The House of the Seven Gables follows a New England family and their ancestral home. Hawthorne's inspiration was a house in Salem belonging to cousin Susanna Ingersoll and ancestors of Hawthorne who had played a part in the Salem Witch Trials. The house is believed to be haunted since its construction by fraudulent dealings, accusations of witchcraft, and sudden death. Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist writing centers on New England, many featuring moral allegories with a Puritan inspiration and centering on the inherent evil and sin of humanity.