House at 38 Salem Street
Why it's listed
This two-story, five-bay house at 38 Salem Street in Wakefield, Massachusetts, represents the late Federal style. It has clapboard walls, brick end walls, a hip roof and two interior chimneys, a sign it was built late in the Federal period. The door surround has slim pilasters with entasis, a low entablature with a compressed frieze, and three-quarter-length sidelights. Windows sit high under a boxed cornice. Unlike most rural houses of its era, it faces north toward the road rather than south. A rear one-to-one-and-a-half-story ell dates to about 1820-1830. The Woodbury List gives 1835 as the date, but town historians believe the house was built about 1810. An early occupant was Elizabeth Bryant, a successful tailor who married selectman James Walton. The house is valued as one of the more high-style Federal buildings in Wakefield and for its well-preserved integrity, and it remains a dwelling in good condition.
Significance in brief: The house is described as a well-preserved late Federal example with unusual features for Wakefield, namely a hip roof and brick end walls. It is considered one of the more high-style Federal houses in town. It retains integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, and meets criterion C at the local level.
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 89000687, listed July 6, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 38 Salem St., Wakefield |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | July 6, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000687 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good, and the building is in present use as a dwelling. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.50891, -71.06770 (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 89000687.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5914292
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.