HISTORIC HOME FEATURE:
Phillips House – Salem Historic Home Feature
History & Architecture
The house dates back to 1821, but its core includes four intact rooms from an even earlier house (Oak Hill, near Danvers) that were transported by ox sled to Chestnut Street to serve as part of the new Federal-style mansion.
Over the 19th century it was owned by various families, served as a boarding house and school at times, and went through stylistic changes. When the Phillips family (Anna Wheatland Phillips and Stephen Willard Phillips) bought it in 1911, they had a major renovation in the Colonial Revival style.
The renovation made the house more modern for its time: electrification, updated plumbing/bathrooms, modern heating, etc. They also removed some of the more “Victorian” add-ons to restore or give Federal / Colonial parameters.
What You’ll See: Inside & Collections
The tour shows both the grand “public” rooms (dining room, parlors, upstairs bedrooms) and the working spaces: kitchen, pantry, domestic staff bedroom. These latter rooms give insight into how a large house was run in the early 20th century.
There’s also a carriage house with antique carriages and vintage automobiles (for instance a 1929 Model A Ford, Pierce-Arrow cars).
Collections reflect the Phillips family’s wealth and global interests: furniture, artworks, export porcelain, Persian carpets, souvenirs from travel (Hawaii, Polynesia), etc.
You’ll also see details of the staff’s rooms and quarters, which are often less shown in historic house museums, offering a fuller picture of domestic life at that period.
Visitor Info
Hours: The house is open to the public Thursday through Sunday (11 am–4 pm) from June through mid-September; then in fall (including October) more days including some Mondays.
Admission: There’s a fee (something like ~$20 for adults, lower for seniors/students/children). Historic New England members often have free entry.
Tours: Guided tours of the full house are offered. There are also specialty/group tours (e.g., “Irish Experience,” or behind-the-scenes tours focusing on house technology, staff life, etc.).
Accessibility: There are stairs and some physical challenges; first-floor areas may be more accessible.
What Makes It Special
Phillips House stands out because it is not only architecturally beautiful, but also very well preserved in terms of contents and family life. Objects from the Phillips family’s generations are there, which gives a vivid sense of what life was like in a wealthy Salem household in the early 1900s. Also, the inclusion of domestic staff’s spaces makes the story more complete—it isn’t just about the owners and the big rooms, but how the house functioned.
Phillips House Halloween / October Events 2025
Wicked Wednesdays at Phillips House
Dates: October 15, 22, and 29, 2025 — from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.What it is: Relaxed, family-friendly afternoons in the Phillips House backyard with games and fall crafts. There’s also a family-themed house tour every half-hour from about 3:30-5:00 PM. Pricing: Member families pay $5, non-members $10. Salem residents should call for a discount.
Guided House Tour
October 26, 2025, 6:00 PM — a 45-minute guided tour of Phillips House, featuring its history and interiors.
Historic New England’s Phillips House regular tours & seasonal programs
The mansion is open Thursday through Sunday, plus October Mondays, with seasonal programming, antique cars/carriages on display, etc