Emerson-Franklin Poole House
Why it's listed
This two-and-a-half-story house at 23 Salem Street in Wakefield was built before 1795 by Elias Emerson and is dated 1795. It has a low-pitched gable roof parallel to the street, five bays, a center entrance, paired windows in the end bays and a narrow boxed cornice, features described as typical of the town's Federal-style houses. An Italianate porch and a two-story ell were added in the 1850s or 1860s. The house was later sold to Timothy Poole, a house painter, and his son Franklin Poole was born there in 1808. Franklin, also a house painter, painted scenes of historic South Reading and Wakefield, and many of his pictures are held by the Wakefield Historical Society. He also served as a State Representative in 1847. The house is further noted for wall paintings by Rufus Porter, an itinerant muralist of the Federal period. It is now a two-family residence in fair condition.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved example of late Georgian/Federal vernacular architecture in Wakefield. It was also the birthplace and home of Franklin Poole, a local landscape artist whose paintings document historic South Reading and Wakefield. The house also contains wall murals by the itinerant painter Rufus Porter.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89000685, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 23 Salem St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000685 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Elias Emerson (builder, per historical statement); architect listed as NA |
| Architectural style | Federal Vernacular (late Georgian vernacular) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a two-family residence; condition listed as fair. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.50880, -71.06891 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89000685.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5370842
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.