Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint Movement, was born in Vermont, but five generations of his family lived in Topsfield.  His father Joseph was born in Topsfield in 1771, son of Asael Smith and Mary Duty.  His grandfather Asael was born in Topsfield, as was his great-grandfather Samuel Smith Jr., great-grandmother Priscilla Gould, and his great-great grandfather, Samuel Smith Sr.  Joseph’s third great-grandfather Robert was born in England, arrived in Boston in 1638, and spent most of his married life (with Mary French of Ipswich) in Topsfield.

The Topsfield Smiths are known as having been patriotic, religious, and relatively affluent pillars of the community.  The most significant property owned by the Smiths was located on Pye Brook, at present day 22 Boardman Lane.  In the 1750s, Samuel Smith Jr. acquired the land and home built by Thomas Dorman in 1690.  The property passed to his son Asael, who sold the property in 1791, before moving his family to Vermont.  The two-story farmhouse was demolished in 1875, but a marker was placed at the site in 2005.  

There is a stone for the Smith Family at Pine Grove Cemetery, which was erected by George Albert Smith in 1873.  An additional, larger monument was erected next to this one in 2020. 
There are also historical markers for the family on Boardman Lane and at the Congregational Church in Topsfield's town center.

Just over the town line into Boxford, off of Topsfield Road, there is a Joseph Smith Way.  Some members of the Smith family resided for a time in Boxford, and presumably some lived at this location.

It is not known for certain whether or not Joseph himself ever visited Topsfield, though he did visit nearby Salem at least twice, and possibly paid a visit to his ancestral New England home.

References / Further Reading:

Anderson, Richard Lloyd.  Joseph Smith’s New England Heritage. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1971.  View record in library catalog.

Baugh, Alexander L.  "The Smith family memorial monument in Topsfield, Massachusetts."  BYU Religious Education Review, Fall 2021, pp.10-18.   (Copy of article also in TTL Vertical File).

Bond, C. L. (1989). Houses and Buildings of Topsfield, Massachusetts: An Up-date of "The Houses and Buildings of Topsfield, Massachusetts 1902" by J. H. Towne. Topsfield, Mass. : Topsfield Historical Society.  View record in the library catalog; read online at the Internet Archive

Cannon, Donald Q. “Topsfield, Massachusetts : Ancestral Home of the Prophet Joseph Smith.” BYU Studies, Vol. 14, no. 1 (Autumn 1972), p. 56-76.   View record in library catalog.  (Copy of article also in TTL Vertical File).

Kinhan, John.   "Ancestral roots : an overview of the Congregational Church and its connection with the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints."  Congregational Church of Topsfield , c2022.  View record in library catalog.  (Copy of article also in TTL Vertical File).

Smith, Joseph F., Jr.  “Asahel Smith of Topsfield, with some account of the Smith family.”  In The Historical Collections of the Topsfield Historical Society, (8), p. 87-101. 
View record in the Library Catalog; view online at the Internet Archive.
    [Additional entries relating to the Smith family are also indexed in the Historical Collections].

Additional links:

"Joseph Smith’s Family Tree."  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints website.  Accessed online 6/10/2016 at:
https://www.lds.org/liahona/2005/12/joseph-smiths-family-tree?lang=eng

Anderson, Gary A.  “Smith Family Ancestors.”  Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1992.  Accessed online 6/10/2016 at:  http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Smith_Family_Ancestors

“Joseph Smith's New England Heritage.” Church History In The Fulness Of Times Student Manual, (2003), 15–27.  
Accessed online 9/8/2021 at:   https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/manual/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times/chapter-two?lang=eng

Historic Markers in Topsfield, Massachusetts (2005).  Mormon Historic Sites Foundation website.  Accessed online 6/10/2016 at:   http://mormonhistoricsites.org/historic-markers-in-topsfield/

“Pine Grove Cemetery, Topsfield, Massachusetts, USA.”  Mormon Historic Sites Foundation website.  Accessed online 6/10/2016 at:   http://mormonhistoricsites.org/pine-grove-cemetery/

“Smith Homestead, Topsfield, Massachusetts, USA.”  Mormon Historic Sites Foundation website.  Accessed online 6/10/2016 at:   http://mormonhistoricsites.org/smith-homestead/

Wilson, Kim R.  “Joseph Smith’s Topsfield Ancestors Commemorated.”  Mormon Historical Studies. Vol. 6, no. 2 (Fall 2005).  Accessed online 6/10/2016 at  http://mormonhistoricsites.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/MHS_FALL-2005_12-SMITH-TOPSFIELD-ANCESTORS.pdf

Photo by Kenneth Mays, from mormonhistoricsites.org

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Topsfield Times: A Community and Local History Resource

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