Samuel McIntire (1757-1811) was born in Salem, Massachusetts. His father was a carpenter and housewright (house builder) and he and his brothers learned the trade. Samuel took his skills and added to them what he could learn in books. By the time he married at age 21, he was already remodeling and building houses. He was also an extremely talented woodcarver. After 1793 he worked exclusively in the Adamesque style of Charles Bulfinch. Carved swags, rosettes, garlands, and his signature sheaves of wheat dominate wood surfaces in McIntire homes built between 1793 and his death in 1811.