Phillips House

Salem, Massachusetts
1821

In 1821, four intact rooms from an earlier house were transported by ox sled to Salem's fashionable Chestnut Street to form the core of a new Federal-style mansion being constructed by Captain Nathaniel West. Nearly a century later, Anna Phillips bought the house and launched a fourteen-month renovation in the Colonial Revival style. When she, her husband Stephen Willard Phillips, and their five-year-old son moved in, they brought with them a family collection that spans five generations and blossomed during Salem's Great Age of Sail.

Phillips House is the only home on historic Chestnut Street open to the public, and it provides a glimpse into the private world of the Phillips family and their domestic staff during the early decades of the twentieth century. The kitchen, pantry, and a domestic staff bedroom, present a rarely seen picture of how the great houses functioned as new technologies were being introduced.

The unusual collection on display is representative of the Phillips’ extensive travels and interests. It includes a Hawaiian and Polynesian objects, as well as fine examples of early American furniture, Persian carpets, and an extensive collection of export porcelain. In the carriage house, visitors can view the family's collection of carriages and automobiles that spans nearly a hundred years.

Please visit the nearby Gedney House.

Visit Phillips House

Open
Tuesday - Sunday, June - October
Saturday and Sunday, November - May
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tours every half hour.
Last tour at 4:00 p.m.
Closed most major holidays.

Visit the Carriage House for a self-guided tour, available late April through mid-November.

Admission
$5 adults
$4 seniors
$2.50 students
Free for Historic New England members and Salem residents. Become a member.

Location and directions
Phillips House
34 Chestnut Street
Salem, Mass. 01970

Map and directions

Directions detail: From Route 128, take exit 26 to Lowell Street East. Follow signs into Salem, staying straight to end (street name changes). Turn left into Essex Street. At next light, turn right onto Flint Street, and then take an immediate left onto Chestnut Street. Phillips House is the fifth house on the left; entrance in rear of house.

Parking: Two hour on-street parking is available on Chestnut Street. If you would like to extend your visit, go to the city's website to lean more about public parking areas within walking distance of the Phillips House.

Public Transportation: Walking from the Salem MBTA Station (0.6 miles): Head southwest on Bridge Street; Turn left to stay on Bridge Street; Continue onto Washington Street; Turn right at Essex Street; Turn left at Botts Court; Turn right at Chestnut Street. MBTA bus service is also available to Salem.