RECORD ATTENDANCE FOR 2025 CHRISTMAS IN SALEM (SPRING 2026)



The Pickering House, pictured above, is Salem’s oldest surviving home. Built around 1660, the original structure was modest and functional, consisting of a simple two-storey, single-room-per-floor plan typical of mid-17th-century domestic architecture. The house has seen many transformations as various Pickering family members renovated to suit their taste. In 1841 the front façade was reworked in the Gothic Revival style. 

 The building remained in the same family for ten generations, making it the longest continuously occupied family home in the nation. Among its notable residents was Colonel Timothy Pickering, Revolutionary War officer and U.S. Secretary of State. It also welcomed guests such as George Washington, who dined at the table that still stands in the dining room! 

 The non-profit organization Historic Salem, Inc. (HSI), has been welcoming visitors on the annual Christmas in Salem holiday house tour for 46 years. The Pickering House was one of the beautifully decorated historic homes open to visitors for the 2025 tour, which achieved record attendance. 

 For more information on the event the website is at www.christmasinsalem.org 

 Photo: Wikipedia

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