Hawthorne Hotel
History
The stately Federal-style hotel is named for author Nathaniel Hawthorne, Salem ’s favorite son. Hawthorne spent his childhood in Salem and returned in 1846 to serve as Surveyor of the Port for three years. In 1849, he penned his classic the Scarlet Letter at his home in Salem . In the 1920s, the citizens of Salem established an unusual public subscription drive to build “ Salem ’s own hotel…” The Hawthorne has remained a unique and integral part of the city and Boston ’s North Shore ever since its completion in 1925. Over the years, the hotel has played host to dozens of well-known personalities but it was the classic television show, “Bewitched” which brought the Hawthorne its most notoriety. For years after the show aired its “Salem Saga” episodes, the hotel was flooded with calls and inquiries. Ironically, what viewers actually saw was a façade of the hotel that was built on studio lot in Hollywood and the interiors on the show bear no resemblance to the real hotel.
