Located on the beautiful tree-lined Buffum street in North Salem, The Northfield Townhouses were carefully renovated in an effort to preserve and enhance the historic features of the 1832 Edward Melcher house.  The rich new colors of the exterior add to the elegant historic feel of the building – with preserved original trim and 2 over 2 windows along the front façade.  Solar panels, carefully placed to be out of view of the passerby, and many other energy conserving additions to the house reduce the carbon footprint of the home.  And speaking of footprint, the original volume of the building was only subtly adjusted, hardly noticeable from the street, with the owners making the purposeful decision not to encroach on the generous side yard, maintaining the historic setting.  Instead they created individual patio spaces surrounded by a custom-designed and built, period-inspired, cedar fence. 
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Lee & Jacqueline Dearborn of The Makers Guild, Inc., with consultation from Derby Square Architects in Salem, and the help from a host of highly skilled tradesmen, worked together to achieve this successful project.  We celebrate this simple act of preserving and respecting the integrity of one of Salem’s historic buildings – and its far-reaching impact as an example in future projects.