House of the Seven Gables

My wife and I just returned from a summer vacation northeast of Boston in the picturesque setting known as Cape Ann. The towns of Gloucester, Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Rockport make up Cape Ann. Each town is a delight to visit with beautiful oceanside views, good food, whale watching, cruises, and historic sites. We also visted Salem, just south of Cape Ann. There we learned about the town’s maritime history.

Librarians love literature so we had to take the tour of the House of Seven Gables, the house known to inspire the work of the same name by Nathanial Hawthorne. Built in 1668, the house is all black and has beautiful gardens and a secret staircase best to be avoided by the claustrophobic. Also moved to the location was the home Nathanial Hawthorne was born in.

We learned that Nathanial Hawthorne was a recluse for 12 years during which he honed his craft. He also moved to Concord where he was neighbors with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. He also became friends with Oliver Wendell Holmes and Herman Melville.

Our visit to Salem has inspired me to read the House of the Seven Gables. For those interested in learning more about this author the Chili Public Library has the book Hawthorne in Concord by Philip McFarland, call number H399m.