In 1668, mariner John Turner built a house on Salem's waterfront for his new bride. John was ambitious and soon became one of Salem's leading merchants. His family grew and by 1680 he had substantially added on to his modest house creating New England's first mansion-what later generations would call The House of the Seven Gables.
Turner's grandson sold the house to Samuel Ingersoll in 1782. Samuel's daughter, Susannah, was a cousin of Nathaniel Hawthorne and he visited her often in the house. The time he spent there provided inspiration for his 1851 novel, The House of the Seven Gables.
This magnificent house and its beautiful seaside gardens provide visitors with insight into 330 years of Salem's maritime and literary history.
