Hawthorne Birthplace

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in one of the upstairs rooms of this structure on July 4th, 1804. Originally built a few blocks away on Union Street around 1750, the building was moved to our museum’s campus in 1958 – a difficult task considering the size of the streets in town.

Long after his birth, Nathaniel Hawthorne visited his cousin Susanna Ingersoll, owner of the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion. This visit would in part inspire his novel, The House of the Seven Gables. It is fitting, then, that his birthplace now sits across from this very mansion. The inclusion of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Birthplace makes the museum one of the most important Hawthorne sites in the world.

These images may only be used for educational or personal purposes, unless receiving prior written permission from the House of the Seven Gables. The images are not high-resolution and represent only a fraction of the collection. If you need permission or a higher-resolution image please email the Marketing Department. If you would like to arrange access to more of the collection, please email the Collections Manager.