Date: May 27, 2016
When visitors come to The House of the Seven Gables they expect to find old houses, transformed by the passing of time and ownership, with weathered exteriors and eclectic, period-furnished interiors. While this image of the typical historic house museum is most certainly part of The Gables experience, visitors are often surprised to discover the...
Date: April 13, 2016
We had a little issue this week…as bad as it sounds there was actually an incredibly easy solution thanks to our trusty team of Structures North and American Steeple and Tower. Kara McLaughlin, our executive director, noticed that the steel channels that sister the floor joists had a slight “twist” to them compared to last...
Date: April 7, 2016
The things you debate on when putting a historic room back together! It’s a good thing we have a room full of professionals on the case with dozens of decades of combined talents and experience to help us answer the big questions like “plaster: should it be smooth or rough?” In case you are wondering,...
Date: April 1, 2016
Today was a big day in the Secret Room Project at The House of the Seven Gables. We’re closing out March with the placement of the steel reinforcement in our summer beam in the dining room chamber. Early in the morning, Cassidy Bros., the foundry who precision measured the reinforcement, arrived at The Gables...
Date: March 19, 2016
The Secret Rooms Project at The House of the Seven Gables is moving along well thanks to our dedicated team of staff and contractors. Structures North has been making a weekly check-in with American Steeple and Tower to ensure that preparation for the steel beam is going well. During one of the inspections, a portion...
Date: February 12, 2016
The first phase of the project was to remove the plaster ceiling in the dining room below. The removal of this recent material is required to gain access to the joists that require additional support. This ceiling was installed in 1976, following a survey of structural conditions and some minor stabilization that was adequate for...
Date: January 28, 2016
by David Moffat A constant question from visitors in the Hawthorne Birth House, prompted by a line on a sign upstairs, is “Why did Hawthorne burn his wife’s letters?” The incident to which they refer occurred in June of 1853, at the end of what was the most productive period of Hawthorne’s life. It followed...
Date: January 6, 2016
Date: December 29, 2015
The House of the Seven Gables is about to embark on phase two of the Secret Rooms project. This phase will entail the installation of needed reinforcement to achieve desired floor stabilization. As The Gables moves forward on this very exciting project, we would like to share some interesting finds that we have encountered thus...
Date: September 18, 2015
The House of the Seven Gables has been the host for numerous weddings this season. Each event has been very unique and has highlighted the personality of the bride. I have to say that working with the bride and her family poses some challenges, but is something that I enjoy, and that allows me the...
