Ipswich

Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is famous for its clams, celebrated annually at the Ipswich Chowderfest, and for Crane Beach, a barrier beach near the Crane estate. Ipswich was founded by John Winthrop the Younger, one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 and its first governor, elected in England in 1629. It was incorporated as a town in 1634. In 1687, Ipswich residents, led by the Reverend. John Wise, protested a tax imposed by the governor, Sir Edmund Andros, and were jailed. Andros was recalled to England and the new sovereigns, William III and Mary II, issued colonists another charter. In the 19th century, the town was bypassed in favor of the deep-water seaports at Salem, Newburyport, and Boston. It calls itself the "Birthplace of American Independence" and is the only known hand-made bobbin lace produced commercially in the U.S. in in Ipswich. It is also home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, and includes the southern part of Plum Island. It has a population of 13,785, according to the 2010 census, and is expected to grow to 13,900 by the 2020 census. The name Ipswich is taken from Ipswich in the county of Suffolk, England, where it was incorporated in 1633. The first settlers were William Clerk, Robert Coles, Thomas Howlet, John Biggs, John Gage, Thomas Hardy, William Perkins, John Thorndike, William Sergeant, and three others.

History

Ipswich was founded by John Winthrop the Younger, one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Several hundred colonists sailed from England in 1630 in a fleet of 11 ships, including Winthrop's flagship, the Arbella. The name they heard from Masconomet concerning the country over which he ruled has been reconstructed as Wonnesquamsauke, which the English rendered as "Agawam" In 1687, Ipswich residents, led by the Reverend John Wise, protested a tax imposed by the governor, Sir Edmund Andros. The rebellion is the reason the town calls itself the "Birthplace of American Independence" In 1868, Amos A. Lawrence established the Ipswich Hosiery Mills beside the river. It became the nation's largest mill by the turn of the 20th century. In 1828, the town developed as a mill town, and the community developed a unique style of bobbin lace, called Ipswich Lace. It is the only known hand-made bobbinlace produced commercially in the U.S. in the 19th century and can be seen at the Museum of American History in New York City. The town's name was taken "in acknowledgment of the great honor and kindness done to our people which took shipping there" in 1634, as Ipswich, after Ipswich in the county of Suffolk, England. In 1638, the native chief of the lands to the north bought Ipswich for "wampampeage, & other things".

Geography

Ipswich is in central Essex County and is 11 miles (18 km) south of Newburyport, 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Gloucester, 13 miles (21 km) north of Salem, 20 miles (32 km) east of Lawrence, and 28 miles (45 km) northeast of Boston. It is bordered by Rowley to the north, Boxford to the west, and Topsfield, Hamilton, Essex and Gloucester to the south. Ipswich is drained by the Ipswich River and Plum Island Sound, which join at their mouths and empty through a narrow but navigable channel into Ipswich Bay. The southern part of Plum Island falls within the area allotted to the town, making up the town's ocean shore along with Castle Neck, south of the Sound. Much of the western end of town is dominated by Willowdale State Forest. Other parts of the town are also protected land, including Crane Wildlife Refuge on Castle Neck and Sandy Point State Reservation on Plum Island, as well as Bull Brook Reservoir, Greenwood Farm and Appleton Farms Sanctuary, which extends into Hamilton. The border with Gloucester lies across Essex Bay, and as such there is no land connection between the two. The town has a population of about 2,000 people, most of whom live in or near the town of Ipswich. It was founded in 1788. It has been the site of several U.S. World War II battles, including the Battle of the Bulge in World War I.

