ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 4, 1899,

READ BY THE PRESIDENT, REV. T. F. WATERS, AT THE ANNUAL MEETING.

The annals of the past twelve months are pleasant reading, we may presume, for the members of the Society and its friends. When we met in this House at our last annual meeting, the work on the four great rooms had been substantially completed, the furnishings of the lower floor were fairly well in place, and a beginning had been made in fitting up the west chamber as a typical sleeping room of the olden time. The rear portion of the building was as yet untouched.

Work was continued vigorously during the month of December, and by the New Year a very commodious tenement had been evolved from the unprepossessing leanto. New wood work and plaster, paint and paper were the rule here, and when the lowstudded rooms on the first floor, and the quaint little sleeping chambers under the great slant roof had been completed, the question of a tenant was easily settled. Some doubt had been expressed whether a desirable tenant or family could be found. But the idea of dwelling in the venerable old house proved alluring to a number of worthy folk, and long before the rooms were ready for occupancy, an ideal occupant was planning to take up her abode. Miss Alice A. Gray, a lineal descendant of the Ipswich Howards of two centuries ago, after twenty-three years of service at the Fine Art Museum in Boston, felt the charm of our ancient mansion so powerfully that she relinquished in a large measure her work in the Fine Art Museum and became the custodian of our house.

She brought to her new position not only the devotion of an antiquary, the skill in arrangement learned by long experience, and exquisite taste, but a great store of ancient furniture as well, and many decorative adornments. Under her deft hand, the two chambers were made wonderfully attractive and the whole house was put in admirable order. In all this, her friend and companion Miss Julia Gutberlett was a zealous co-worker, and an invaluable helper, and she has proved a very gracious hostess to our visitors during Miss Gray's absence.

About the first of July, the House was opened to the public. Hours were fixed, from two to half-past six every afternoon except Sunday, and it was decided to charge an admission fee of fifteen cents for all visitors except members of the Society and their households. An influx of visitors began at once and continued well through the month of September. 1148 names were recorded in our Visitors' Book, but a considerable proportion especially of our towns-people failed to register. In round numbers, it is a fair estimate that 1600 people have been through the rooms.

They represented twenty-four States besides Massachusetts, and foreign lands.

I append a list of States represented, and the number of visitors accredited to each :

The most expert and critical have ex

All have been surprised and delighted. pressed the most enthusiastic appreciation of the House, and the manner of its restoration. Architects have come to photograph and take exact measurements and study details, and have pronounced it the most massive and wonderful specimen of seventeenth century architecture they have seen.

Lovers of old houses, familiar with the best of the earliest period in many old towns, have acknowledged without reserve that this was the most unique and satisfying. A number of cultured English gentlemen have told us that they knew of no old dwelling in England that is so striking, and characteristic of the olden times. Another very gratifying recognition of its value has recently come to our knowledge. In connection with the observance of the 250th anniversary of the Second church in Boston, an antique exhibition was given in Copley Hall. Its principal feature was an old Boston street, with exact reproductions on a small scale of Benjamin Franklin's house, the old church and other buildings. Two ladies had charge of the construction of the Franklin house under the direction of an expert architect. They applied to a gentleman, deemed capable to advise, and he suggested that they should see this House. An appeal to a second friend for suggestions, elicited the opinion that the old house in Ipswich was the best guide. Inquiring for helpful literature at the Boston Public Library, they were told that they must go to Ipswich, if they would find the best illustration of ancient architecture. Nothing was left but to make their pilgrimage. They spent a whole Jay under our roof, and returned, bearing a few articles loaned for their ex

hibit, and feeling better prepared for their responsible task. The borrowed wooden latch and string and candle-mould attracted great attention.

By invitation of Miss Gray, Mr. W. H. Downs of the Boston Transcript spent a Saturday half holiday as her guest. He was greatly interested especially with our Library, which is of far greater value than is commonly supposed, and evinced his appreciation by writing a very admirable summary of the contents, and the history of the House, for the Boston Transcript, which has had wide notice and has brought the House very effectively to the attention of a large circle of readers.

While this steady current of visitors from abroad has been flowing through these rooms, very few of our towns-people have been drawn hither. Occasionally when a guest is being entertained, a visit is made here as a means of diversion, but our citizens come rarely, and many members have never availed themselves of their privilege. This is a matter of profound regret. The Society can attain its rightful place and accomplish its best work only as it has the intelligent and sympathetic support and cooperation of the community. We rely upon our citizens to furnish funds, and additions, by loan or gift, to our collections. Our House is so well furnished already that many think our needs are all supplied. We need many things, particularly an eightday clock, chairs of ancient pattern, a court-cupboard, old china and pewter, wearing apparel, books, manuscripts, and Indian implements of every kind. A visit to the House may often result in very material help.

More than all else, we solicit a large active membership. We exact no conditions of membership, and impose no duties beyond the payment of two dollars annually. We give a copy of our regular publications and the free use of the House. Any person is eligible, and names may be sent to any member or to the clerk or president. Any name will be acted upon at the first business meeting after the name has been formally proposed. We should have a membership of several hundred in our own town. The annual revenue from such a constituency would enable us to pay our mortgage in a few years, and set aside a goodly sum annually for the publication of original material, and valuable old records. During the year, 56 new members have been elected, bringing the total active membership to 133.

