PROJECTS

The Salem Historical Society is currently in the process of developing an online publication that will be available to our members. The publication will share well-researched and expert-reviewed public history articles about aspects of Salem’s broad history, and is inspired by the old Essex Institute Historical Collections (see the Digital Books page for a link to the original on-line journals.) Please stay tuned for further information as the details of this exciting and ambitious project are finalized. We are planning a January 2021 release of the first volume.

Nathaniel Hawthorne Birth Site Historical Marker Project

Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of America’s most important and widely read authors, was born on the Fourth of July, 1804 in a home on Union Street in Salem, Massachusetts. Built circa 1750, the home in which Hawthorne was born now stands on the campus of The House of the Seven Gables, just a few blocks from its original location, where it was moved in 1958. Though the house itself is well preserved, and open to the public at The House of the Seven Gables, because it was moved from Union Street, many guests inquire about its original location.   

Other sites in Salem associated with Hawthorne have merited commemoration, and the location of his birth surely qualifies as a site worthy of distinction.  A marker near the original site would provide a better experience for visitors interested in tracing Hawthorne’s legacy in Salem, and its presence could only better the cultural landscape of this historic city. 

This project has been funded, thanks to generous supporters. The plaque is designed and we are currently awaiting direction from the City of Salem on placement. We are expecting a 2020 installation.