Daniel Webster

A Marshfield mansion has close ties to Daniel Webster, a prominent 19th-century American statesman.

Webster purchased the original farmhouse and 100 acres in 1832, eventually expanding the estate to 1,800 acres.

The original home burned down in 1878 but was rebuilt on the same foundation by Webster's daughter-in-law.

The only original structure remaining from Webster's time is his restored law office, which was returned to the property in 2015.

A Queen Anne-style mansion at the end of a long driveway off Webster Street in Marshfield has a close connection to one of the country’s most influential figures during the first half of the 19th century — Daniel Webster.

“He loved to come to Marshfield,” said Barbara Carney, co-vice president of the Daniel Webster Preservation Trust, which takes care of the house, owned by the Town of Marshfield. “He loved the peace and solitude. Though the property is located off a main road, the driveway, which Webster used to call ‘The Avenue,’ takes visitors away from the noise to an area very quiet and private.”

Webster could certainly use the break from his work as a lawyer, diplomat, politician and statesman.

“He served in the U.S. Congress representing New Hampshire and Massachusetts and was the secretary of state for three presidents — William Henry Harrison, John Tyler and Millard Fillmore,” Carney said.

Born and raised in Salisbury, New Hampshire, Webster attended Dartmouth College, where he honed his public speaking skills. He was an honor student, graduating at age 19 in 1801, then studied law under a prominent New Hampshire lawyer.

He taught for a short time at Fryeburg Academy in Maine before obtaining a clerk position under prestigious Boston attorney Christopher Gore.

“He learned a lot about politics and met many New England politicians through Gore,” Carney said. “He was admitted to the bar in 1805.”

Webster set up a law practice in New Hampshire and became increasingly involved with politics, eventually landing a seat representing New Hampshire as a Federalist in Congress in 1813. He returned to Boston to focus on his law practice and then reentered politics, becoming a Massachusetts congressman in 1823.

Daniel Webster's move to Marshfield

Traveling to Boston from Cape Cod where Webster often vacationed, he would visit John Thomas at Thomas' farmhouse estate in Marshfield. Webster purchased the property, which included 100 acres, in 1832 and allowed Thomas to continue to live in the house until Thomas’ death in 1837.

Webster, who had an interest in agriculture and horticulture, would acquire 1,800 acres by 1840.

The estate, which Webster called “Green Harbor,” encompassed land in Marshfield that is now the Green Harbor Golf Course, the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary, the Isaac Winslow House and other conservation and recreation land.

“He did a lot of farming on his property and was known as ‘The Farmer of Marshfield,’” Carney said. “He enjoyed hunting and fishing. There was a pond in the back part of his property, and he put an island in the middle of it so his fowl would be safe from predators.”

John James Audubon, a friend of Webster’s, would visit the estate and was given tours of the property by Webster. Both men would take note at various birds and wildlife that were seen.

When Webster died in 1852, he left the estate to his son, Daniel “Fletcher” Webster and daughter-in-law, Caroline. Fletcher would die in 1862 at the Second Battle of Bull Run, and the house burned to the ground in 1878.

The current mansion was built by Caroline Webster shortly thereafter on the same foundation as the original house.

“The history of the house is what stands out for me,” Carney said. “It’s a beautiful mansion.”

A historic treasure

The property passed through several hands over the years, even serving as a day camp for many years before a 1995 Town Meeting vote approved purchasing 14 acres of the estate for $500,000, with approximately half of the cost being covered by a state grant.

In 2015, a small freestanding building on the estate that had been used by Webster as a law library and office was returned fully restored to the estate after being kept nearby on the grounds of the Winslow House.

This law office is the only original part of Webster’s estate that remains.

Today, tours of the estate are offered to the public and numerous events are held on-site, including weddings and the upcoming Christmas Show House.

“It really is a treasure,” Carney said of the estate. “Daniel Webster was such a big part of U.S. history.”