Martin Marsh (1777-July 26, 1865) was a

mason Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a worker who lays bricks to assist in brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cutti ...

, tavern keeper, and businessman from

Dedham, Massachusetts Dedham ( ) is a New England town, town in, and the county seat of, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on Boston's southwestern border, the population was 25,364 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. First settled by E ...

. He built

19 Court Street 19 Court Street is an historic building in Dedham, Massachusetts that was originally built in 1801 as a two-story, Federal-style single-family home. It was soon thereafter converted into a tavern, and hosted John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, and ...

in Dedham.

Personal life

Marsh was born in

Hingham, Massachusetts Hingham ( ) is a town in northern Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Plymouth County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Part of the Greater Boston region, it is located on the South Shore (Massachusetts), South Shore of Massachusetts. At the 2020 ...

in 1777 and moved to Dedham as a young adult. He joined the

First Church and Parish in Dedham The First Church and Parish in Dedham is a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Dedham, Massachusetts. It was the 14th church established in Massachusetts. The current minister, Rev. Rali M. Weaver, was called in March 2007, settled in July, and ...

and became a deacon there. He was responsible for managing the church's finances. Marsh was a large landowner in Dedham. He was married for nearly 66 years at the time of his death. Marsh had a son, Henry. He was a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

and a charter member of the

Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves The Society in Dedham for Apprehending Horse Thieves is one of the "oldest continually existing horse thief apprehending organization in the United States, and one of Dedham, Massachusetts, Dedham's most venerable social organizations." Since its ...

, which was formed at his tavern. He died in Dedham July 26, 1865. Marsh Street in Dedham was named for him.

Public life

Marsh was described as "public spirited ndat all times ready to aid in whatever might contribute to the improvement of society." For 36 years, he was chairman of the Board of Overseers of the House of Correction. He was also a selectman in Dedham for several terms. He was connected with the Fire Department in 1802 and was a candidate for a seat in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

in 1844.

Career

Marsh was a mason by trade. By 1803, he was successful enough to advertise for an apprentice. Marsh was repeatedly reëlected as a Director and Treasurer of the Norfolk Insurance Company and was "a watchful guardian of the interests" of the

Dedham Institution for Savings Dedham Savings is one of the oldest American banks still in operation and one of the oldest banks in the state of Massachusetts still doing business under its original charter. It is owned by the holding company 1831 Bancorp, which also owns S ...

Norfolk House

During the first few years of the 19th century, several turnpikes, including those linking Boston and Providence and Dedham and Hartford, were laid through Dedham. Inns and taverns sprung up along the new roads as more than 600 coaches would pass through Dedham each day on their way to Boston or Providence. As many as 40 coaches passed through town every day, and Dedham was the first stop on the way to Providence, or the last stop on the way to Boston. In 1802, Marsh built his brick home at what is today

and was then right on one of the new turnpikes. He obtained a 999-year lease from First Church for the land on June 15, 1801, for $30 a year. Marsh leased an adjoining parcel from the church on similar terms in 1809. He saw the traffic flowing daily past his house and quickly turned his home into a tavern. His establishment, the

Norfolk House Norfolk House was the London residence of the Howard family headed by the Dukes of Norfolk, and as such more than one building has been given this name. The first was opposite Lambeth Palace, set in acres of garden and orchards on a site o ...

, like the other inns and taverns in Dedham at that time, were bustling with the arrival of both the turnpikes and the courts. The tavern was affiliated with the

Tremont Stagecoach Line Tremont may refer to: Places * Tremont, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia * Tremont, Nova Scotia, Canada United States * Tremont, Illinois * Tremont, Indiana * Tremont, Maine * Tremont, Mississippi * Tremont, Bronx, New York * Tremont, ...

. It had a fierce competition with the Phoenix Hotel's

Citizen Stagecoach Line Citizenship is a membership and allegiance to a sovereign state. Though citizenship is often conflated with nationality in today's English-speaking world, international law does not usually use the term ''citizenship'' to refer to nationality; ...

. Though he wanted to sell it as early as 1814, Marsh maintained the tavern until 1818, and then sold it to Moses Gray and Francis Alden.

Notes

References

Works cited

* * {{Authority control Dedham, Massachusetts selectmen Deacons at First Church and Parish in Dedham Businesspeople from Dedham, Massachusetts