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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.
A Trip to The House of the Seven Gables in Salem Massachusetts
Any suspected witch would have their land instantly taken away from them. Having just arrived in Salem, I made my way to my hotel with two backpacks on my back. I wonder what I looked like wearing two backpacks simultaneously? It probably didn’t look as cool as the image I’m picturing in my mind. I headed from the Port of Salem towards the centre of town, passing by some really beautiful buildings, including an old, abandoned house which was probably once a store or family restaurant.
Admission & Hours

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.
About Our Founder Caroline Emmerton
I will tell you the truth, I totally thought the stone blocks were benches that the city had thoughtfully provided for visitors. But if you watch for more than a minute or two, you’ll notice the tour groups walking through, some placing flowers or small stones on each memorial. It’s really a lovely spot and definitely the center of tourist activity. The Old Burying Ground was first used in 1637 and holds some notable locals. Susanna Ingersoll, cousin of Nathanial Hawthorne and owner of The House of the Seven Gables is here, as well as some other Hawthorne/Hathorne family members.
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.
The Salem Witch Trials
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.
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Emmerton grew up in a city that was transitioning from its past as a major shipping port to its future as a manufacturing center for both textiles and the leather industry. George Emmerton, Caroline’s father, worked in the growing chemical industry. The Salem that Caroline grew up in was the Salem of “The Gilded Age,” when advances in machinery led to economic growth, waves of immigration, and tension around class inequality. A psychic woman once took a tour of the house and claimed that she saw a young boy playing up near the gables, even going so far as to capture him in a photograph.
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Free admission for Salem Residents
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.
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.
The name stuck, and The Turner-Ingersoll Mansion was henceforth known as the House of the Seven Gables. Built in 1668 for Captain John Turner, the House of Seven Gables is a colonial mansion located in Salem, Massachusetts, with the Turner family remaining as the home’s owner for three generations. Initially known as the Turner House, the House of the Seven Gables got its new title from author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel of the same name. It has been the source of many haunted tales throughout its history, and rightfully so – the connection that it has with the Salem Witch Trials is legendary. And while it has been restored over the years, some claim that doing so has only served to exacerbate the ghostly happenings. Salem, Massachusetts is known for its haunted history, perhaps none more so than that of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.
Narrated by a local guide, this one-hour tour provides an overview of the City’s history and entertaining facts about the people and places that make Salem unique. The Trolley makes 14 different stops at hotspots along the way, so you can come and go as you please. The Tales and Tombstones tour runs at dusk and explores the darker side of Salem, while the lighthearted, interactive Christmas Carol tour (offered seasonally) has been delighting families for years. As we walked upstairs, our tour guide brought us into a roomwith a secret.
(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.
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.
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.
Caroline Emmerton’s organization has survived for over a century and will continue to help generations of immigrant families. Personal/recreational photography is candid, souvenir-type photography using a non-paid photographer. Recreational photography for personal use is allowed during guided tours, with the exception of the month of October. Professional photography is any session using a paid photographer or any professional-style shoot, including wedding, family, or special event portraits. Professional photography is permitted when approved in advance, requires a signed contract between the photographer and The Gables along with a certificate of insurance.
As I walked towards the entrance, I spotted a tiny birdhouse-like library. I opened it up and saw it was full of books anyone could take away and read. Or if you had books you were done with, you could tuck them inside for others.
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