Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/380056
183 "I had a lot of time to do research," Sue recalls. Known as the Forster Leach house, the property was built in 1804 for Manchester merchant Israel Forster and remained in his family virtually un- changed for the next 200 years. Family lore claimed the house was designed by Samuel McIntire, one of the first architects in the United States, who was known for his elegant work for many of the wealthiest citizens in New England. While curators from the Peabody Essex Museum agree that McIntire's hand can be seen throughout the house—he carved the home's elaborate mantelpiece in the parlor, which took an artisan six weeks to restore, using dental tools and removing some 25 layers of paint—other parts of the home were likely designed and crafted by relatives or employees from his shop. While Sue has strong family ties to Manchester—her family goes back 13 gen- erations—they were surprised to find that Jeff had a deep personal connection to the house. He is actually related to McIntire, Architect at Work McIntire's practiced hand can be seen in many of the home's details.