House Of Seven Gables Settlement Association

MISSION: TO BE A WELCOMING, THRIVING, HISTORIC SITE AND COMMUNITY RESOURCE THAT ENGAGES PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS IN OUR INCLUSIVE AMERICAN STORY.

THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES HISTORIC SITE: THE GABLES WAS FOUNDED IN 1910 AS A HISTORIC SITE/MUSEUM WITH A TWO-PART PURPOSE. OUR FOUNDER, CAROLINE OSGOOD EMMERTON, PURCHASED THE GABLES TO PRESERVE THE LEGACY OF 19TH CENTURY AMERICAN AUTHOR NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE AS A MUSEUM AND TO USE TOUR REVENUE FROM THE GABLES TO FUND SETTLEMENT WORK IN THE LOCAL IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. TODAY, THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES' CAMPUS CONSTITUTES ITS OWN NATIONAL HISTORIC DISTRICT ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AND WAS DESIGNATED A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK IN 2007. OVER 100,000 VISITORS FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE VISIT AND TOUR THE HISTORIC SITE ANNUALLY. VISITORS ARE ESCORTED ON GUIDED TOURS THROUGH THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES (TURNER-INGERSOLL MANSION) C. 1668 AND NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE'S BIRTHPLACE C. 1750. THESE ANCIENT EDIFICES SERVE AS THE BACKDROP FOR THE STORIES THAT CAPTURE THE LIFE AND LITERARY LEGACY OF NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE, AUTHOR OF THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES AND THE SCARLET LETTER. OTHER MAJOR THEMES INCLUDE EARLY AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE, THE COLONIAL REVIVAL PERIOD (WHEN THE GABLES WAS RESTORED), THE GOLDEN AGE OF SAIL, AND MATERIAL CULTURE OVER A THREE-HUNDRED YEAR PERIOD. LOCATED ON THE WATERFRONT, THE HISTORIC SITE FEATURES COLONIAL REVIVAL GARDENS AND VIEWS OF HISTORIC SALEM HARBOR THAT PLACES THE MANSION IN ITS HISTORIC CONTEXT. APPROXIMATELY 70,000 PEOPLE VISITED THE GABLES IN 2021, AN INCREASE OF 50,000 VISITORS FROM 2020. HOWEVER, COVID CONTINUES TO HAVE AN IMPACT. ANNUAL PRE-PANDEMIC VISITATION WAS TYPICALLY OVER 100,000 VISITORS.

THE SETTLEMENT HOUSE PROGRAM: IN 1910, THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES' SETTLEMENT ASSOCIATION OFFERED PROGRAMS TO INTEGRATE SALEM'S NEWLY ARRIVING IMMIGRANTS INTO AMERICAN CULTURE. THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES AND ITS TRUSTEES REMAIN COMMITTED TO COMMUNITY SERVICE AND ARE MAINTAINING CAROLINE EMMERTON'S VISIONARY SETTLEMENT MODEL TO BETTER REFLECT THE NEEDS OF 21ST CENTURY SALEM. THE GABLES WORKS WITH A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE TO IDENTIFY UNMET COMMUNITY NEEDS AND ADVISE ON HOW THE GABLES CAN BEST HELP MEET THOSE NEEDS. IN 2019, THE GABLES PROVIDED ENGLISH AS A SECONDARY LANGUAGE LESSONS AND CITIZENSHIP CLASSES TO ADULTS; PROVIDED A 5 WEEK SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS (PRIMARILY IN GRADES 3 - 5) CALLED "CARIBBEAN CONNECTIONS". THIS PROGRAM FOCUSED ON BUILDING LITERACY SKILLS WHILE SIMULTAENOUSLY TEACHING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF SALEM AND ITS LONGSTANDING CONNECTIONS TO THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS (THE PLACE OF ORIGIN FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE STUDENTS). THE GABLES ALSO ORGANIZED AND HOSTED SEVERAL COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS ON THE TOPIC OF IMMIGRATION THAT WERE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CONTINUED TO IMPACT THE ORGANIZATION'S ABILITY TO DELIVER ITS SETTLEMENT PROGRAMMING IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS IN 2021: CARIBBEAN CONNECTIONS WAS NOT OFFERED.

MUSEUM EDUCATION: THE GABLES' VALUE STATEMENT REFLECTS THE ORGANIZATION'S COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION: WE VALUE EDUCATION AS A CENTRAL TENET OF OUR PROGRAMMING. THE GABLES CREATES VALUED EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR COMMUNITIES BY LEVERAGING THE POWER OF THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES AS AN ICON OF AMERICAN CULTURE TO ENGAGE PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS IN OUR INCLUSIVE AMERICAN STORIES. WE OFFER STRUCTURED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO STUDENTS RANGING FROM GRADES K-8. THE PROGRAMS PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH ENGAGING ACTIVITIES THAT FOCUS ON EARLY NEW ENGLAND HISTORY, HOME LIFE AND MARITIME TRADE. THESE PROGRAMS MEET THE FOLLOWING CURRICULUM STANDARDS: MASSACHUSETTS HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES; COMMON CORE STANDARDS FOR ELA; AND LITERACY IN HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES. WE ALSO OFFER OTHER PUBLIC PROGRAMMING DESIGNED TO ENGAGE DIVERSE AUDIENCES WITH OUR NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DISTRICT IN UNIQUE WAYS. EDUCATIONAL EVENTS INCLUDE LECTURES, SPECIAL EXHIBITS, THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES, COMMUNITY DAYS, HANDS-ON HISTORY FAMILY PROGRAMS, SPECIALTY TOURS AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IMPACTED THE ORGANIZATION'S ABILITY TO DELIVER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING IN-PERSON. THE ORGANIZATION CREATED A VIRTUAL VERSION OF ITS MOST POPULAR FIELD TRIP AND BEGAN TO OFFER TO SCHOOLS TOWARD THE END OF 2020, WHICH CONTINUED THROUGH 2021. NO IN-PERSON FIELD TRIPS WERE OFFERED IN 2021.

THE GABLES IS COMMITTED TO CAREFULLY STEWARDING THE COLLECTIONS, HISTORIC HOUSES AND GARDENS LOCATED ON THE HISTORIC SITE/MUSEUM. THESE COMPONENTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR MISSION AND ARE WHAT MAKE THE GABLES A NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY VISITED HISTORIC LANDMARK SITE.