Pets are not permitted at state historic sites.
The Daniel Webster
Birthplace State Historic Site is associated with the birth and early
childhood years of Daniel Webster, one of our country's most respected
orators and statesmen. While the site affords a view of the early years
of Daniel Webster, it also provides a glimpse of 1700s farm life in
the infant years of the United States.
When the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, Ebenezer Webster was operating
a mill and farming a stony tract of land in Salisbury, New Hampshire.
He shared a log cabin with his four children and second wife, Abigail
Eastman Webster. Ebenezer was a patriotic man who had served with "Roger's
Rangers" in the French and Indian Wars. He was active in Salisbury
town affairs, and when the call came for soldiers to fight the British,
he organized and captained a company of local volunteers.
Webster came home each winter during the war, but he depaRouted again
when the fighting resumed again in the spring. His family was growing.
Abigail gave birth to a daughter in 1779 and a son in 1780. During this
period Ebenezer built a two-room frame house to replace the crowded
in this new home that Abigail's fourth child, Daniel, was born on January
18, 1782. Thick snow probably blanketed the little house on that winter
day adding to the farm's isolation. Ebenezer was still away, serving
his final days in General Washington's army. Abigail must have been
glad to have her older children around her to help with the birth, fetching
buckets of water from the well and keeping a good fire going in the
1785 Ebenezer sold his farm and mill and moved the family to more fertile
land near the Merrimack River. The farm's new owner, Captain Stephen
Sawyer, built a large square farmhouse on the site. He also moved the
Webster's small house across the road and attached it to his new home
to form a shed, or ell.
passed through the hands of several owners until Judge George Nesmith
gave it to Daniel Webster in 1851. After his death it was sold again,
and finally in 1910 it was acquired by the Webster Birthplace Association.
The original cellar hole was located and cleared, and the frame house
moved back to its original foundation. In 1917 the restored house and
155 of the farm's original acres were deeded to the State of New Hampshire.
The house, associated with Daniel Webster's childhood, provides an intimate
snapshot of frontier life during the country's earliest years.
was obviously the center of the home, with the smell of freshly baked
bread drifting from the oven while a stew bubbled in an iron pot or
a haunch of venison roasted slowly on a spit. It is here where the family
would have gathered to talk, work and eat. By the flickering light of
hand-dipped candles they would also have read from the family Bible,
which was kept in the cupboard above the mantle.
in the corner of the main room lead to a loft, where the many Webster
children slept on cornhusk mattresses. Abigail and Ebenezer slept in
the house's second room, with baby Daniel in a wooden cradle similar
to the one now on display.
the house is believed to be original despite its several moves. The
fireplace was rebuilt using the original handmade bricks and hearthstone.
The attached woodshed and well surround are reconstruction's. Furnishings
such as the flax spinning wheel and kitchen utensils are typical of
a rustic farm of the period. Other items on display belonged to Daniel
Webster later in his life.
of Ebenezer Webster's mill can be found among the trees behind the house
near Punch Brook. The original mill was for sawing wood, but Ebenezer
also added a grist and cider mill. There are still some apple trees
near the house.
When the Webster family left their small home they moved to Elms Farm,
where Ebenezer ran a mill and also built and operated a tavern. They
later sold this property to finance Daniel and his brother at Dartmouth.
The family moved to a smaller house nearby. This new home eventually
passed to Daniel, who owned it until his death. It is now owned by the
Sisters of the Holy Cross and can be viewed from the outside.
Salisbury cemetery is on the same road as the Webster house. Ebenezer
and Abigail are buried there along with many other Websters. Daniel
is buried in Marshfield, Massachusetts. The Webster Birthplace and Elms
Farm were in the town of Salisbury, which was incorporated as a part
of Franklin in 1828.
Daniel Webster (1782-1852) was a frail and sickly child. He was given
only light chores to do and spent much of his time playing, fishing
and roaming the countryside, often in the company of his older brother,
Ezekiel. During this period, while he was building his physical strength,
he also developed a deep love of literature from reading the family
Bible and books borrowed from neighbors.
graduated from Dartmouth College in 1801 and became a lawyer and renowned
orator. He served as U.S. congressman from New Hampshire and Massachusetts;
and secretary of state under presidents Harrison, Tyler and Fillmore.
In all, he spent forty years in public service, helping to mold the
loose collection of states into a single unified nation. One theme in
particular stands out from his many impassioned speeches: "The
Union, one and inseparable, now and forever."
his later life was centered around Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.,
Daniel Webster never forgot his New Hampshire roots. He often returned
to visit old friends, fish in Punch Brook, and enjoy the robust social
life of the local taverns.
The Daniel Webster Birthplace is a state historic site managed by the
New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation, Department of Resources
and Economic Development. The birthplace staff can be reached on weekends during the
summer at 603/ 934-5057. The Franklin Historical Society provides living
history interpretation at the site on the weekends it is open. It also
offers a participatory living history program for school groups midweek
during May and June, on a reservation only basis. For information about
the school program or to make a reservation for a class visit call 603/736-8938.
From Tilton, exit 20 of Interstate 93, follow Route 3 south (west) through
Franklin to Route 127. Take 127 south and follow the signs to the Daniel
This information was posted on June 4, 2008 and all information, services and fees are
subject to change. For current information you may wish to call 603-271-3556
or contact the park directly.