hip roof, a “summer kitchen” fireplace in the basement as well as four other fireplaces. The building has been used in the past as a general store and currently as a single family home. It has undergone a recent restoration to its old beauty and charm over the past few years.

 

 

 

The house, an extended cape, and primary barn were first constructed on an 8+acre lot in the mid 1980s by the Moon family. The current owners, the Strouss family, purchased the property in 1994. Significant exterior work was done in the early 2000s adding the 3 dormers and front porch to the cape. The work was done by builder Scott Silver of Topsfield. Interior renovation under the direction of Tracy Strouss converted the former “country style of small rooms” into a modern flowing floor plan. The property is unique in that it now has nearly 18 acres, 2 barns, a practice polo field, an outdoor riding ring, several paddocks and hay field for the 9 horses. A courtyard and extensive landscaping now ties the equestrian facilities and the home together.

 

 The Daniel Lummus House is one of the recently renovated First Period houses in Ipswich, with work on out buildings and landscaping still to be completed. Located on historic High Street, the home has been dated to 1686 and is part of the original Dudley/Bradstreet parcel, where Anne Bradstreet wrote her most famous poems. The “Hall” fireplace contains 3 beehive ovens and features a built-in “Inglenook seat”, thought to be the only remaining example in the country. The Hall has been restored to First Period condition with faithful reproduction of feather-edge panels. Detailing in the Parlor revives features introduced during the home’s first renovation at the marriage of D. Lummus in 1747. An expansive rear kitchen/den addition provides modern conveniences under original exposed beams.

 

 Set in a thickly settled neighborhood on Town Hill, 15 Warren Street is a low-style Victorian era home built around 1876. From the street the home appears quite small, gable end set facing the street. However, on entering the parlor from the front hall, a peek outside through the wrap-around screened porch hints of the large fenced yard beyond, with tiled pool, travertine pool deck and formal boxwood hedgerows. Natural casework, corner fireplace, and untouched cyprus pocket door are some of the original features that make this a cozy and warm family home. A large and modern family room addition with stone fireplace add to the home’s livability.

 

Nestled away between marsh and woods is this innovative green energy house, built in 2007. Rooftop solar panels provide half the house’s electricity needs and all of its hot water. Inside is a spacious home with an open-plan first floor featuring a modern kitchen with island, a good-sized wood stove with exposed interior brick chimney, a Chinese-style “moon gate” doorway to the living room, and a balcony overlooking from the second floor. A rear door leads to a relaxing screened-in back porch; an exterior spiral staircase leads to an outdoor deck up in the trees. Energy needs are kept low due to CF and LED lighting, a sun-catching south facing orientation, fans instead of AC, and awnings to keep hot sun out in summer. The family worked with the town of Ipswich to initiate the town’s “net metering” policy which makes grid-tied solar electricity a more affordable option.

 

Built in the early 1920′s, on a hill used as summer grazing for cattle, the builders of this lovely home were gentleman duck hunters. Originally, it was a retreat that afforded them access to Clark Pond. This prominent home stands on the crest of the hill. The stone chimney and outer walls are original to the house. Two separate renovations were added by former owner, Leah, designed to accommodate her family of four after WW2. The home is surrounded by a lush landscape designed by Leah as her thesis requirement at Radcliffe College Garden design course of study. She carried this out with little assistance, bringing in rocks for the rockery, building the grape arbor and planting a wide selection of trees, shrubs and plants appropriate for a windy seaside climate. The current owners have enriched the landscape with additional plantings through out the grounds. You will find a wide variety of trees in the yard: Andromedas, a tulip tree, a Bradford Pear and a curly maple. The perennial beds are enhanced with annuals seasonally. You will also see a range of shrubs, rhododendron , a spindle-tree and a number of roses among the beds. The tender shrubs, large ferns and flowering maples spend the winter indoors. This home is decorated with antique furnishings, artwork, exotic personal collections and large cultivated jade plants. The interior decor, the garden rooms, the circular drive and the soothing ocean views all add to the beauty of this special home.

 

“Seaplumb” is located on Great Neck overlooking Clark Pond. A former lodge for duck hunting, it is now a fabulous two story, contemporary, shingled cottage home with open floor plan and rows of glass windows. Come to experience nature, the sloping lawns, the gardens and the expansive ocean view that stretches to Halibut point in Rockport. The owners have tastefully decorated this home with comfortable modern furniture, period antiques, case clocks and an extensive art collection. The home is a virtual art gallery featuring the work of owner and the couple’s extensive collection of pieces done by local artists. Originally, an L shaped ranch house built by the Mosely family in 1970, come to experience first hand this beautifully transformed home sitting on a knoll on Great Neck.

 

Located on Great Neck, the owners fell in love with Ipswich after discovering Cape Ann’s beauty, turning their summer home, a single level 1950s ranch into their permanent residence. Extensive remodeling has turned this house into a spectacular 3 level home with an open floor plan great room and designer kitchen, multi-level decks, a pool and dramatic ocean and conservation land views. The many details of this house make it a great example of an Ipswich coastal dream home. Ipswich designer Larry Levesque created the plans which were built by Cary Johnson of Open Meadow Homes, also of Ipswich.

 

Small with elegant simplicity, the owner purchased this house 5 years ago and opened the floor plan up to let in more light. The walls are painted off-white to best display the pictures and oddments from years of cruising on sailboats. Most floors were done in pickled and varnished wood, while a screened porch was added to allow the open air feel of sailing. Located off Jeffrey’s Neck with an expansive view of the Ipswich Marsh to Great Neck, this house is a great example of an affordable, smaller footprint house that has been tastefully rehabilitated to provide a great quality of life.

 

 

A Contemporary Colonial built in 2002 in one of the youngest neighborhoods in Ipswich. Pitcairn Way has become one of Ipswich’s best kept secrets only 2 miles from Hood Pond, a beautiful 5 acre popular swimming destination, fishing hole and recreational area for kayaking and canoeing. Several State Parks offering miles of hiking trails surround this fabulous 4,500 square foot spacious family home designed by the current homeowners. The 1.3 acre lot sits perfectly at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. Unique design features include a study with individual workstations, a unique custom serving bar area creatively joining the dining room and kitchen and a second kitchen designed to function as a prep area for entertaining and for the owner’s private baking area to satisfy her dream of becoming a professional baker. Only two years ago the home was expanded to include a larger bedroom and more casual family entertaining room. In addition, the outdoor patio was expanded to take advantage of all the breathtaking and private outdoor entertaining area. The focal point of the home is the two-story living room with a wall of windows lining the back of the home, framing the art of light and picturesque foliage.

 

This 1967 home was purchased in 1993 by a newlywed couple intending to live in the modest ranch and move to a larger home as their family grew. After falling in love with their Pine Field neighborhood, the homeowners decided to stay put and add on to their first home. Three additions later, this home is now large enough to accommodate themselves, three children, grandmother and the family dog comfortably. Their latest project completed in early 2012 showcases an open floor plan with large kitchen and great space for entertaining. If you’ve ever dreamed of expanding the home you love…come see 33 Birch lane, view before and after photos and see step by step how this tiny first time home evolved into a large family’s forever dream home.