Listed: For $1.85 million, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s former Salem home

The 4,558-square-foot Georgian property may be the oldest surviving structure on Salem's historic Chestnut Street.

There’s no scarlet letter on this historic stunner.

18 Chestnut Street in Salem is a six-bed, six-bath home where Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of legendary books like The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables, lived with his family from 1846 to 1847, when he worked as the surveyor of the Port of Salem and Beverly, according to historical documents. Now, the two-family home, which could easily be reverted to a single-family property, is on the market for $1.85 million.

Believed to have been built by 1800, the 4,558-square-foot Georgian property may be the oldest surviving structure on Chestnut Street. However, it was entirely transformed in a 3-year renovation by a local mother-daughter renovation team and features all new plumbing and electrical, while still boasting the historic beauty with which it was constructed. From original wide pine floors to the fully restored and custom-made windows, every detail has been considered.

Step into the entrance, which leads into an elegant foyer. To the left is the two-bed, two-and-a-half bath unit 1, where a set of green doors open into the 215-square-foot living room. There, you’ll find four windows that stream in natural light and a gas fireplace under a salmon-colored mantel with original woodwork. Continue through the hallway, where you’ll find a half-bathroom, and you’ll find the 214-square-foot dining room, home to a historic, non-working fireplace, and several windows. The first-floor unit’s kitchen is also a highlight, thanks to its stunning central exposed brick gas fireplace that anchors the space, as well as stainless steel appliances and ample counter space.

“This house is bathed in light,” says Michael Selbst of Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty, who has the listing. “What’s nice about the house is its orientation— you get direct light the whole day, and in the morning the sun is on the front of the house. In the afternoon, it’s along that long wall.”

There is one bedroom on the first floor, which measures 186 square feet. A staircase that cascades past exposed brick leads upstairs to the second bedroom, which measures 148 square feet and features a spacious closet and an en suite bathroom. That’s likely the bedroom where Hawthorne slept, according to Selbst. Shortly after moving out, he completed The Scarlet Letter.

The second unit has three or four bedrooms, depending on the configuration, and two-and-a-half baths. The stairway leads to the entrance on the second floor in the elegant living room, which has a gas fireplace and four large windows. That connects to a 107-square-foot office space overlooking Chestnut Street. Similar to the first-floor unit, it features a half-bathroom in the hallway and a stylish dining room that measures 227 square feet. That easily flows into the kitchen, with top-of-the-line appliances that sit under a beamed ceiling.

The third floor’s beamed ceilings are a romantic throwback to Hawthorne’s time. There, you’ll find the 199-square-foot primary bedroom, with a historic, non-working fireplace, closet, and en-suite bath. There are two additional bedrooms on the third floor, as well as the family room, which could function as a bedroom as well.

Because the home could function as a single-family or a two-family home, it’s ideal for both multigenerational living or someone who is looking to rent out a second unit for financial purposes. Both units come with washers and dryers.

“You can live it as a single-family, though you’d have an extra kitchen,” said Selbst. “Or, you could live in it as a multigenerational setup which is actually how it was. You could live upstairs in the larger apartment and rent out the lower one to defray your housing costs.”

In the backyard, a brick and cobblestone patio is easily accessed by both units and can be used as additional parking during snowstorms. A prime location on Chestnut Street in the McIntire District, which is lined with early 19th-century mansions, provides close access to downtown shopping and restaurants, as well as public transportation.

“The setting for this house is just remarkable,” says Selbst.