House of the Seven Gables
Settlement House
114 Derby Street

In the early 1900s, Caroline Emmerton (see S1) volunteered for the Seaman’s Bethel, a loosely knit organization that provided assistance to families who came to Salem seeking a new life. She knew that immigration was fast on the rise — bringing newcomers who were Polish, Irish, Russian, Jewish, and French-Canadian — and that well-managed services needed to be in place when they arrived. It was then that she determined to purchase what is now the House of the Seven Gables (see S1), turn it into a museum, and use the proceeds to fund a settlement house. First, she visited England to witness how similar services were provided there. She then purchased this building around 1908, after raising an initial thirty thousand dollars from the Salem community, and created the House of the Seven Gables Settlement House. At first, she offered services only to girls, but quickly reached out to boys as well and soon provided programs (including English language, citizenship, sewing, and gymnastics classes, a medical clinic, and a baby weighing station) for adults. One of Caroline's colleagues in this venture was Aroline Pinkham Chase Gove (see S48) whose lifelong interest in health services for women and children was well known in Salem. Today, the house offers day care, pre- and after-school programs, meals for the elderly, CPR classes, a summer camp, and a host of other programs and services. Because of the dual mission of the House of the Seven Gables — museum and settlement house — it is considered the only such organization in the United States.