Afternoon Lecture Series: First Period Houses & Tour of the Claflin-Gerrish-Richards House

Have you ever wondered what is on the second floor of the Claflin-Gerrish-Richards House? Join us on Friday, October 16th, as Ipswich Town Historian, Gordon Harris, gives an introduction on First Period architecture on the North Shore. Following the introduction, we will walk through Wenham Museum’s 1662 historic house to see these architectural features in person. Gordon Harris, the Ipswich town historian for the past dozen years, maintains the Historic Ipswich website and is the coordinator for the Ipswich Visitor Center. Having spent much of his working career as a carpenter, Gordon has a special interest in the First Period houses of Essex County constructed during the first century of English settlement, which feature exposed post-and-beam framing with large chamfered summer beams, massive central fireplaces, and fine paneling. Houses constructed during the last quarter of the 17th century often featured post-medieval-style overhangs, a short-lived fashion that gave way to the familiar Georgian style we often refer to as Colonial. Gordon also enjoys vegetable gardening, cycling, and hiking trails in and around Ipswich. Event for Adults | Included with general museum admission