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Hawthorne's visits to his cousin's home are credited with inspiring the setting and title of his 1851 novel The House of the Seven Gables. The House of the Seven Gables has five buildings on the museum site, most of which were moved closer to the mansion which resides on its original spot. The Retire Beckett House, which now houses the museum store, was moved in 1924. The Hooper-Hathaway House and the Counting House were moved, too. As was the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne, which was originally a few blocks away on Union Street in 1958.
OUR HISTORIC SITE
Take a break for a meal or tasty treat on Salem’s Pickering Wharf. With many options to choose from, you’ll find something even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy. While there, sit back, relax and enjoy as you watch boats pass by. Settlements often provided services such as daycare, education and healthcare to improve the lives of the poor,” according to the group’s website. Crystal travels to dark history sites, dark tourism sites and historic places around the world. Living in Edinburgh for a few years while travelling around the country exploring Scotland.
The House Of Seven Gables Becomes A National Historic Landmark - Antiques and the Arts Online
The House Of Seven Gables Becomes A National Historic Landmark.
Posted: Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The Secret Room in The House
It’s only recently been opened to the public and the museum is still unsure what to do with it. The walls had several layers of peeling paint, revealing the real age of the house. Our tour group of ten was led into a room with a large fireplace, where I learned that women in the 17th century would soak their skirts in water to help prevent the fabric from catching fire.
Passages of The Past Audio Tour
Wild Sea Wellness will be offering monthly yoga classes at The House of the Seven Gables throughout 2024. Be sure to check their website and calendar for details, dates, and links to register. The stairway was tiny, steep and a real struggle for everyone to climb.
House of 7 Gables gets state grant for coastal resilience plan - The Salem News
House of 7 Gables gets state grant for coastal resilience plan.
Posted: Sat, 24 Sep 2022 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Gables Haunted?
By 1908, the house was sold to Caroline Emmerton, who restored it to directly appeal to fans of the novel. She added back the missing gables and installed a “secret stairway” that you get to climb on the tour. Plus, she added some elements related to the novel that were never original to the house, like a “cent shop” and a well. She installed colonial-style gardens, and over the years, moved several other historically important buildings to the site, including Nathanial Hawthorne’s birthplace.

No matter what community you are from, you share a sense of place or identity with those in your circle. At the furthest end of the Salem Heritage Trail is the Corwin House, or the Salem Witch House. The owner of this house was a prominent judge during the early days of the witch trials and was on a court that sentenced 28 people to death. Built in the early 1660’s, this is the oldest house still standing that connects directly to the witch trials. A seaside lawn is the perfect place for events and sometimes there are tents set up. And it’s the perfect vantage point from which to view the bay, marina, Marblehead across the way, and the ferry to Boston.
How fitting it seemed for the mini-library to be sitting right outside a house honouring a novel. These little free libraries are scattered throughout Salem and I think they’re a fantastic way of sharing books with strangers. Have you ever read a book and wanted to transport yourself directly into its world? I did just that when I visited the colonial House of the Seven Gables in Salem Massachusetts. Sign up for my email newsletter to get occasional updates, or comment below and check the box to be emailed every time I post content. Once you’ve made it through the House of the Seven Gables, the same guide will open up Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace to tour.

The House of the Seven Gables Museum Site
Statue of Nathaniel Hawthorne, created by sculptor Bela Lyon Pratt in 1917. It was acquired from Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and moved to its home on Hawthorne Boulevard in Salem in 1925. There are a few other connections to the witchcraft period involving John Turner. In addition, John Turner’s sister Elizabeth was the first wife of Eleazer Gedney, the brother of witchcraft trials judge Bartholomew Gedney.
The House of the Seven Gables also offers educational programs for children that coincide with current events, such as social reform and immigration. The Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace is now immediately adjacent to the House of the Seven Gables, and access to it is granted with either a regular admission fee or a grounds pass. Although it is indeed the house in which Hawthorne was born and lived to the age of four, the house was sited a few blocks away on Union Street when he inhabited it.
If a woman’s skirt caught fire while tending to the kitchen, it would be impossible for her to undress quickly enough to save herself. This resulted in horrific deaths for those who were unfortunate enough to find themselves in this situation. During the time Nathaniel stayed there, it had been renovated by the Ingersoll’s to represent a more modern house with three gables. His cousin showed Nathaniel pictures of the house in its previous state, which inspired him to write The House of the Seven Gables.
Silhouettes in the shadows of every floor, the ghost of a little boy playing near the attic, and even the spirit of Susannah Ingersoll are just a few of the entities said to have been seen. Often, the undead are seen near the gables of the mansion, further adding to its fright. Sure enough, that’s exactly what happened, and Captain Redford’s recently-acquired home was passed on to the Turner children without issue. It is after this that the house began to become a major part of the Salem Witch Trial’s lore.
(I forget if you have to pay for the map, but if so, it’s nominal.) A welcome center is in a small two-room historic house adjacent. The graveyard surrounds the newer Salem Witch Trials Memorial, both of which are at the top of a short street with some other “witchy” attractions – a silly wax museum and “witch village” shop. There’s no parking, but the garage & visitor center are only a block north. Now, the complex has a modern visitor center and not only hosts tours of the gardens and the houses but also special events. It seems to be particularly popular to get married on the seaside lawn.
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