House of the Seven Gables facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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House of the Seven Gables
Historic District |
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The House of the Seven Gables, Salem, Massachusetts. View of front and side.
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Salem, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1668 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000323 |
| Added to NRHP | May 8, 1973 |
The House of the Seven Gables is a very old mansion in Salem, Massachusetts. It was built in 1668. The house is famous for its many gables, which are the triangular parts of a wall under a sloping roof.
This house became well-known because of Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1851 novel, The House of the Seven Gables. Today, it is a museum that you can visit. It also helps the local community, especially immigrants, by offering classes like English lessons.
The Historic House
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The oldest part of the House of the Seven Gables was built in 1668. It was made for Captain John Turner. He was a rich sea captain and merchant from Salem. Captain Turner earned his money through trade, including shipping goods to the West Indies.
His family owned the house for three generations. It passed from John Turner I to John Turner II, and then to John Turner III.
The house originally had two rooms and was two and a half stories tall. It faced south towards Salem Harbor. It had a front porch and a large chimney in the middle. This part is now the center of the house.
A few years later, a kitchen area was added to the back. By 1676, Captain Turner built a large front addition. This new part had a living room downstairs and a big bedroom upstairs. The ceilings in this new section were higher than in the older parts. This addition also had special windows and a three-gabled attic.
In the early 1700s, John Turner II updated the house. He added wood paneling and new windows in the popular Georgian style. These changes are still there today. The House of the Seven Gables is one of the oldest wooden mansions in North America. It has 17 rooms and covers over 740 square meters.
Later, the Ingersoll family bought the house. They made more changes, removing some gables and updating the porches.
Hawthorne's Inspiration
Nathaniel Hawthorne, a famous writer, was related to the Ingersoll family. He visited the house often. By his time, the house only had three gables because of earlier renovations.
His cousin, Susannah Ingersoll, told him about the house's long history. She showed him old beams in the attic where more gables used to be. Hawthorne was more inspired by the sound of "seven gables" than by how the house looked at that moment.
He wrote in a letter that the phrase "struck me forcibly." He felt he could "make something of it." This idea led him to write his famous novel, The House of the Seven Gables.
Hawthorne wrote about the house as if it were alive. In his novel, he described it like a "human countenance" with "secrets to keep." He even compared writing the book to building a house. He said he was "hammering away a little on the roof." The book was published in April 1851.
The Museum Today
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In 1908, a woman named Caroline Emmerton bought the house. She was the founder of the House of Seven Gables Settlement Association. She restored the house from 1908 to 1910. Her goal was to open it as a museum. The money from museum tickets would help support her association's work.
A Boston architect, Joseph Everett Chandler, oversaw the restoration. He rebuilt the missing gables. Sometimes, changes were made to make the house look more like the one in Hawthorne's novel. For example, Emmerton added a "cent-shop" like the one in the book.
She also added a secret staircase. It looks like a wood closet but has a hidden back that leads to the attic.
Many original parts of the mansion are still there. These include special wall insulation, old beams, and beautiful Georgian wood panels.
The Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace is now right next to the House of the Seven Gables. You can visit it with your museum ticket. Hawthorne was born in this house and lived there until he was four. However, it was originally located a few blocks away.
In 1994, the Seamans Visitor Center opened at the site. It was named after Donald C. Seamans, who helped with the building project.
On March 29, 2007, the House of the Seven Gables Historic District became a National Historic Landmark District. This means it is a very important historical place.
The House of the Seven Gables opened to the public in April 1910. Millions of visitors have explored this historic home since then.
See also
In Spanish: Casa de los Siete Tejados para niños
- List of historic houses in Massachusetts
- List of the oldest buildings in Massachusetts
- List of the oldest buildings in the United States
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
