The Peirce-Nichols House located at 80 Federal Street in Salem, Massachusetts, is a representation of transitional architecture. Designed by famed Salem architect Samuel McIntire, the late-Georgian home was constructed in 1782 and in 1801 revitalized by McIntire in the Federal or Adamesque style to celebrate the marriage of Sarah Peirce to George Nichols. The property is unique in that it spans McIntire's career and features an ornate fence that highlights his signature hand-carved urn ornamentation.
The home was originally built for Jerathmiel Peirce who was part owner of a 171-foot, three-masted Salem East Indiaman called Friendship, a recreation of which now resides at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. The ship was built in 1796 and was used primarily for trade. The Friendship traveled the world importing and exporting exotic spices and coffee until its capture in the War of 1812. During Jerathmiel Peirce’s ownership of the Peirce-Nichols house, the property line extended as far back as the North River, approximately 500 feet from his home, allowing Peirce to dock the Friendship behind the house.
In 1917, Charlotte Sanders Nichols and her two sisters, Augusta, and Martha donated their family's stately mansion to the Essex Institute (Peabody Essex Museum), stipulating that they could remain in the home. Public tours were then offered on specific dates. The Essex Institute raised money to preserve the home and in 1920 hired Colonial Revival architect William G. Rantoul to oversee its restoration. Charlotte, the youngest, was the last Nichols family occupant; she passed away in 1935.
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Digitized Archives
Peirce-Nichols House Photographs and Ephemera
Preservation of the Peirce-Nichols House, 1916
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