A goodly number of additions to our cabinet collections and general furnishings has been made. Mr. D. F. Appleton has contributed a fine copy of the old Puritan family Bible of the edition known as the "Breeches Bible," published in London in 1615. Mr. J. B. Brown has deposited with us a notable file of ancient deeds of the Argilla farm. Miss H. Augusta Dodge of Hamilton has given the rosewood writing desk, presented to her sister, Gail Hamilton, by her pupils in the Ipswich Female Seminary. It still contains her diploma and letters of rare interest. Miss Ellen A. Stone has sent a fine collection of antiques from her marvellous old home in East Lexington. A braided mat of noble proportions is the handiwork of Mrs. Elizabeth M. Brown. Mr. Ralph W. Burnham has loaned a valuable collection of old china.

To these we must add two gifts of notable value from friends not resident in our community.

Among the guests at a quiet five o'clock tea in midsummer, was a daughter of the late Amos Adams Lawrence. During his business visits to the Mill of the Lawrence Corporation near by, he often came into this House, and frequently expressed a wish

that it might be repaired and preserved. She expressed great interest in the work already done. She was much impressed with the need of more land than we then owned, and especially with the desirability of securing the corner then occupied by a dilapidated house, so well remembered, and using the spot for ornamental purposes. Her interest found practical expression in the splendid gift of $1800 for the purchase of the corner, as a memorial of her honored father. The property was secured at once, and also a small strip, six feet wide, adjoining our land on the west. The work of clearing the corner of buildings, filling and grading, has been carried on steadily. It was incumbent on the Society to improve the spot in accordance with the wish of the donor, as a garden. Accordingly a line of stone posts has been erected on our whole frontage, lawns and walks have been laid out, and our whole property graded and beautified. Incidentally, permanent receptacles for sewage have been constructed, some slight changes in the exterior of the house have been made, and modern improvements have been added in the rooms occupied by Miss Gray. This has involved considerable expenditure, of which some $300 remains unpaid. It seemed the wisest way to complete the work on the house and grounds in durable and permanent fashion before winter set in, and thus avoid the necessity of a resumption of the work in the Spring. The town authorities have coöperated with us very generously, by rebuilding the terrace on the front, changing the location of the fire hydrant, and setting a granite curbing on the corner.

In response to a suggestion that the life of John Winthrop, Jr., the Founder of our town, deserved more careful consideration in its relation to Ipswich, than it had received, Mr. Robert C. Winthrop, Jr., of Boston, very kindly consented to read the manuscript that I had prepared, and supplement it with such new material as he might find. He gave much time to the careful examination of the Winthrop papers, appended much new matter, assumed entire charge of the illustrations and the printing, and bore the whole expense of publication. He has distributed copies very generously to a multitude of historical societies and public libraries, and to the great libraries of the English and German universities including Trinity College, Dublin, where young Winthrop studied, and representative institutions in other lands, as far as Australia and Japan.

Our society has been brought thus into a very conspicuous place, and already requests for our publications have come from foreign lands as well as from many libraries in our own country. The Society is debarred by the express wish of both these generous donors from any formal acknowledgment, but we claim the privilege of grateful mention of such noteworthy benefactions. These large gifts from friends of the Society who are not resident among us, and who are interested only remotely, it might be thought, in its prosperity, should stimulate the generosity of its members and friends, who are directly conversant with its aims and needs. We have accomplished our original design, in securing and furnishing our House, and providing attractive surroundings. Our work however is only begun. We have passed from the stage of small things. We need large gifts. We face great enterprises. The floating debt with which we end the year should be provided for at once, for we need all the income accruing from membership and admission fees for the work of the Society. The mortgage of $1,600, which encumbers our property, should be cleared. Before another

winter a proper steam or hot water plant should be installed for heating all the rooms. The unsightly barn that remains our neighbor should be removed. Our grounds must include the whole of the original lot. We need room at once for the erection of a log house, with thatched roof, wooden chimney daubed with clay, and oiled paper windows, as a counterpart of the humble cabins of many of the Puritan settlers. In a few years we shall need more room to house and display our expanding collections and for general use. A modern, fire-proof Memorial Building will be a necessity. In it a large and systematic collection of Indian implements, worthy of old Agawam, of costumes of the Colonial and Revolutionary periods, of ancient fabrics, table furnishings and heirlooms of every sort might be exhibited. Our Library would be safe and would have room for growth.

A hall for the meetings of the Society would be provided and its walls might be emblazoned with the flags of the several periods of our national history, and adorned with tablets recording the glorious events of our town history, and names of those whose lives have illumined our annals.

The land adjoining our own is unimproved at present. The owner is willing to sell. It affords an ideal site for this building that is to be. It should be secured without delay. Who is to be the donor? Who will make the first gift, looking towards the realization of these aims? If no immediate gift is available, who will provide by will for a generous bequest?

Old Ipswich was renowned for the quality of her first settlers, Winthrop, Denison, Saltonstall, Symonds, Ward and Norton. She was at the front in King Philip's war with her Appleton and his brave men. She raised her voice against the Andros tax. She sent her sons to every battlefield in the Revolution, and Hodgkins' memory lingers in these rooms, where he spent his declining years and died. Ann Bradstreet dared to claim new honor for her sex, Zilpah Grant and Mary Lyon toiled and planned here, and ushered in the dawn of a higher education for women.

It remains for the Ipswich Historical Society to glorify the history of old Ipswich becomingly. She has a wide and inviting opportunity. The inspiration springing from successful endeavor urges her on. The obligation of progress, of comprehensive and ambitious effort in the future, is imperative. She must aim to be the most unique and conspicuous of the great multitude of Societies, that is coming into being. Only money is needed. Surely so trifling a lack will be easily supplied!