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| The House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts circa 1915 |
On one of his ventures out at sea, Captain Ingersoll died at sea, never to return to his beloved mansion. Samuel willed the home to his daughter Susanna. She was frequently visited at the mansion by her cousin Nathaniel Hawthorne who would refer to it as the House of the Seven Gables and wrote a gothic novel of the same name in 1851. Although the novel was not directly about the house he derived some of his ideas from it. Almost a century later in 1940, a movie would be made of the same name based on the novel which starred Vincent Price.
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| Nathaniel Hawthorne author of The House of the Seven Gables |
The structure did not originally have seven gables as they were added over time and several of them were actually removed at one point to make it appear like a standard house. However, it has been restored to its state with seven gables. The house still stands today as the oldest surviving wooden mansion in New England which was built in the 17th century and is said to be one of the most haunted places in Salem, Massachusetts hosting several ghosts.
Susanna Ingersol seems to be the spirit that frequents the mansion the most. She has been seen peering out of the upper floor windows, only to disappear. Some witnessess have seen her aparition roaming the various rooms and hallways and again, disappear as quickly as she appeared. Susanna's spirit frequents the outside of the home as well as she has been spotted in the gardens which she loved dearly.
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| Suzanna Ingersoll, former owner of The House of the Seven Gables |
Another spirit haunting the home is said to be that of Nathaniel Hawthorne's son, Julian. He has been heard on the uppers floors making noise in what sounds like the activity of him playing with toys on the floors. He has also been spotted peeking over the garden fences on occasion.
