Preserving History: Assessments and Climate Adaptations at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts, USA
Salem, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest cities in the United States (1629) and its coastal location on the Atlantic helped create one of the wealthiest cities in America during the late 18th century, but today its coastal location threatens many of its buildings due to sea level rise and increase...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| author | Paul Wright Susan Baker Stephen S. Young |
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| description | Salem, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest cities in the United States (1629) and its coastal location on the Atlantic helped create one of the wealthiest cities in America during the late 18th century, but today its coastal location threatens many of its buildings due to sea level rise and increased storm activity. The House of the Seven Gables, a National Historic Landmark District, consists of five important historic buildings, the most famous being The Turner Ingersoll Mansion (1668), more commonly known as The House of the Seven Gables. Considered one of the most important houses in America, it is also one of the most threatened historic buildings due to its location on Salem’s harbor. The House of the Seven Gables conducted a two-year study funded by Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management to evaluate the risks posed by climate change. This process included the use of data from groundwater monitoring wells and a tidal gauge installed on-site, along with soil samples and a detailed survey base plan including topography and subsurface infrastructure. The project team then used the Massachusetts Coastal Flood Risk Model (MC-FRM) to assess climate change impacts on the site in 2030, 2050, and 2070, and then created a plan for adaptations that should be implemented before those risks materialize. Strategies for adapting to storm surges, increasing groundwater, and intense surface water runoff were evaluated for their effectiveness and appropriateness for the historic site. The conclusion of the study resulted in a five-phase plan ending in the managed retreat of the historic buildings to higher ground on the existing site. This article goes beyond other research that suggests coastal retreats by demonstrating how to quantitatively evaluate current and future coastal issues with predictive models and how to set viable dates for adaptive solutions and a managed retreat. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-41a9d4307f034209b21013809a8f46fd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj-art-41a9d4307f034209b21013809a8f46fd2025-01-24T13:21:58ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332025-01-011618410.3390/atmos16010084Preserving History: Assessments and Climate Adaptations at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts, USAPaul Wright0Susan Baker1Stephen S. Young2The House of the Seven Gables, Salem, MA 01970, USAThe House of the Seven Gables, Salem, MA 01970, USADepartment of Geography and Sustainability, Salem State University, Salem, MA 01970, USASalem, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest cities in the United States (1629) and its coastal location on the Atlantic helped create one of the wealthiest cities in America during the late 18th century, but today its coastal location threatens many of its buildings due to sea level rise and increased storm activity. The House of the Seven Gables, a National Historic Landmark District, consists of five important historic buildings, the most famous being The Turner Ingersoll Mansion (1668), more commonly known as The House of the Seven Gables. Considered one of the most important houses in America, it is also one of the most threatened historic buildings due to its location on Salem’s harbor. The House of the Seven Gables conducted a two-year study funded by Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management to evaluate the risks posed by climate change. This process included the use of data from groundwater monitoring wells and a tidal gauge installed on-site, along with soil samples and a detailed survey base plan including topography and subsurface infrastructure. The project team then used the Massachusetts Coastal Flood Risk Model (MC-FRM) to assess climate change impacts on the site in 2030, 2050, and 2070, and then created a plan for adaptations that should be implemented before those risks materialize. Strategies for adapting to storm surges, increasing groundwater, and intense surface water runoff were evaluated for their effectiveness and appropriateness for the historic site. The conclusion of the study resulted in a five-phase plan ending in the managed retreat of the historic buildings to higher ground on the existing site. This article goes beyond other research that suggests coastal retreats by demonstrating how to quantitatively evaluate current and future coastal issues with predictive models and how to set viable dates for adaptive solutions and a managed retreat.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/1/84historic buildingsclimate changesea level riseHouse of the Seven Gablesplanned coastal retreat |
| spellingShingle | Paul Wright Susan Baker Stephen S. Young Preserving History: Assessments and Climate Adaptations at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts, USA Atmosphere historic buildings climate change sea level rise House of the Seven Gables planned coastal retreat |
| title | Preserving History: Assessments and Climate Adaptations at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts, USA |
| title_full | Preserving History: Assessments and Climate Adaptations at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts, USA |
| title_fullStr | Preserving History: Assessments and Climate Adaptations at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts, USA |
| title_full_unstemmed | Preserving History: Assessments and Climate Adaptations at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts, USA |
| title_short | Preserving History: Assessments and Climate Adaptations at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts, USA |
| title_sort | preserving history assessments and climate adaptations at the house of the seven gables in salem massachusetts usa |
| topic | historic buildings climate change sea level rise House of the Seven Gables planned coastal retreat |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/1/84 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT paulwright preservinghistoryassessmentsandclimateadaptationsatthehouseofthesevengablesinsalemmassachusettsusa AT susanbaker preservinghistoryassessmentsandclimateadaptationsatthehouseofthesevengablesinsalemmassachusettsusa AT stephensyoung preservinghistoryassessmentsandclimateadaptationsatthehouseofthesevengablesinsalemmassachusettsusa |