Transportation

There is no interstate highway through Ipswich; Interstate 95 passes through neighboring Boxford and Topsfield. U.S. Route 1, known as the Newburyport Turnpike, passes through the western end of town. Massachusetts Route 1A and Route 133 pass through the town, entering concurrently from Rowley and passing through the center of town before splitting south of the town center. The Ipswich Essex Explorer provides summertime weekend shuttle service connecting Ipswich MBTA train station with Crane Beach, Essex and Appleton Farms. There is no air service in town; the nearest small airports are in Newbury and Beverly, and the nearest national service is Boston's Logan International Airport. Ipswich has a station along the Newburburyport/Rockport Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail, providing service between Newbury port and Boston's North Station. The town is located on the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which is part of the New England region of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is home to the Massachusetts State Museum, which was established in 1875. The museum is located in the town's historic center. It was the first state museum in the United States, and was opened in 1876. It has a collection of historic buildings, including the oldest section of Ipswich, which dates back to the 17th century. It also has a museum of American Civil War history, dating back to 17th Century. Ipswich was the site of the Battle of the Bulge, which took place in 1775.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,987 people, 5,290 households, and 3,459 families residing in the town. The population density was 398.6 people per square mile (153.9/km²). There were 5,601 housing units at an average density of 66.4 persons/ km² (171.9 persons/sq mi) The racial makeup of the town was 97.60% White, 0.39% African American, 0.,08% Native American,0.80% Asian, 0,01% Pacific Islander, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.04% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.00. The median income was $57,284, and the median income for a family was $74,931. The per capita income for the town is $32,516. Out of the total people living in poverty, 7.8% are under the age of 18 and 13.0% are 65 or older. The town of Ipswich is located in Massachusetts, on the Massachusetts Turnpike between Boston and New York City. It has a population of 12,982. The largest city in the state is Boston, which has a total population of 11,838. The city's population is 7,816. The county seat is Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a total area of 2,716.

Education

Ipswich High School is considered one of the best public high schools in the Boston area. The high school mascot is the Tiger, and the school colors are orange and black. Ipswich competes in the Cape Ann League. The football team won the Division 3A Super Bowl Championship in 2006. The town's two elementary schools are Paul F. Doyon Memorial and Winthrop. In 2005, the high school was named a "Blue Ribbon" school. The Blue Ribbon is an award for national excellence in education under the No Child Left Behind legislation. IHS offers college-prep, honors, and AP-level classes. It has one of Massachusetts's highest graduation rates. It offers dance, choruses, bands (including jazz, pep and concert bands), orchestra and symphony orchestra. The school's traditional rival is Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School. It was the school's first title since 1992 and the fifth in school history. It is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which runs from Boston to New York City. It also has a train station, which was built in the 19th century. The first Ipswich Grammar School began around 1636. It's located on Linebrook Road and was originally named the Linebrook School until it was renamed in 1967 after its namesake died in the Vietnam War. It covers grades 68, with each grade assigned to a "pod", a common area with a projector with lockers and classrooms for the grade branching off of the pod.

Points of interest

John Heard House/Ipswich Historical Society (c.1800) John Whipple House (1642/1677) Brown Stocking Mill Historic District (1638) Castle Hill (1928)Choate Bridge (1764)Crane Beach (1664) South Green Historic District ("South Green") (1668) North Green historic district (1670s) (1680s) West Green historic area (1690s) NorthGreen historic district ("NorthGreen") (1770s-1880s-1930s) East Green Historic district (1790s-1970s-1980s-1990s-2000s-2010s-2011-2012-2013-2014-2015-2016-2015. "North Green" historic district. "South Green" Historic District. "West Green" historical district."South Green HistoricDistrict" "NorthGreen" historic area. "East Green"Historic district. ""South Green Historical District" "SouthGreen" Historic district.  "West Green Historic Area" "West Greens" Historic area. "Northgreen" Historic Area. "West Greene" Historic zone. "Central Green" Historical Area. "Watershed" Historic Zone. "Lake" Historic Site. "Parks and Recreation Area" "Lake Park"  Lake Park Historic District "West Park" "East Park" Historic site. "Rocky Point" HistoricSite. "White Point" Historical Site.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts = 36.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 13. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Ipswich = 3.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 11,270 individuals with a median age of 41.9 age the population dropped by -4.63% in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 320 residents per square mile of area (130/km²). There are average 2.2 people per household in the 1,775 households with an average household income of $46,502 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.80% of the available work force and has dropped -4.07% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 25.06%. The number of physicians in Ipswich per 100,000 population = 202.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Ipswich = 47 inches and the annual snowfall = 53.8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 120. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 203. 82 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 17.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 50, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 50.85%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 50.1 years with median home cost = $343,430 and home appreciation of -3.47%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $11.64 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,986 per student. There are 13.6 students for each teacher in the school, 1406 students for each Librarian and 422 students for each Counselor. 6.71% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 24.63% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 13.96% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).