Upton Guestbook
Description
Nahaniel Hawthorne’s 1851 popular novel The House of the Seven Gables made the old Turner-Ingersoll Mansion a favorite stop for visitors to Salem. The Upton family lived in the mansion in the late 1800s and early 1900s and helped popularize their home as a tourist attraction. As can be seen in this guestbook, the Uptons welcomed visitors from all over the world to see Salem’s literary landmark; in 1900 alone they saw visitors from as far afield as Norrköping and Kalmar (spelled here ‘Calmar’) Sweden. The family capitalized on the popularity of the house by offering paid tours and handmade souvenirs for purchase.