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!

New Arrivals at the Museum Store

There is a wide array of wonderful gifts and goodies available at our fantastic Museum Store at The Gables. Of course, one of the main reasons to visit our store has nothing to do with buying anything...One of the must-see sights at The Gables is our beloved Maine Coon cat mascot, Dusty, who can be found - nearly every day - snuggling on the wrapping paper in the shop:

One of this blogger's favorite items available for sale are the "Banned Book" bracelets! Each has a specific tile exclaiming "I Read Banned Books" for the rebel in all of us!

Another great item that just arrived this week are custom made House of the Seven Gables ceramic mugs:

Here is a little background on the mugs:

The mugs are very hefty and feel good in your hands, as you would imagine a handcrafted mug would!

We hope you will visit us here at The Gables soon! Thank you for your virtual visit today.

The Melopoiea Event was a smashing success...

Many, many thanks to the performers last night: 

 - Ann Tucker, singer & vocalist

 - John Tavano, guitarist & composer

 - Alfred Nicol, poet & reader

 - Rhina P. Espaillat, poet & reader\

This is just a small sample of the delightful music that we heard last evening. 

We hope to invite this group of artists back in the fall for our annual gala. They are not to be missed!

Thanks to all who attended!

And thank you for your virtual visit today.

Settlement House Update

The Settlement House is looking great again! After about a month of intensive labor, the masons at Avico have replaced hundreds of bricks and mud, and have restored much of the northern side of the building.

The first part of the process was to rip down all of the bricks and cement filling and get down to the undamaged underbelly of the building. Note the cement blocks at the top being cover over with new bricks and mud...

The next steps are to fit the bricks precisely so that the corners match up perfectly...

The corners of the building are the some of the most labor intensive areas.

The nearly finished product is impressive. They took time to even "age" the bricks so they would not be so glaringly different than the rest of the building which was erected in 1806/07.

The Salem Prep School that inhabits The Settlement House is on vacation this week, and they have settled in nicely to the area. The kids attending there are very appreciative that they have a building with a gymnasium and kitchen for their enrichment. 

Spring plans including possibly putting in a vegetable/herb garden, 

as well as beautifying the Settlement House with pretty annuals and some perennials!

We are glad to have them as part of The Gables' site!

Thank you for your virtual visit today. Hope to see you at The Gables soon.