The 1640 Hart House

The 1640 Hart House was built in Ipswich, Massachusetts only twenty years after the arrival of the Pilgrims. The house, originally one room, was the home of a local tanner named Thomas Hart who became the town’s first selectman. As one of the oldest homes in the country, the house is well-known for serving some of the first steins of ale in the nation during the late eighteen or early nineteenth centuries. Featuring five distinct levels and staircases, 363-year-old fireplaces, and wall panels with Colonial hand-painted tea boxes illustrate why the house remains a prime example of early American Architecture.

Ipswich enjoyed its greatest popularity in the heydays of the thirties, after prohibition ended, when the likes of James Cagney, Eleanor Roosevelt and other well-known actors and Boston personalities used the Hart House as a summer retreat. Today, the Hart House continues to keep pace with the times while still maintaining its historical significance. New owners since 2003 Jim Lesko and Kim Costello continue to cultivate this renewed spirit thus making The 1640 Hart House one of the most unique dining experiences in the Boston area.