Northeast

Greenwood Farm

Ipswich

216 acres

Wander through an open field and enjoy a memorable view of the historic Paine House, with the broad estuary of the Ipswich River extending beyond.

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Plan Your Visit
  • Overview
  • Ideas for Your Visit
  • Admission & Hours
  • Directions & Contact Info
  • Property Map
  • Regulations & Advisories

Overview

Soon after arriving at the ordinary-seeming pasture at Greenwood Farms, its grandeur rapidly comes into focus. The reservation takes its name from Thomas S. Greenwood, who built the property’s 19th-century white farmhouse. To its rear, the Paine House (1694), a yellow clapboard, saltbox-shaped building, is a remarkable example of First Period (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.

Ideas for Your Visit

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.

Admission & Hours

This property is open during normal hours. The Trustees asks that visitors follow social distancing guidelines for the health and safety of all. Please note: all buildings and inside areas are remain closed on all properties. For more information about our response to COVID-19, please click here.

When to Visit
Grounds: year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Allow a minimum of 1 hour.

Admission
Grounds: FREE.

Directions & Contact Info

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.

Property Map

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.

 

Regulations & Advisories

  • Mountain biking is not allowed.
  • Authorized seasonal bow hunting is allowed on this reservation for a limited number of hunters through a deer management program administered by The Trustees. Per MassWildlife regulations, hunting is permitted from the first Monday in October through December each year, from ½ hour before sunrise all day until ½ hour after sunset, Monday through Saturday. Hunting is not allowed on Sundays. Signage is posted at the property listing safety precautions and requirements. Learn more about hunting on Trustees properties. Any questions may be directed to The Trustees at castlehill@thetrustees.org.
  • Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times.
  • Trail to islands in salt marsh is closed to visitors.
  • PHOTOGRAPHY: We ask that photographers or their clients become Supporting Level Members before conducting portrait sessions at this property. Click here for more information, and to request permission for any portrait sessions. Photography is not permitted inside the Paine House. The Trustees of Reservations reserves the right, and may give permission to its designated photographers and videographers, or to outside media, to photograph or video visitors and program participants at all its facilities and properties.
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History

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.

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