The House of the Seven Gables

The House of the Seven Gables Case Study

To aid the historical preservation plans for The House of the Seven Gables, Existing Conditions 3D laser scanned the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion (also known as The House of the Seven Gables), The Retire Beckett House, Hooper-Hathaway House, Nathanial Hawthorne Birthplace, Primm House, and features of the Seaside Colonial Revival Gardens, capturing highly detailed and accurate digital as-builts.

Existing Conditions' as-built data will help to identify structural issues, deterioration, and other factors affecting the historical site, and deliver our client, Union Studio, 2D plans and a 3D model to develop architectural designs for restoration.

Read the details below on our efforts to protect and maintain this historic site.

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A National Historic Landmark

“Halfway down a bystreet of one of our New England towns stands a rusty wooden house, with seven acutely peaked gables,” wrote Nathaniel Hawthorne in his 1851 novel The House of the Seven Gables.

Designated as a National Historic Landmark District in 2007, the property contains a collection of seven historic buildings set along Salem Harbor.

The House of the Seven Gables strives to preserve their historic buildings in the face of several challenges, including deterioration due to climate, weakening of the seawall, and mold in the basement of the Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace.

As a National Historic Landmark District, the property is confined by preservation standards set by the federal government and the town of Salem. Because of these terms, unlike making renovations to a modern home, every modification at the Seven Gables property must be approved by multiple stakeholders to ensure that historical accuracy is maintained.

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Existing Conditions Partners with Union Studio

Union Studio, an architecture and community design firm in Providence, Rhode Island, has been a long-standing client of Existing Conditions. Their website states, “old buildings contain so much embodied craft, carbon, and culture; we must do what we can to preserve what we have.”

Existing Conditions 3D laser scanning services will play an important role in the preservation of these historic buildings, by delivering as-built data, drawings, and models for design planning and decision making.

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Project Background

The House of the Seven Gables recently became the first historical site in the state to receive a grant to assess the threats of climate change and possible mitigation strategies. In 2022, The House of the Seven Gables received a grant from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management to study climate impacts on its historic buildings and campus. Throughout the two-year project, The Gables partnered with a number of companies, including our client Union Studio, to collect data, evaluate and repair the coastal structures, and develop a plan to preserve the historic structures. The grant was the first in the state to be awarded to a nonprofit museum like The Gables, and the research will become a model for similar institutions in the region.

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The History of The House of the Seven Gables

Built in 1668 for Captain John Turner, the head of a prominent New England maritime family, the house featured slate-black paint, a manicured trellis, and a gravel garden path with flowers. The house was made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1851 novel, The House of the Seven Gables. According to legend, the house is cursed due to a witchcraft accusation and the execution of Matthew Maule, the rightful owner of the land on which the house was built. The house was restored in 1909 by Joseph Everett Chandler under the direction of its new owner, Caroline Emmerton.

The House of the Seven Gables property in Salem, Massachusetts includes seven historic buildings. The Turner-Ingersoll Mansion is the only building in the original foundation. The Hooper-Hathaway House (c.1682), Retire-Beckett House (c.1655), and Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace (c.1750) have been relocated for historical preservation.

The properties look well preserved from the outside, yet the historic site's preservation manager is aware of the myriad ways climate change is threatening the integrity of the structures. Due to the proximity to Salem Harbor, water, humidity, light levels, pest activity, dust, and pollution levels, the property conducts regular monitoring and preventative cleaning and maintenance.

The House of the Seven Gables Scope of Work

The House of the Seven Gables property is gathering data to create historical preservation plans. Union Studio Architects is creating adaptation designs from updated existing conditions documentation.

Union Studio Architects is a long-standing client with Existing Conditions, partnering to complete more than 10 projects since 2020. A strong relationship has been built on understanding their scope and clientele.

Union Studio Architects requested documentation of The House of the Seven Gables Museum assets in January 2024. Existing Conditions 3D laser scanned the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, Retire-Beckett House, Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace, Hooper Hathaway House, Primm House, and features of the Seaside Colonial Revival Gardens.

3D laser scanning documented the exterior building shells, delivering precise measurements and building footprints. For the Nathanial Hawthorne Birthplace basement, 3D laser scanning captured the architectural and structural features, geometry, and spatial layout.
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3D Laser Scanning The House of the Seven Gables

Accurate and comprehensive as-built data is a valuable tool for architects, engineers, historians, and preservationists because it offers a detailed record of the building's current state for restoration efforts.

