# Nathaniel Hawthorn's writing desk. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nathaniel-hawthorns-writing-desk/644441 "2012-12-18T18:31:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChrisJones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@ChrisJones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisJones)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nathaniel-hawthorns-writing-desk/644441/1 "2012-12-18T18:31:20Z")
I toured the Hawthorn House A.K.A. “The House of Seven Gables” 16 years ago and also as a child on a grade school field trip. (That was back when they would actually let you ascend the hidden staircase inside the enormous chimney((Pretty cool)). Anyway, on the most recent tour, they proudly displayed Nathaniel Hawthorns writing desk where it is said he had written all of his books. They also noted that the volunteers had just completed the refinishing job on the desk. “Didn’t they do a nice job?”. I’m not a big fan of Hawthorn as much as I am a fan of cool stuff. I was taken aback and almost said something. “Are you people insane??” This was well before the days of “Antique Roadshow” and anything like it. But if I knew better than to re-finish an important antique then I assumed the curators of the Hawthorn House would know as well. Obviously they desecrated the value of the desk. That’s not important because it would be unlikely that the desk would ever be sold. Yet I still found it disturbing and thought the desk would have been more interesting with 200 years of patina, than it would to look like a brand new replica of an antique. I can NOT find a photo of the desk online anywhere either. I wonder if they realized the mistake and put it in storage. I did find one of his desk online and it’s NOT the desk. It’s a little dinky thing with it’s original finish. The desk they claimed was HIS was very large. About 5’ across and 3’ deep, heavy looking and well made. it would take two strong men to move it. I haven’t been back in these 16 years. I’m wondering if anyone who has been there recently has seen the desk? Do they still mention that the staff volunteers re-finished it. Or are they pretending that some little card table was his writing desk. Or other? The desk is a part of American History. Maybe even more so than the house itself. So what’s the deal? One would think that if the desk is still on display one would find photos galore of it on Google images. But it’s not there. I wonder if someone on a following tour said what I didn’t dare, and the desk is now in storage, and they’re trying to pass off an old crappy secretary for the real thing? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nathaniel-hawthorns-writing-desk/644441/2 "2012-12-18T19:17:15Z")
I’ve never heard the House of Seven Gables called “Hawthiorne’s House”. I don’t think he ever lived there. I don’t recall a Hawthorne chhair in the house. Hawthorne did live in The Old Manse in Concord for a year, and they might have a chair of his. > **[The Old Manse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Manse)** > > The Old Manse is a historic manse in Concord, Massachusetts, United States, notable for its literary associations. It is open to the public as a nonprofit museum owned and operated by the Trustees of Reservations. The house is located on Monument Street, with the Concord River just behind it. The property neighbors the North Bridge, a part of Minute Man National Historical Park. > The Old Manse was built in 1770 for the Rev. William Emerson, father of minister William Emerson and grandfather of tr... Googling “Nathaniel Hawthorne Chair” Turns up this unlikely result: > **[Nathaniel Hawthorne' s Inspiration Chair, Alyssas Motel](http://www.alyssasmotel.com/chair.html)** > > Escape to Alyssa's Motel where a restful vacation in the beautiful Sebago Lake Region can begin! Sit on Nathaniel Hawthorne's Inspiration Chair ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nathaniel-hawthorns-writing-desk/644441/3 "2012-12-18T19:27:59Z")
Moved to Cafe Society from Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nathaniel-hawthorns-writing-desk/644441/4 "2012-12-18T19:38:17Z")
[This desk (first Google images result for "Nathaniel Hawthorne desk)?](http://www.flickr.com/photos/cag2012/3579336826/) Looks more like a raven to me. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nathaniel-hawthorns-writing-desk/644441/5 "2012-12-18T19:46:54Z")
Nevar ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2012, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nathaniel-hawthorns-writing-desk/644441/6 "2012-12-21T08:56:15Z")
The Hawthorne Birthplace, where he lived until the age of 4, was moved in 1958 next door to the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion (which belonged to Hawthorne’s cousin and inspired _House of the Seven Gables_). It’s possible the OP was confused. Neither, however, was occupied by Hawthorne as an adult, and neither has any reason to possess Hawthorne’s writing desk (assuming he had only one; he moved around quite a bit). The photo is of Hawthorne’s desk at the Salem custom house, where he worked for a time. He had little energy for writing then, and the desk is clearly not the one the OP was shown. [This](http://www.hawthorneinsalem.org/images/image.php?name=MMD42) desk in his house in Concord is more closely associated with him, though he wrote nothing of importance there.