The House of the Seven Gables

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The House of the Seven Gables was built by a Salem sea captain and merchant named John Turner in 1668 and occupied by three generations of the Turner family before being sold to Captain Samuel Ingersoll in 1782. An active captain during the Great Age of Sail, Ingersoll died at sea leaving the property to his daughter Susanna, a cousin of famed author Nathaniel Hawthorne. 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.

Caroline Emmerton, a philanthropist and preservationist, founded the present day museum to assist immigrant families who were settling in Salem. Inspired by Jane Addam’s Hull House, she purchased what was the old Turner Mansion in 1908 and worked with architect, Joseph Everett Chandler to restore it to its original seven gables. Chandler was a central figure in the early 20th century historic preservation movement and his philosophy influenced the way the house was preserved.

Emmerton’s goal was to preserve the house for future generations, to provide educational opportunities for visitors, and to use the proceeds from the tours to fund her settlement programs. Thanks to Emmerton and Chandler, the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, known popularly as The House of the Seven Gables, has survived with many of its original period features from the 17th and 18th century! This first period and Georgian architectural “fabric” is today considered significant to American architectural, maritime, and cultural history.

Over time Emmerton and the organization’s trustees acquired and moved to the site five additional 17th, 18th and 19th century structures: The Retire Becket House (1655); The Hooper Hathaway House (1682); Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Birthplace (c1750); The Phippen House (c1782); and The Counting House (c 1830). Today, The House of the Seven Gables’ campus constitutes is own national historic district on The National Register of Historic Places.

In the last century, The House of the Seven Gables has continued to focus on our founder's mission of education, preservation and community service.

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The House of the Seven Gables

115 Derby Street

Salem, MA 01970

Directions/Transportation/Parking

Directions from Boston and Points South:

Follow US Rt. 1 North or Rt. 95 North to Rt. 128 North. Please note: I-95 North and Route 128-North share the same road for the loop around Boston. When the roads divide, stay on Route 128-North. At this point, the exit numbers jump from #45 to #28. Take exit 25A (Rt. 114 East). Follow Rt. 114 East into Salem. After Rt. 114 turns left onto Norman Street (You will pass the Witch House and Salem Inn just before this left), continue straight ahead through the stop light at the wide intersection onto New Derby Street. New Derby Street becomes Derby Street. The House of the Seven Gables is on the right. Complimentary parking is available during your tour.

Directions From the North (New Hampshire / Maine):

Take I-95 South (Maine) or I-93 South (New Hampshire) to Route 128-North. Take exit 25A and follow Route 114-East into Salem. Please note: I-95 North and Route 128-North share the same road for the loop around Boston. When the roads divide, stay on Route 128-North. At this point, the exit numbers jump from #45 to #28. Take exit 25A (Rt. 114 East) off of Rt. 128. Follow Rt. 114 East into Salem. After Rt. 114 turns left onto Norman Street (You will pass the Witch House and Salem Inn just before this left), continue straight ahead through the stop light at the wide intersection onto New Derby Street. New Derby Street becomes Derby Street. The House of the Seven Gables is on the right. Complimentary parking is available during your tour.

Directions From the West:

Take I-90-East to I-95 / Route 128 North. Please note: I-95 North and Route 128-North share the same road for the loop around Boston. When the roads divide, stay on Route 128-North. At this point, the exit numbers jump from #45 to #28. Take exit 25A (Rt. 114 East) off of Rt. 128. Follow Rt. 114 East into Salem. After Rt. 114 turns left onto Norman Street (You will pass the Witch House and Salem Inn just before this left), continue straight ahead through the stop light at the wide intersection onto New Derby Street. New Derby Street becomes Derby Street. The House of the Seven Gables is on the right. Complimentary parking is available during your tour.

Train & Bus:

Train service is available on the Newburyport / Rockport Commuter Rail Line from Boston's North Station. At the Salem Depot, exit up the stairs. It is a 15 minute walk to The House of the Seven Gables.. Bus service is available on bus #450 or #455 from Boston's Haymarket Square. For train and bus information, contact the MBTA for more information at (800) 392-6100 or www.mbta.com. It takes approximately 30 minutes to travel between Salem and Boston by train, and one hour by bus.

Ferry Service from Boston:

Ferry service from Boston is available with a fast, comfortable ride in only 45 minutes from Boston's Central Wharf, home of the New England Aquarium. Scheduled service runs early in the morning and late into the evening. Ferry service is typically available from late May until early November. Schedule, fares and reservations are available from www.salemferry.com.

For more information

Website : http://www.7gables.org

Email : info@7gables.org

Phone : (978) 744-0991

Twitter : @h7gables Follow h7gables

Facebook : h7gables