This Italianate residence was built in 1884 for lawyer, state legislator, and U.S. Senator Benjamin F. Harding (1823-1899) in what was then a suburb of Salem. The architect is speculated to be W. F. Boothby, also known for his designs of several of Salem’s fine older downtown buildings. Jacob and Lou Amsler owned this house beginning in 1903. Jacob was an important employee of the Bush family, later acting as chauffeur and assistant for Miss Sally. His family owned several properties in early Salem. This house was also photographed by Bob Koval in 1978. It was accepted into the National Register on December 21, 1981 and is in the Gaiety Hill/Bush’s Pasture Park Historic District.
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