The Daniels House is the oldest bed and breakfast in the country, constructed in 1667 by Stephen Daniels I and Stephen Daniels II, a father and son duo of Salem shipbuilders.
The home you see today is largely original to its 17th century First Period structure, with renovations done to keep original aspects of the house intact in 1756. The work was done by Samuel Silsbee, who was related to the Daniels through the marriage of his mother (Mary Daniels) to his father (Nathaniel Silsbee).
Samuel married Martha Prince in 1756, and eventually the property was given to their children who split it into two properties. After their children’s deaths, the two separate properties were sold to different families, and throughout its history served as multiple apartments, a boarding house, and worker housing, following a foreclosure during the Great Depression.
In the 50s, the first floor of the home ran as a historic tea room, and in 1962 it became a bed and breakfast for the first time under the ownership of Thomas and Catherine “Kay” Gill. The couple ran the building as a bed and breakfast until Kay’s death in 2018.
A year later, the B&B’s current owners Patrick Bentivegna and Adele Lee purchased the home. Today, the Daniels House is the oldest bed and breakfast in Salem, and in the U.S.
House tours are currently limited to private parties due to COVID-19, however the exterior of the house offers a beautiful view of this historic structure and an iconic photo op.
For more information, visit danielshousesalem.com.