3D laser scanning captured highly detailed and accurate digital measurements of The Gables’ buildings and infrastructure to create as-built drawings and 3D BIM models for this architectural preservation project. Union Studio Architects can reference accurate site data to create and share design plans with all project stakeholders.

3D laser scanning utilizes LiDAR technology to capture spatial data. A 3D laser scanner emits laser beams toward a target object or structure and measures the time it takes for the laser pulses to bounce back. These time measurements, combined with angular information, enable the scanner to calculate a highly precise distance and orientation of each point on the object’s surface. Multiple laser scans are taken from various angles to capture a dense set of 3D coordinates, creating a point cloud representation of the site. The point cloud can be processed into 3D BIM models and 2D CAD drawings.

Existing Conditions can deliver as-built data in SiteMap®, a cloud-based software for clients to securely access, view, download, and share site data, drawings, and models. This is a revolutionary digital delivery and record-keeping tool for historical project management, allowing clients to review as-built documentation to improve communication and collaboration.

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3D Laser Scanning Process & Deliverables

• The Project Manager 3D laser scanned the exterior shells of the five buildings & key site features from the Seaside Gardens
• The Project Manager 3D laser scanned the Nathanial Hawthorne Birthplace basement to capture as-built documentation to assess constraints related to flood-proofing
• The Project Manager utilized a Leica RTC360 laser scanner to capture a colorized point cloud
• TruViews or 3D panoramic images were taken at each scan location, delivering a virtual site visit, for Union Studio Architects to view and gather accurate dimensional information as well as visual information about the conditions of the site at the time of survey
• The Product team created 2D exterior elevations and a 3D BIM model from the point cloud
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The Challenge for Historical Preservation

Budget Constraints:

The client had budget constraints due to the project’s nonprofit status, so the job scope narrowed from 3D laser scanning eight buildings to five. Existing Conditions worked closely with Union Studio to efficiently supply them with the data and deliverables they required, knowing the allocated budget for this project.

Environmental Challenges:

The environment is a critical factor in the long-term health of historic buildings. The House of the Seven Gables strives to preserve their historic buildings, as they face several challenges.

• Seawall: The seawall that protects the house from Salem Harbor is under stress and needs to be repointed. The seawall, the property's first line of storm defense, is only about 80 feet from the house and was built in the early 1700's. The wall was last repointed 30 years ago, and it's now undermined by sinkholes and over-washed. They seek to make the seawall resilient enough to handle rising sea levels.
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• Mold: Hot days and heavy rains, along with the humidity and flooding they cause, create optimal conditions for mold to destroy the historic buildings. The basement of the Nathaniel Hawthorne Birthplace flooded, causing mold to grow in the basement and first floor. The Gables seeks to monitor and prevent mold and mildew from growing in the historical buildings and basement and understand how storm water flows to keep the historic site dry and prevent mold.
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• Climate: Climate change is making it more difficult to maintain the house. Higher heat and humidity levels make it difficult to maintain the proper temperature conditions for the house and its historic objects. The Gables seeks to update its historic buildings to address needs related to climate change.
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• Utilities: The House of the Seven Gables seeks to protect the buildings’ HVAC, electrical system, and other utilities and critical infrastructure from rising groundwater beneath the property to maintain tourist and community activities.

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About the Client: Union Studio

Union Studio was founded in 2001 with one overriding goal: to use their skills as architects and urban designers to make a civic contribution to communities of all types.

Donald Powers founded Union in direct response to what he saw as the general disengagement of the profession from the challenges of urban sprawl. With a single employee and a willingness to confront entrenched perceptions, the firm earned instant recognition and a well-deserved reputation repairing fragmented communities in and around Providence, Rhode Island. In 2003, Donald was joined by Douglas Kallfelz, and the firm grew to include projects throughout the Northeast and across the country.

Together they envisioned a studio of designers working to improve communities using an integrated approach to architecture and urban design and who have a professional commitment to the civic realm. Over the past 20 years, the office has grown to nearly 30 architects and designers, all who contribute to furthering their mission.

In 2022, the firm’s name was changed to Union, reflecting their belief that exceptional work is achieved through the combined talents of many, and that the places they design bring people together.

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Existing Conditions 3D Laser Scanning Services

When you work with Existing Conditions, you will work with the best 3D laser scanning professionals in the industry. We deliver reliable documentation of existing conditions to base your designs off of. Save time and money while ensuring the most accurate as-built documentation possible with a partner that’s by your side every step of the way. We’ll create a top-quality digital twin of your built environment — so you can focus on what you do best.

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