Salem's House Of The Seven Gables Gets $461K In Federal Funding To Protect Historic Campus

SALEM, MA — The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association in Salem will receive $461,000 in federal funding to help protect its seaside campus from stormwater damage.

The Salem site is one of 209 Massachusetts recipients sharing in $221,551,060 in Congressionally directed spending.

"Historic landmarks like The House of the Seven Gables are at the heart of the Commonwealth," said U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. "This funding is critical to ensure future generations can experience the deep legacy these sites provide while they work hard to fight new challenges brought on by climate change."

The funding is intended to address damage tied to heavy rain, poor grading and undersized drainage systems at the historic property.

The House of the Seven Gables is a National Historic Landmark District dating back to 1668 on Salem Harbor, where sea level rise and climate change pose risks to buildings and collections during severe weather and flooding.

The campus includes the House of the Seven Gables, also known as the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, along with three other colonial-era historic houses and a seaside Colonial Revival garden.

The site's history stretches from Salem's colonial and maritime eras to its literary association with Nathaniel Hawthorne and its restoration as a museum and Settlement House in 1910.

The federal money will support construction of a rain garden, a subsurface infiltration system beneath the Colonial Revival gardens, a catch basin and drywell near the Hooper-Hathaway House and Hawthorne Birthplace, and a section of permeable pavers on the walkway near the exit.

The work is meant both to preserve the nationally significant campus and to serve as a model for climate adaptation measures at historic properties and homes.

"I'm proud to have secured over $221 million of critical funding for Massachusetts projects that will make our water cleaner, our environment healthier, our workforce stronger, and expand justice in our communities — including right here in Salem," U.S. Sen. Edward Markey said. "The House of the Seven Gables is an iconic feature on the North Shore and in Massachusetts history, and I'm grateful that this funding will enable it to be preserved and protected for hundreds of years to come."