The Pickering House
Welcome to Salem’s Oldest Home! When seeing Salem, start where it all began. The Pickering Foundation welcomes you to an extraordinary place!
It is not only Salem’s oldest House, but also America’s oldest Home: home to a single family for over three and a half centuries; home to carpenters, farmers, patriots, military leaders, deacons, diplomats, linguists, scientists, and statesmen. And as homes will, it changed with the times.
Built in 1660 by settler John Pickering — a carpenter form Coventry, England — and his wife Elizabeth, it was once just a two-room farmhouse on a vast plot of land that ran all the way down to the seaport on the North River, encompassing what is today Chestnut Street and the McIntire District.
Over the next 350 years, the succeeding John Pickerings and their wives added wings, gables, and Gothic peaks. They raised ceilings, extended the roofline, and created the distinctive fence, to evolve into the warm and gracious home it is today.
You are cordially invited to come and see a piece of Salem history that is very much alive!
Donate with Paypal to help support this Home and Mission:Upcoming Events
FREE Tree tour of Lower Broad Street, the Pickering Property and Broad Street Cemetery
Saturday, April 26, 2025
The Pickering House is honored to present this Tribute in partnership with the Friends of Broad Street Cemetery: Come take a walk with Chris Burke on Lower Broad Street. We will talk about three tree lovers who gave us this beautiful legacy – John Robinson, Carroll Sargent, and Harlan Kelsey. We will identify and discuss […]
1:00 pm at Pickering House: 18 Broad Street, Salem
Free, just show up at the Pickering House at the day at 1:00pm
Pickering Putting Party
Saturday, May 17, 2025
You are cordially invited to join us for a Putting Party with Pari-Mutuel betting and cocktails to benefit the Pickering House! We’ll be transforming our backyard into a mini-putting course for good-natured teams to play against each other, all to benefit the Pickering House and Foundation. Rain date is Sunday May 18 Teams of putters […]
2:00 pm at Pickering House: 18 Broad Street, Salem
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