Happy visitors at The Gables!

The Gables is thrilled to announce that our visitorship is up and people are liking what they're seeing!

Here are a few of the recent comments from our patrons...

- From Westhampton Beach, NY: "I'm going to say this is the best place to go and see Salem. They really do the tour fantastically. If you read the book of the same name, then the tour has more meaning. Even if you haven't read the book (and you can get it there), this is a wonderful historic building and worth the tour. Plus, you also get the tour of Nathaniel Hawthorne's birth house, which was moved right next door to this house.


There are so many witch oriented destinations in Salem, too many I say. Thisis a nice reminder that Salem is so much more than witches."


- From Jersey City, NJ: "Probably one of the best historical tours in Salem. The staff that lead the tours are very knowledgeable and are willing to answer any questions that you might have. Also there are some surprises when you take the tour. I won't spoil it by tell you now, have fun"


- From Providence, RI: "This is definitely on of the more interesting and significant historical house tours I've been on. We actually visited the interior of the House of the Seven Gables, and also the Nathaniel Hawthorne birthplace in one visit.


The layout and architecture of the House of the Seven Gables is very interesting if you have any interest in historic homes. We got to clime up the secret stairway to the top floor, and see the unfinished attic. It's one of the oldest homes in the US, and the guide points out little details of things that are unusual or unique; there are cutaways in the wall in a few places so you can see the construction materials.


As others have said, the guide was very knowledgeable and the gift shop had some really interesting and unique stuff (quill pen sets, beautiful wooden bookmarks, a wide variety of Christmas ornaments, etc).


Definitely a must-see for architecture and history buffs."

The Gables' Garden

What a difference 12 days can make! The beautiful vintage seaside gardens are sprouting with new life, and well ahead of schedule. This was the scene on March 14th:

Just twelve days later, this is the state of the garden:

Vinca vine is in bloom, Robin Cantor, the master gardener for The Gables has added pansies for color, and the tulips are getting ready to bloom.

Even Dusty has left the comfort of the wrapping paper inside the Museum Store and has been spending his time wandering the grounds and greeting visitors...

We hope to see you soon at The Gables. 

Spring is one of the most beautiful times of year to enjoy the grounds and the ocean views.

Thank you for your virtual visit today.

Spring has sprung!

Though we're still having some cold weather here and there, the inevitable emergence of spring has happened at The Gables!!

The misty cool weather has not been a deterrent to the hundreds of tulips 

soon to emerge from the raised beds in the vintage garden. 

Dusty has also emerged!! Instead of spending his time in the warmth of the Museum Shop, he has taken to patrolling the grounds at the Gables, in search of a stray mouse! 

We caught him in the act of prowling yesterday!

Come visit us soon to see the gardens in bloom and to possibly catch a glimpse of our mascot, Dusty!

The Coins of The Gables

A Brazilian Coin Gives a Glimpse of Salem’s Maritime Glory Days

“Who has the most interesting job at The Gables, I ask you!” exclaimed our Director of Maintenance and Preservation at The Gables.

“I’d say it’s ME,” he said proudly, as he plunked down a Brazilian coin dated 1803 in front of Gables staff.  On one side, the weathered old coin showed a globe of the Earth encircled by lines. After doing minor research, White saw a resemblance between the coin’s engraved image and the image on Brazil’s modern-day flag.

To dispel any doubt, the Latin words, “circumit orbe” (encircling the orb, or world) along with “pecunia” (money) appear along the edge of the coin. On the coin’s other side, the etched letters are harder to read, but a large roman numeral “XX” appears above the date, “1803”.

White described where he found the old coin as he repaired a window in the Phippen House, which is part of The Gables historic landmark site. The coin was in a crack in the window frame, having slipped in there likely after it fell on the floor.

With a little imagination, one can picture a visiting seaman (or a Phippen ancestor) casting off his breeches at the end of a long day, with the coin falling out of the pants’ pocket and rolling across the floor to the edge of the room. It may have wobbled briefly before slipping into a crack along the wall. Over time, the shifting building made the coin “shimmy down” to the top of the window frame in the story below. There it lay for over two centuries, waiting for an appreciative soul to find it, in the person of Kevin White.

In addition to the Brazilian coin, other coins have been found onsite at The Gables. These include a Massachusetts penny dated 1783 (significant because it was issued before the Federal Reserve issued copper cents in 1793); a French penny dated 1783; a Spanish piece of eight dated in the late 1700s, and a Canadian two-cent piece. These coins have been inventoried and are part of the archives at The House of the Seven Gables.

Thanks to Ana Nuncio at the Gables for this fascinating story! And thank you for your virtual visit today.

Bliss Celebrations to feature The 7 Gables!

The Gables is thrilled to be one of the featured weddings in the upcoming issue of Bliss Celebrations!

Below are the pictures that go along with the featured article in the magazine and a picture of the cover.

Featured, is the goth/steampunk wedding that took place last year at The Gables. It was stunning, to say the very least!




Please visit www.blisscelebrationsguide.com for more information in their beautiful publications!

The magazines will be on newsstands within the next few weeks. 


Thank you for your virtual visit today!

Sneak Peek!

Here is the new cover of The House of the Seven Gables' newsletter! We hope you like the new look!

Our fresh, re-worked exhibits and galleries gave us inspiration to create a new look for our newsletters. If you would like to receive our newsletters, please email us!

info@7gables.org

Thanks for your virtual visit today!