Structures North Consulting

When a Salem homeowner asks who can tell them whether a crack in the plaster is cosmetic or structural, the name that comes back on r/SalemMA is Structures North. It is a structural engineering consultancy on Washington Street, and by its own account it has been at this since 1997, when John Wathne, P.E., incorporated the firm out of his house; the company says he still leads it alongside principals Edward H. Moll II and Greg Nowak. Its stated focus is historic preservation and restoration — stabilization, masonry, timber, adaptive re-use — with commercial, institutional and residential structural design and diagnostic work alongside it. Its BBB page carries an A+ and accreditation dating to 2017, and lists six employees. What homeowners actually say about it is brief. In a June 2026 Salem thread, one commenter who had hired the firm called them trustworthy and said they did what was needed for their contractor; another chimed in with directions to the downtown office and a line about Ed. On Google it sits at 4.5 stars — from two ratings. Two comments and two ratings make a thin written history for a firm approaching three decades, so read the enthusiasm as a lead rather than a verdict. The one practical note comes from that same recommender: structural engineers, they said, run a bit pricey. Ask what a site visit and a written assessment will cost before you book. This is a diagnostic and design office, not a builder — the right call when you need a licensed engineer to assess a structure, specify a repair, or work through an old building, and the wrong one if you want someone to swing the hammer.