House at 42 Salem Street

This small house at 42 Salem Street in Reading, Massachusetts, dates from about 1840-1850 and was built for Samuel H. Dinsmore. It sits on a rise facing south on a narrow lot, with clapboard siding. Its gable-end, side-hall plan, wide cornice, cornerboards and pedimented window lintels come from the Greek Revival style, while the entrance hood on elaborate millwork brackets and the side bay window reflect Italianate influence. Dinsmore, who lived here from at least 1854 through 1889, was a cabinetmaker in one of Reading's major 19th-century industries. His shop stood behind the house, reached by a road beside the neighboring property, and he later partnered in furniture making and bought a nearby planing mill. He obtained the land through his family connection to the Parker family, whose old farm was divided into house lots. The house is significant as an example of backyard shops, for its link to Dinsmore, and as a largely intact transitional design. Later changes include a north extension and shed-roofed dormers on the west.