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The main characteristic of both the Federal Style and the Adam Style were its complex and detailed patterns that were used as decoration on the interior and sometimes the exterior of the homes. Because of this, a highly skilled wood craftsman was needed to properly execute this complex ornamentation. Undoubtedly, the most skilled carver was Salem’s own Samuel McIntire. Samuel and his two brothers were taught woodworking and carving by their father. Together they repaired the homes of Salem for several years. However, Samuel’s remarkable skill made him stand out from the rest. This skill of Samuel McIntire was noticed by the most prolific merchant-shipper in Salem, Elias Hasket Derby, who hired McIntire as his protégé. Derby assigned McIntire to a series of architectural projects that gave McIntire the opportunity to perfect his skills as a carver. However, he was not imaginative in his work and he often repeated his designs over and over so that he could execute them with perfection. While under the mentorship of Elias Hasket Derby, McIntire was able to carefully study the existing English books on classical architecture. McIntire never received formal education, nor did he travel; however, it is clearly evident that he was exposed to the work of the Adam brothers. It is assumed that McIntire saw the Adam brothers’ work in the handbooks that he studied and practiced them until he could execute the designs as well as, if not better, than the Adams themselves. His implementation of the Federal Style’s unique usage of ellipses and circles was second to none. He used these shapes in every aspect of the homes he built. Like Robert Adam’s work, the geometric shapes could be seen in the house plans, the windows, the doorways, the stairways, and especially in the ornate fireplaces. William Bentley, a guest of Elias Hasket Derby described
McIntire as “one of the most ingenious men” of Salem. Bentley went
on to say:
He was descended of a family of carpenters who had no claims on public favor and was educated at a branch of that business. By attention he soon gained a superiority to all of his occupation & the present Court House, the North & South Meeting houses, and indeed all the improvements of Salem for nearly 30 years past have been done under his eye. In sculpture he had no rival in New England and I possess some specimens which I should not scruple to compare with any I ever saw.(1) McIntire’s skill as a carver, builder, and architect became
extremely well known in New England. The wealthy merchants wanted
the best to construct their homes so McIntire was contracted to build many
of the homes in Salem during the Federal Period. Two of these wealthy
merchants were Jerathmiel Peirce and John Gardner.(2)
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