Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-07
nae MERsTER FARnr.
sale of the Historic Estate at Marsh
feId-History Of It's Original Purchase
by the ssGodllke Daniel

sale of the Historic Estate at Marsh
feId-History Of It's Original Purchase
by the "Godlike Daniel
Renewed interest has been awakened,
esays a Quincy Mass. letter to the Boston
/ Globe, IN the historic old Webster place at
/ Green Harbor. Marshfeld, by the recent
announcement of its purchase by Mr..
Walton Hall, of this town, for SIS, 900 from
/ the surviving heir, Mrs. Caroline, widow
/ Of the late Col. Fletcher Webster. Mr..
Hall comes into possession Of the place,
/ which for the second time IN its history is
owned BY another than Webster.
1t is nearly so years ago, or, TO be
more accurate, in the early autumn OF
| 1924, that one Of those old-fashioned We
/ hicles. know as a "chaise,' was being
/ leisurely drawn over a country road,
/ through the ancient town of Marshfeld,
\ by a sleek, well-conditiOned beast. In
| the chaise was a gentleman, accompanied
| by his wife and children. The party were
| en- route from Sandwich, where they had
been passing the summer, to their home in
Boston. The gentleman was none other
than the great statesman, Daniel Web
ster. As the party proceeded on their
| Journey, enjoying the beautiful scenery
| and catching a glimpse, now and then, OF
the comfortable farms. scattered here and
there along their path. farm, more pleas
| antIy situated than any they had yet seen,
| attracted the attention of Mrs. Webster,
and, at her solicitations, the party stop
ped to pass few hours and refresh them
selves.
They were received with genuine New
England hospitality by warm-hearted
Capt. John Thomas and his family, and
upon learning who his distinguished WISH
tors were they pressed them TO extend
their visit for a short period; and, as
result their few hours merged INTO several
days sojourn. From this casual visit
there sprang up an intimacy between Mr..
| Webster and Farmer Thomas, which rip
ened into a firm friendship, resulting in
the selection of the Thomas farm by Mr..
Webster's family for their summer resort,
and for several years they passed the
warm months beneath Capt. Thomas hos
pitable roof.
In 1881 Capt. Thomas, who was APP
preaching the age Of 70, felt the cares and
| responsibility of the place becoming too
| burdensOme for his advancing years, and
disposed of the farm, which had been in
! the family from time immemorlal. to Mr..
| Webster. The estate comprised 16O acres.
| The old house, which was built in 1865,
was a substantial, square old mansion,
such as was usually to be found among
the well-to-do New England people. 1t
had four or five good rooms and spacious
hall on the ground floor, half dozen
chambers on the second story, and the
usual office and sleeping apartments for
the servants. Mr.. Webster made numer-
| Gus additions to the old mansion from
time to time, as more room was needed,
and this building renamed intact until
its destruction by fire a few years ago.
| The old mansion was replaced by mod
ern structure by Mr.. Webster's heirs,
which was erected in 1880, and which is
now standing. Capt. Thomas remained
an inmate of Mr.. Webster's family until
his decease, which occurred in 1887.
The Thomas farm formed the nucleus of
that vast estate which Mr.. Webster accu-
INFLATED from time to time by the acquire
ment Of other surrounding property, and
| which, at the time of his decease, twelve
years after his original purchase, had in
creased until the estate comprised 1880
acres.
Here Mr.. Webster spent his leisure mo-
ments, when not actively engaged In pro-
| fessiOnal duties, and it was here that the
eminent statesman passed the last years
of his useful life after retiring from the
world of politics. Many distinguished
| guest was right royalty entertained upon
| the Webster farm during Mr.. Webster's
proprietorship, and in the.palmy days of
the old Marshtield estate the table was
amply supplied from the products of his
| own farm and the wealth of the adjacent
sea. His own beef, mutton and poultry,
fish which had swan the same morning
in the sea, wild fowl which had hardly
landed upon his broad domain, with the
numerous luxuries of the vegetable gar
den and fruits in their season were placed
before his guests.
The estate has been considerably re-
duced in area since Mr.. Webster's de-
cease, in 1852, by sales, until at the pres
ent time the original homestead contains
only 1850 acres-the exact number of acres
purchased of Capt. Thomas by Mr.. Web
ster 60 years ago. The place has been oc-
cupied by the surviving members Of Mr..
Webster's family during the summer
months, but now, for the first time in
half century, the property comes into the
hands of a stranger.