The Pickering Foundation was formed in 1951 to preserve the Pickering House, the family stories and history it reveals. It’s founding principle is to strive to be a vital community educational resource where history, preservation, and the Pickering family’s story come to life, so that visitors can appreciate and connect with their own American experience and the values of public service and democracy.

The 1660 House, the oldest in Salem, hosts guided tours and events such as lectures and talks on a variety of topics as they relate to the Pickering family and history; a history that goes back 11 generations on a single site. The House is just the start as it is sited on just under 2 acres in downtown Salem with an 1841 Barn that is utilized as an exhibit space.