House Of The Seven Gables Named 'Best Historical Home' In U.S.: Newsweek

SALEM, MA — A Salem landmark earned the distinction of being named Best Historical Home for 2025 in the Newsweek Readers' Choice poll results, the magazine recently announced.

The 357-year-old mansion topped a list of notable American houses, including the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina and the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California.

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The home was built in 1668 and hosted author Nathaniel Hawthorne, who wrote about the location in his 1851 novel "The House of the Seven Gables."

Susannah Ingersoll, Hawthorne's cousin, owned the home for much of the 19th century.

Salem activist and philanthropist Caroline Emmerton bought the home in 1910 and restored the house to its original grandeur and opening it to the public as both a museum and a Settlement House.

Beyond historical tours, the home today also houses support services for new immigrants, including free English language and citizenship classes.

The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2007, and welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year.

"It is important that we tell stories that speak to all our visitors," Dakota Russell, Executive Director of The House of the Seven Gables, said. "Over the past few years, we have worked hard to highlight the histories of the women who lived here, and of the house’s indentured and enslaved laborers.

"We also try to give voice to the Indigenous people who were here first, and to the immigrant communities who came to call Salem home."

Russell said he hopes the attention will encourage both first-time visitors and returning guests.

"Even if you have seen the house before," he said, "I promise you there is more to our story."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)