McIntire District Map
McINTIRE HISTORIC DISTRICT
- Local historic district established in 1981;
Incorporates two previously established districts, the Chestnut Street District (1971) and the Federal Street Area District (1976);
- Includes 424 properties;
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places;
- Includes National & Massachusetts Historic Landmarks.
History of the McIntire Neighborhood
The district is named for Salem’s celebrated architect-carver Samuel McIntire who lived at 31 Summer Street. His first major commission, the Peirce-Nichols House (1782) and several of his mature works including Hamilton Hall (1805) are among the buildings preserved within the district. Both buildings are open to the public.
This densely settled residential area of the city contains one of the greatest concentrations of pre-1900 domestic structures extant in the U.S. with few exceptions, the major architectural styles common the region during the 1640-1940 period are represented. Of particular interest are the numerous Federal Era townhouses lining Chestnut Street. Collectively, they stand as a monument to the mercantile and maritime ascendancy of Salem in the latter 18th and early 19th centuries and constitute one of the most beautiful streetscapes in America. One of these mansions, The Phillips House at 34 Chestnut Street, is open for public tours.
The district also includes three churches, two cemeteries (the Broad Street Burial Ground and Friends Cemetery), several monuments, and the first Salem State Normal School Building (1854).
