House of the Seven Gables

The House of Seven Gables was built in 1668 for Capt. John Turner, a successful merchant, and remained in his family for three generations. "Facing south toward the harbor, it was at first a two-room, two-and-one-half-story, central-chimney plan with two "Gothic" cross-gables in front" according to Tolles in his book Architecture in Salem. The house was altered and added onto for many years adding a wing and a garret with three gables. We are perhaps most familiar with the house through Nathaniel Hawthorne's famous book The House of the Seven Gables. In 1908, the house was bought by the House of Seven Gables Settlement Association, founded by Caroline O. Emmerton who used the admission fees to help support the Association's nearby settlement house. The Association was set up to help support immigrant's families with services like literacy and job placement.

See Also

Vertical File in Salem Collection - House of Seven Gables

Architecture in Salem by Bryant F. Tolles, Jr., p. 63