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56 Washington Sq South inventory form Inventory No:SAL.2658 Historic Name:Danforth, Joseph A. House Common Name:Johnson, Lucretia O. S. House Address:56 Washington Sq South City/Town:Salem Village/Neighborhood:Salem Common Local No:35-423 Year Constructed:c 1855 Architect(s):Danforth, Joseph A. Architectural Style(s):Greek Revival; Italianate Use(s):Single Family Dwelling House Significance:Architecture Area(s):SAL.HW: Salem Common Historic District SAL.HX: Washington Square Historic District Designation(s):Nat'l Register District (05/12/1976); Local Historic District (09/26/1977) Building Materials(s): Roof: Asphalt Shingle Wall: Wood; Wood Clapboard Foundation: Brick; Granite; Stone, Cut The Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) has converted this paper record to digital format as part of ongoing projects to scan records of the Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth and National Register of Historic Places nominations for Massachusetts. 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Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts Historical Commission 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc This file was accessed on: Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 4:01: PM FORM B - BUILDING NRDIS 1976; LHD 9/2S/77 Assessor's number 35-423 USGS Quad Area(s) Salem HX,HW Form Number 2658 Recorded by Lisa Mausolf Organization Salem Planning Department BECEJ^jEJDuao' 1997 Town Salem Place (neighborhood or village) Salem Common Address 56 Washington Square South Historic Name Joseph A. Danforth House Uses: Present Residential Original Residential Date of Construction c. 185 5 Source Salem City Directories Style/Form Italianate Architect/Builder Joseph A. Danforth, carpenter Exterior Material: Foundation Granite, Brick Wall/Trim Wood Clapboard Roof Outbuildings/Secondary Structures garage Major Alterations (with dates) date? - bay window Condition good Moved IX] no • yes Date Acreage less than one acre Setting set directly on sidewalk opposite south side of Washington Common 'Massachusetts Historical Commission Survey Manual instructions for completing thisfo, mm* HIST, COMM. BUILDING FORM c ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION Describe architectural features. Evaluate the characteristics of the building in terms of other buildings within the community. 56 Washington Square South is a 2 1/2-story, 3 x 4-bay building, rectangular in plan and oriented with its gable end to the street. The house is clapboarded and rests on a granite foundation with a brick face on the facade. Quoins decorate the corners of the building and there is a heavy, molded cornice embellished by modillion blocks with cornice returns on the gable ends. Facing the street are three bays of windows containing 6/6 sash with molded surrounds, exterior storm windows and louvered blinds. The principal elevation faces west and displays a central recessed entrance. The five-panel door is flanked by a paneled embrasure. Pilasters support a frieze decorated by guttae and modillions. Wooden steps with wooden side walls and a curved iron rail front the entrance. To the rear of the entrance is a two-story, three-sided bay window resting on a stone foundation. Behind this is a greenhouse addition sheathed in Tl 11 siding. Projecting from the east elevation is a two-story, flat-roofed addition resting on a brick foundation. The house sits directly on the sidewalk. A cast iron fence with chamfered posts and round pickets extends along the sidewalk to the west of the house, enclosing a small side yard. A gravel driveway extends along the east side of the house, terminating at a c. 1920 single-story concrete garage with a parapet falsefront. A series of six wooden doors punctuate the front. Each door consists of 3 x 2 panes over two vertical panels. HISTORICAL NARRATIVE Describe the history of the building. Explain its associations with local (or state) history. Include uses of the building and the role(s) the owners/occupants played within the community. Directories suggest that this house (originally known as 43 Forrester Street) was constructed c. 1855 by carpenter Joseph A. Danforth for his own use. Mrs. Danforth was still living here in 1890. Both the 1897 and 1911 maps lists the owner as Lucretia O.S. Johnson although she did not ever live here. The building was rented out to a number of tenants over the years. Long term residents included William R. Bums (c.l930-c. 1940) and Benjamin Fearing, dentist (c. 1950-c. 1960). BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Hopkins, G.M. Atlas of Salem. Massachusetts. Philadelphia: 1874. Mclntyre, Henry C.E. Map of the Citv of Salem. Philadelphia: 1851. Richards, L.J. Atlas of the City of Salem. Massachusetts. 1897. Salem City Directories, 1836-1970. Sanborn Insurance Maps, 1890, 1906, 1950, 1957, 1965, 1970. [Massachusetts State Library]. Tolles, Bryant F., Jr. Architecture in Salem: an Illustrated Guide. Salem: Essex Institute, 1983. Walker Lithograph and Publishing Company. Atlas of the City of Salem. Massachusetts. Boston: 1911. Recommended for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. If checked, you must attach a completed National Register Criteria Statement form. MHC INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MACRIS No. SA~tZjl6g MHC Inventory scanning project, 2008-2010 Music Other Development of town/city Architectural reason for inventorying: <m 2. Town *Sfih I £Af Street address Name . Use: original & present Present ™-np-rJ~<?SS'/£ /Q . FtflRtkJG* Open to public JJ.Q. Date /f30 Style £>. KCU. j NOV. mi. Source of date. Architect OR part of Area # sS 3„ CONDITION (Excellent Good Fair Deteriorated Moved Altered Added 4. DESCRIPTION FOUNDATION/BASEMENT: ^tigh^Regular Low Material BjuC^ g (SdJjuA' WALL COVER: (woq$) CJ?CLf> S&ZLk QC_ Brick Stone Other ROOF: Ridge Gambrel Flatfkip^ Mansard Tower Cupola Dormer windows Balustrade Grillwork CHIMNEYS: iQ) 3 4 Center End (Interior^ Irregub STORIES: 4 ATTACHMENTS: Wings Ell Shed. PORCHES: 1 2 3 4 PORTICO Cluster Elaborate Ralpnny FACADE: Gable end: Front^sid^ Ornament 5f**7Jruro r/tjJn.O Entrance/flside) Front: Center/Side Details: ft* C&&Gi?a£„ uY fcjtclii cfo/^J Windows: Spacing: ^egular^Irregular Identical/Varied Corners: Plain Pilasters /Q*uoin^ Cornerboards . 5» Indicate location of building in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings , COM MO id , ^ d ^QM l€ <&xmJp SI— 6. Footage of structure from street O Property has >5^2 feet frontage on street Recorder For tf. S- / s5/V.C Photo # & Date AJOO > / SEE REVERSE SIDll" RELATION OF SURROUNDING . ,TRUCTURE \ 1. Outbuildings.. 2. Landscape Features: Agriculture Open Wooded Garden: FormalQnformaT Predominant features Landscape architect 3. Neighboring Structures Style: Colonial Federal GceekjRevival Gothic Revival Italian Villa Lombard Rom. Venetian Gothic 2Cmnsardj Richardsonian Modern "Residential Commercial Religious Conditions: (^xceller^t Good Fair Deteriorated GIVE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC IMPORTANCE OF SITE (Refer and elaborate on theme circled on front of form) BIBLIOGRAPHY AND/OR REFERENCE RESTRICTIONS. Original Owner: Dcjed Information: Book Number Page , Registry of Deeds a FormB. 10M-6-71-049688