Wander through an open field and enjoy a bucolic view of the historic Paine House, with the broad estuary of the Ipswich River extending beyond.
The pasture that greets you at Greenwood Farm reveals little of the property’s splendor, but its grandeur rapidly comes into focus. The property takes its name from Thomas S. Greenwood, who built the 19th-century white farmhouse here. To its rear, the Paine House (1694), a yellow clapboard, saltbox-shaped building, is a remarkable example of 1620-1725 architecture. Six generations of the Paine family made their home here, including Robert Paine, foreman of the Salem witch trial jury. From 1916, the Robert G. Dodge family used the Paine House as a guesthouse and furnished it with a fine collection of American furniture and decorative arts.
On a typical summer day, you may see swallows, waxwings, and dragonflies swooping over the fields, or hear the soft hooting of a great horned owl.
Two and a half miles of trails are a gateway to the wonders of the reservation. On a typical summer day, you may see swallows, waxwings, and dragonflies swooping over the fields, hear the soft hooting of a great horned owl, or glimpse great blue herons and snowy and American egrets wading through the marsh.
WHEN TO VISIT
Daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of one hour.
ADMISSION
FREE to all.
47 Jeffrey’s Neck Road
Ipswich, MA 01938
Telephone: 978.356.4351
E-mail: neregion@thetrustees.org
Get directions on Google Maps.
From Rt. 128 Exit 20A, follow Rt. 1A North to the Ipswich Town Green, continue straight onto County Rd. (turns into East St.). Follow for 0.9 mi., bear left onto Jeffrey’s Neck Rd., and follow for 0.7 mi. to entrance on right and parking (10 cars) is 1/4 mile down driveway, on left.
From Rt.1A/133 South at Lord’s Square in Ipswich, continue straight onto High St. and turn left onto East St. at stop sign. Follow for 0.4 mi. and bear left onto Jeffrey’s Neck Rd. Continue as above.
Free trail maps are distributed from a bulletin board in the parking area. Please understand that supplies periodically run out.
We recommend that you take a photo of the map on your phone so you can refer to it during your visit, or download a trail map before you head out.
Settled shortly after the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the property was part of a land grant from the Town of Ipswich to Robert Paine, and soon became known as the Paine Farm. Robert Paine, Jr., graduated Harvard in 1656. He served as jury foreman for the Salem witch trials in 1692. He is believed to be the first occupant of the Paine House.
