The Isaac Winslow House, also known as the Winslow House Museum, is a mansion located in Marshfield,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

built around 1700. The house is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

History of the Isaac Winslow House

The Isaac Winslow House is the ancestral home of the founding family of Marshfield and was considered an avant-garde South Shore mansion. The Isaac Winslow House was built circa 1699. This was the third house built on land granted to Governor Edward Winslow (1595–1655) in the 1630s who erected the first homestead. Built by Judge

Isaac Winslow Isaac Winslow ( – December 14, 1738) was an American politician and military officer who lived in Marshfield, Massachusetts. A member of the prominent Winslow family of the Plymouth Colony, he served as a civil and military official in a per ...

, the house is virtually untouched by modernization. It has been occupied by a family of governors, generals, doctors, lawyers and judges who helped to create Marshfield and the South Shore. It survives as an example of how well-to-do landed gentry, particularly

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

, lived in the years prior to the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Among its occupants were General John Winslow, leader of the Massachusetts militia, who is best known for his role in the

expulsion of the Acadians The Expulsion of the Acadians, also known as the Great Upheaval, the Great Expulsion, the Great Deportation, and the Deportation of the Acadians (french: Le Grand Dérangement or ), was the forced removal, by the British, of the Acadian peo ...

from

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

—an event commemorated by Longfellow in his epic poem ''

Evangeline ''Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie'' is an epic poem by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written in English and published in 1847. The poem follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel, set during t ...

''. His son, Isaac Winslow, was a Loyalist doctor who quarantined and inoculated many Marshfield and

Duxbury Duxbury (alternative older spelling: "Duxborough") is a historic seaside town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb located on the South Shore approximately to the southeast of Boston, the population was 16,090 at the 20 ...

residents afflicted with smallpox. Largely because of his actions, his property was not confiscated after the Revolution. Another notable occupant was the manservant

Briton Hammon Briton Hammon was an enslaved person of African descent who lived in British North America during the middle of the 18th century. On December 25, 1747, by leave of his master, Hammon left his home in Marshfield, Massachusetts to board a ship in n ...

, who after voyaging at sea, being captured by Indians off the coast of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, and his subsequent escape and reconciliation with former master John Winslow, wrote his life story, becoming among the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

s to have published his work in the New World. The house remained in the Winslow family until 1822, and was later owned by

Daniel Webster Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison ...

. It was restored and opened to the public in 1920. The house was added to the

in 2000.

Museum

A tour of the home shows antiques and architecture from the Winslow period, and includes items such as a chest built by

Newburyport Newburyport is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, northeast of Boston. The population was 18,289 at the 2020 census. A historic seaport with vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The mo ...

furniture maker Edmond Titcomb in 1700, and a Queen Anne dresser constructed around 1760. The

Daniel Webster Law Office The Daniel Webster Law Office and Library, also known as Daniel Webster Law Office, is a National Historic Landmark on the grounds of the Isaac Winslow House at 64 Careswell Street in Marshfield, Massachusetts. The office was built in 1832 for D ...

, a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

, is on the grounds of the museum. It contains original letters and artifacts relating to the former congressman, Senator and Secretary of State who lived in Marshfield for the last twenty years of his life. Also on the grounds is a carriage shed housing Webster's one-horse phaeton, as well as Marshfield's own

Concord stagecoach The Concord coach is a type of horse-drawn coach, often used as stagecoaches, mailcoaches, and hotel coaches. The term was first used for the coaches built by coach-builder J. Stephen Abbot and wheelwright Lewis Downing of the Abbot-Downing Com ...

once used to transport passengers from Marshfield to Hingham, and a

brougham Brougham may refer to: Transport * Brougham (carriage), a light four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage * Brougham (car body), an automobile with a similar style Automobile models * Cadillac Brougham, 1987–1992 * Chrysler New Yorker Brougham, c. 1 ...

formerly owned by a railroad magnate. A working blacksmith shop is on site and has been a favorite spot for many Marshfield school children on field trips to the house. Across the street is the 1857 Winslow Schoolhouse, and it shows how a school day would have been conducted prior to the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. The Tea Room, built in 1920 to serve turkey dinners used to raise money for the Winslow House restoration, is still in use for functions, lectures, field trips and dinners and can be rented out by private parties. Since 1920, the Winslow House has been the property of the Winslow House Association, a non-profit group created specifically to promote and sustain the long-term well-being of the home. It is open to the public for tours on Wednesday through Sunday from

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

Columbus Day Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. ...

, and maintains a full schedule of dinners, lectures, concerts and other community events.

References

External links

*
Historic Winslow House Association
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Historic house museums in Massachusetts Museums in Plymouth County, Massachusetts Open-air museums in Massachusetts Houses in Plymouth County, Massachusetts Marshfield, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Plymouth County, Massachusetts Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Plymouth County, Massachusetts Georgian architecture in Massachusetts

History of the Isaac Winslow House

Museum

See also

References

External links