Did you know that Nathanial Hawthorne was born on the 4th of July? I’m so excited this week to share with you details on my recent trip to Nathanial Hawthorne’s birthplace, where he worked, and the house that inspired one of his best novels, The House of Seven Gables.
I first learned about Hawthorne in high school, when I read The Scarlet Letter, of course. I knew right away he was one of my favorite writers. What I didn’t know at the time is that Hawthorne is my 7th cousin, four times removed on the maternal side of my family. We share the same 10th great grandparents: John Woodbury and Agnes Napper circa mid 1500s to early 1600s.
Hawthorne, like Frost, is a journey all in itself to discover, as there isn’t just one location to visit to learn about his life. I have yet to visit Hawthorne’s home in Concord Mass, The Wayside, which, fun fact: Hawthorne bought that house from the Alcottts (Yes, Louisa May Alcott’s family!) in 1852. The home is the actual location where the events described in Alcott’s Little Women actually took place. It was also later home to children’s author, Harriet Lothrop (pen name Margaret Sidney), who wrote “Five Little Peppers.” There is much more to be discovered on The Wayside, but first—Nathanial Hawthorne! Salem! That’s where his journey started.
So, get ready! Here are some fun facts I learned on my trip:
1. Nathanial Hawthorne was born in Salem, Mass on July 4, 1804, to Elizabeth Manning and Captain Nathanial Hathorne in a circa-1750 home– in this exact room. Check it out!
Hawthorne’s birth family was long associated with the town of Salem. In fact, Hawthorne’s great-great-grandfather, John Hathorne, was one of the judges who oversaw the Salem witch trials. Nathanial originally spelled his last name as “Hathorne” but changed it in college to adding the “w.” It’s speculated he wanted to distance himself from his painful ancestry. I can’t blame him – I was relieved when I looked at my own ancestry and confirmed that while Hawthorne is my cousin, I am not blood related to the Salem Judge.
Hawthorne’s father died while at sea with yellow fever when Hawthorne was just four years old.
He spent time as a child growing up in Salem, as well as in Maine, near Sebago Lake. He apparently loved Sebago Lake. (I agree, it’s gorgeous there!)
Around the age of nine, Hawthorne was bedridden for a year after being hit on the leg playing “bat and ball.” Apparently, he became lame, during which time several physicians could find nothing wrong with him.
In his teens, he wrote a private newspaper for his family called “The Spectator” for fun. The homemade publication was written by hand and included poems, humor, essays and stories.
Hawthorne studied at Bowdoin College, beginning in 1821. It was there that he met future president, Franklin Pierce as well as future poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This was especially interesting to me because President Pierce is my 4th cousin 6x removed—from my maternal great grandfather’s bloodline (Hawthorne is from my maternal great grandmother’s bloodline). It seems New England is full of historic connections.
8. Hawthorne was a family man. He married Sophia Peabody, who is known to be reclusive, like Hawthorne. The two had three children: Una, Julian and Rose. I think this quote from one of Hawthorne’s letters to Bowdoin classmate, Horatio Bridge, sums up Hawthorne’s view of family best:
“Every true & happy family is a soul-system that outshines all the solar-systems in space & time.”
Wow, I love that quote! It is literally the entire theme of my soon to be released novel, All These Threads of Time.
9. By Presidential appointment, Hawthorne served as the Port of Salem’s Surveyor from 1846 to 1849 at The Custom House. It was here that Hawthorne came up with the idea for The Scarlet Letter. It’s said that he spent so much time pacing and meditating on this story in between work that the floor at The Custom House is still worn from his pacing.
10. According to one of the tour guides at Hawthorne’s birth home, Hawthorne wasn’t thrilled to be back in Salem during his years working at The Custom House. He wasn’t a fan of his childhood town and really wanted to separate from its painful history. Check out this pic of the view of the water from across the street of The Custom House. While the view was different then, as it was a busy port, I imagine Hawthorne must have spent some time standing here.
THE HOUSE OF SEVEN GABLES
Hawthorne never lived in the House of Seven Gables. It belonged to his cousin, Susannah, who often shared tales of the home’s history with Nathanial over long talks in this room. Check out the wallpaper—it’s all hand painted.
The House of Seven Gables is a marvel in itself, rich in history in its design. It also has a secret staircase! Word of warning: if you are claustrophobic, you might want to avoid taking it.
The House of Seven Gables was turned into a museum by philanthropist and preservationist Caroline Emmerton. You can find out more about the history of the museum’s founding here: The House of Seven Gables Website Also, look at the pic below—it’s the official first “gift shop” of Salem—a cubby in the wall that opens up and used to display various trinkets for guests to buy.
While it’s said that Hawthorne was inspired by stories his cousin told him in the brightly colored wallpaper room, I like to imagine them hanging out in the home’s attic. Doesn’t it give you a spooky vibe?
Overall, there was so much to unpack here. I loved learning about Hawthorne’s early life and inspirations for some of his books. Like all of us writers, he worked jobs he wasn’t always super excited about (but I’m sure was grateful for), and spent hours mulling over his stories. He was deeply inspired by history and intrigued by how trauma can impact individuals and families for years to come. He was especially interested in writing about hypocrisy.
I hope you enjoyed this rather long post for The Write Life! Stay tuned for next month’s historic writer and . . . could a The Write Life book be a work in progress? Maybe!
Till Next Time,
Sarah
AKA A Busy Lady
(C) 2024 WHAT’S GOIN’ ON?! SLN Publishing, LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
*All of the above photos were taken with my iPhone.
Thank you for this post. I think I have that book the five little peppers somewhere in my library. It belonged to sister a long time ago 1940s.? I enjoy your writing!
Loved reading this!
Thank you for this post. I think I have that book the five little peppers somewhere in my library. It belonged to sister a long time ago 1940s.? I enjoy your writing!