The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association as we know it today was established in  1910 and had grown out of the philanthropic work of our founder, Caroline Emmerton and the  Salem Settlement Committee to serve Salem’s immigrant population. Over the last nearly 120  years, Settlement work has changed with the needs of the groups it serves. While many  Settlement Associations closed over the course of the 20th century, the legacy, and in many  cases the community offerings, remain. Additionally, the immigrant groups in Salem, their  stories, and their contributions have changed, creating a more colorful and diverse cultural  fabric here in Salem and the North Shore. This year’s Community Conversations series will  focus on the history of the Settlement movement, the cultures of the groups with whom we  work, and what Settlement and Salem looks like today. 

Immigrants and refugees have historically contributed to the vast and varied collective of  American performing arts, bringing vibrant talent and traditions from their native homelands to 

make the United States the cornucopia of cultural heritage that it is today. To celebrate our  continuing mission to sustain our Settlement Program, join us at The House of the Seven  Gables for Foreign Soil: Common Ground, an exuberant chamber music performance that  features compositions by seven composers who hail from six countries with populations that  have historically emigrated to the United States, and who themselves left their native  homelands to build cultural bridges and lasting artistic legacies through their contributions to  the oeuvre of classical music.