House of Seven Gables Ghost

Lisa sent us an intriguing ghost picture she took at the birth home of Nathaniel Hawthorne, which is situated beside the house the author made famous, "The House of Seven Gables." Is Hawthorne himself a ghost in this photograph? Lisa wonders...

While touring the site, where both houses rest, in Salem, Massachusetts, Lisa was fortunate to capture an apparition of a young boy in 2004. "I decided to take a guided tour of The House of the Seven Gables property, also known as the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion located at 54 Turner Street. On that property now sits the birth home of American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, which was actually moved from Union Street onto Turner Street."

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about the House of the Seven Gables, which was the home of a good friend who encouraged him to write. He later penned The House of the Seven Gables in honor of her. The story was about a haunting that occurred in the home, due to shady dealings and witchcraft having taken place within it.

Are the grounds that surround the House with Seven Gables, as well as the house where Nathaniel Hawthorne was born, both haunted? Lisa's photograph would seemingly indicate that indeed someone, or maybe Nathaniel himself is there walking upon the property. During a guided tour, Lisa felt drawn to photograph the site, as she felt a ghostly presence. In her mind, she asked permission to take some panoramic pictures with her camera, hoping she would capture the ghost. She would later be stunned by what she saw after re-examining the photographs. A boy can be seen playing within the shrubbery!

Maybe Nathaniel looked like his son when a child. Lisa believes somehow Nathaniel's spirit, from when he was a young boy, may still be waiting for his father to return from the sea. Is this the boy captured in the greenery?

The Hawthorne's father died as a sailor, never returning from his time at sea. Nathaniel was just four years old.

If you have any kind comments or ideas regarding this story and photos, please send them directly to Lisa at: