Official Nathaniel Hawthorne Museum To Open In Salem At The House Of The Seven Gables

SALEM, MA — A new, interactive Nathaniel Hawthorne museum will open at The House of the Seven Gables as part of a plan to transform the author's birthplace for the next generation of visitors.

The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association announced it has launched a $1 million fundraising campaign for the project.

Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804, in a Georgian-style house on Salem’s Union Street. The home was moved to The Gables' historic campus in 1958 to save it from destruction.

The Gables has operated as an educational and tourist destination with self-guided tours, with plans now in place to enhance that experience for those less familiar with his works and history.

"In years past, they didn't feel they had to explain Hawthorne," The House of the Seven Gables Executive Director Dakota Russell said, "because everyone read him. Today, this is where many guests are learning about him for the first time."

The Settlement Association said the new museum will "preserve the historic feel of the house, while also telling stories from Hawthorne's life and reflecting on the impact of his work."

Personal artifacts, including the desk on which Hawthorne wrote much of "The Scarlet Letter," will be prominently featured. Interactive multimedia exhibits will enhance the experience.

Galleries will explore Hawthorne's deep connection to Salem and his enduring influence on later writers and artists.

The museum exhibits are being developed in cooperation with Boston-based firm Amaze Design, known for their work at the Concord Museum in Massachusetts and the American Writers Museum in Chicago. The design phase of the projects was funded by grants from the Nancy Foss Heath and Richard B. Heath Educational, Cultural, and Environmental Foundation and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, as well as private donations.

It is estimated that the next phase of work, the fabrication and installation of the exhibits, will cost approximately $1 million.

José Nieto, President of The Gables' Board of Trustees, said private donations are being sought because of a projected lack of federal resources for similar projects.

"The federal grants we would typically seek for this project have become scarcer," he said, "and there is more competition for the ones that remain."

Nieto said he believes lovers of Hawthorne and those who appreciate his profound impact on American literature will step up to help The Gables meet its fundraising goals.

Opportunities for gallery sponsorship and donor recognition within the Hawthorne Museum are available. More information on supporting the effort can be found on The Gables' website or by calling Director of Development Pamela Feltus at 978-306-7014.