Description
House Of The Seven Gables
The House of the Seven Gables is located on Derby Street in Salem, Massachusetts. It was constructed in 1667 for sea captain John Turner and remained the family's home for three generations. The original two room, two story home was modified over the years and by 1676 had a new kitchen, front extension and wing. After the mid-1700's remodeling by John Turner II the house now had seventeen rooms, wood paneling, and a new Georgian Style design. By 1782 John Turner III had lost the family fortune and was forced to sell the home to Captain Samuel Ingersoll. During this period much of the original architecture was altered, most notably by the removal of four of the gables. When Ingersoll died at sea he left the home to his daughter Susannah. Her cousin was famed author Nathaniel Hawthorne, who visited the home on several occasions. Although the house only had three gables during his lifetime, Susannah told him stories of the home's past and showed him where the architectural changes had occurred. This spurred Hawthorne's imagination and the home was to become the setting for one of his most famous stories, The House of the Seven Gables (1851). For many years the house was known as the Turner Mansion, until it was purchased by Caroline Emmerton in 1908. She began a two year restoration of the home, based as much on Hawthorne's novel as on true architectural design. This included returning the gables to their appropriate spots. By 1910 the house opened as a museum. The House of the Seven Gables was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and is a part of the House of the Seven Gables National Historic Landmark District.
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