Curiously enough, and contrary to the usual order of things, after a brief period of only thirteen years, Assembly Hall became a private residence, in the year 1795. Instead of being clapboarded, the front of this building is laid flat, giving a rather bare effect. This impression is somewhat relieved by the elaborate decorations--four handsome Ionic pilasters rising above the roof of the porch nearly to the eaves, while a gable or pediment extends across almost the full width of the façade. The porch itself is of generous breadth, Ionic pillars with a beautifully ornamented frieze, representing grape leaves and clusters, forming a fitting frame for the hospitable entrance just behind. Probably the porch is of more recent date than the building itself, although this is a matter of conjecture. The sides and back of the house differ from the façade in being clapboarded instead of flat. Elaborate iron railings on either side guard the ascent from the sidewalk. THE BOARDMAN HOUSE [Illustration: THE BOARDMAN HOUSE] Reference has already been made to the Boardman house at 82 Washington Square, East, as offered to Washington on his Salem visit in 1789. The porch is of the enclosed type, of the Tuscan order, with fluted pilasters, oval side-lights and a picket fence with tall gate-posts surmounted by the familiar urns. A light and homely touch is added in the trellises with their climbing vines which are set close against the house upon either side. ‘OAK HILL’ [Illustration: ‘OAK HILL’] The present town of Danvers was originally part of Old Salem, and after its separation in 1752, Danvers included the present town of Peabody, which was set off in 1855. In the year 1800, while McIntire was producing his most beautiful and finished work, ‘Oak Hill,’ now in Peabody, was erected from his designs. It is now the summer residence of Mrs. J. C. Rogers, and contains throughout as complete and elaborate a wealth of detail from the wood-carver’s hand as can anywhere be found. Reference has been made to the fact that craftsmen from the shipyards of Salem, skilled in the carving of figureheads and cabin decorations, sometimes found employment ashore in the service of architects and builders. The year when ‘Oak Hill’ was built marked the climax of Salem’s maritime importance. Carvings suggesting the familiar rope mouldings of ships’ cabins are found upon the balusters. The porch of this beautiful house, with the exception of the modern doors, is a most complete and graceful composition. Fluted Ionic columns, four in number, support in pairs the front edge of the roof, while its rear rests upon pilasters grouped in the same way. The columns, as often in McIntire’s work, are slender for their height; but instead of appearing spindling, they seem to assume an airy grace which lightens and relieves the whole. A spider-web fanlight surmounts the door, and the leaded glass in the side-lights is heart-shaped--a unique and charming feature. THE KIMBALL HOUSE