PEIRCE-NICHOLS HOUSE - NR NOMINATION PEIRCE-NICHOLS HOUSE - ?4R
I
(Sept. 951) • !` UNITED STATES
ee
(Sept.1951) DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORw=
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
NATIONAL SURVEY OF HISTORIC SITES AND BUILDINGS
1.STATE 2.THEME(S). IF ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE WRITE"ARCH"BEFORE THEME NO.
Massachusetts Thm1e XX • Architecture (Theme U) (Colonial)
3.NAME(S) OF SITE1. ""APPROX.ACREAGE - c''?"
Peirce-Nichola House
.1 acre "
S EXACT LOCATION (CbBMq,township,roa4,We. II dlDltuN to And,ektted an Bnpplemeatmq 3AeN)
80 Federal Street, near North Street, Salem, Essex County.
B NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRESENT OWNER (Also administrator if different from ownw) _ - -
Mr. David Idttle, Director, Essex Institute, Salem 019TO.
T. IMPORTANCE AND DESCRIPTION(Describe briefly what mokee sUs Important and what romaine are want)
Erected in 1782 and designed In the conservative Late Georgian
style by Samuel McIntire (175T-1811), the Peirce-Nichols House was the
first important example of this 24-year craftsmen-architect's genius.
The interior also illustrates both his early and late styles of decoration.
The large, square, three-story house was built for Jerathmeel
Peirce. The exterior of the frame clapboard structure is of classic
simplicity, with a central Doric pedimented parch and tall fluted Doric
pilasters at the corners. The hipped roof has a balustraded parapet at
the edge and a belvedere above. There are also two large interior
chimneys. Third story windows are foreshortened as was usual in Georgian
houses and all of the windows have exterior blinds and interior shutters.
The street front is enclosed by an elaborate wooden fence,
erected in 1801 that is topped by urns that are carved out of solid
blocks of wood (The present urns are careful reproductions of the originals). Mr�.«
This feature was also utilized by McIntire on maVq of his later frame houses.
The plan of the house follows the familiar Georgian scheme of
four rooms divided by a central hall from front to back. In McIntire's
early academic period there was generally little carved ornament on the
interior, thus in the west parlor tL'c only carving is a simple egg and
dart design. Details of the original interior decoration were copied eros.
Batty Iangley's Mz and Count Builders and WorlIman's Treasy of Dssign,
:121 st publist.cd In1740.. fie
(Contin_%)
8. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES(Girt beat tourcof Ore location of manwrrIPM and rare work#) Dorothy and Fic)'Sard Platt, A Glide
tq Ear' American Bones--North (New York,, 1956) 21.j W-sachusetts: A Guide
a s laces and Peo le-CA rican Guide Series 56 on, „ 3 ; eke
Kimball, DosmesL c Architecture of the American Colonies and of the Far
lAliccr , 39 lwi 4 95, 1 215 ot 4
9. REPORTS Ak4Y'17UDf194(.A•enrbn Adf 770,1 mideb<disa,n , t:
940 j Knowlton mixer, Old Houses of
Aew Ma. and N.Y., 292T),, 52.
Historic American Building Survey: 9 sheeta, 1936-1931), (Garden)• ` rw
ID. PHOTOGRAPHS• 1�.p��1-55 II.CONDITION 12.PRESENT USE(Mmeum,form,Bit.) 13. DATE OF VISIT -
AAyTETACHEDYe�S LJA NO Q Excellent , _ I Sept. T, 196T
11 A OF CORDER ature) 15.TITLE IS DATE
Jc�(, Y/ Charles
it. �e71 RLAft Tian
'DRY MOUNT ON AN 1 X 10H SHEET OF FAIRLY HEAVY PAPER. IDENTIFY BY VIEW AND NAME OF THE SITE. DATE OF PHOTOGRAPH. AND NAME OF PHOTOGRAPHER GIVE .
LOCATION OF NEGATIVE. IF ATTACHED.ENCLOSE IN PROPER NEGATIVE ENVELOPES.
(IF ADDITIONAL SPACE IS NEEDED USE SUPPLEMENTARY SHEET, 10-3170, AND REFER TO ITEM NUMBER)
•f
UNITED STATES
(Sept.106n .
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
NATIONAL SURVEY OF HISTORIC SITES AND BUILDINGS
SUPPLEMENTARY SHEET
This sheet is to be used for giving additional information or comments, for more space for any item on the
regular form, and for recording pertinent data from future studies, visitations, etc. Be brief, but use as many
Supplement Sheets as necessary. When items are continued they should be listed, if possible, in numerical order
of the items. All information given should be headed by the item number, its name, and the word (cont'd), as,
6. Description and Importance (cont'd) . . . page 2.
STATE I aAME(S)OF SITE
Massachusetts Peirce Nichols Rouse
T. Continued:
After 1793 McIntire was strongly influenced by the work of the
English craftsman Robert Adam and adopted the Adam style as his own. As a
result of this change the interiors of XcIutire's later houses vera richly
adorned Ath carved ornaments. In 1$01 the architect was called upon to
remodel the central ball and eastern half of the Peirce.Nichols Rouse for
the occasion of Sally Peirce's wedding to George Nichols. In these sections :4
the finely studied and eloquently executed Adam detail is apparent in the
broad staircase with carved balusters and twisted newels, in the wooden
mantels enriched with figure ornament, the raised panel dadoes, and in the
delicate cornices with lentils and modillions. The vest parlor of this
house is generally considered to be one of McIntire's masterpieces in the
Adam manner. The existing interiors of the Peirce• Niehols Rouse thus
illustrate MClntire'8 two styles: the western half, the Georgian period,
and the eastern portion, the Federal period. Ki
The house was presented by the Nichols family to the Essex
Institute in 191T. Maintained in excellent condition and open to visitors,
the little-altered and magnificent house is beautifully furnished and some
of these original pieces include furniture desi.gaed for the house by
fkIntire himself.
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