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The Elisha Marston House
home of the Sandwich Historical Society |
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This building was built ca. 1850 and was the home of "Uncle" Elisha Marston
(1801-1902) and "Aunt" Lucy Marston (1806-1882).
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Elisha Marston was in born in Moultonboro, September 9, 1801. His father was John Marston, who
was born in Hampton, N. H. and his mother was Nancy, daughter of General John
Moulton of Hampton. His father was a soldier in the revolutionary war and drew a
pension for injuries received during his time at war. His parents moved to
Sandwich in 1811, at which time there were fewer than a dozen houses in what is
now known as the "Center".
At the age of 15,
Elisha was apprenticed to James Hoag "to learn the tanner's trade". He remained
with Mr. Hoag for five years, and then started in business himself. He
carried on the tanning business from 1823 to 1863, when he began the manufacture
of shoes and continued the same until 1881. Elisha also owned rental and
investment properties. He also listed himself at one time as a farmer.
He was married in
1829 to Miss Lucy Sophia Ferris, a well-educated
woman, who received a teacher’s certificate at
age 14. Together, they had six children, two of which died in
infancy.
In an interview
with the Boston Daily Globe on August 22, 1892 when he was 91, Elisha stated:
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"I have lived under every president but Washington and can remember the war of
1812 quite plainly." |
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"For
many years after I came to this place there was not even a stage line
through here, and when the stages began to run to North Conway they
went through what is known as the 'Lower
Corner' and our nearest post office
for many years after was at this place, two
miles away."
"I can well recall the time when railroads were not even thought of,
and I used
to go to Boston with a team of horses and get my green hides to tan."
"When I used to go to Boston with my team there was not a railroad of
any kind
in the country. Many wonderful inventions have been wrought by
man since
then. I visit my son in Lowell every year and I have ridden there
upon the
electric cars and like them very much."
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"This is where I think there has been no improvement over the old style.
People live too high nowadays and health is sacrificed. We used to live
well in
old times having brown-bread, pork, beans and plain and simple foods,
good
enough for anyone."
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After Elisha's wife
died in 1882, his youngest son, Enoch Q. (1847-1904), came back to Sandwich in
1884 to practice medicine and to care for his father at the family home.
Dr. Marston graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1876, and
practiced at the Tewksbury Almshouse. Then he was in charge of
the women's ward in the hospital for the insane in Worchester, Massachusetts,
where he served three years. Dr. Marston was a community leader and was
appointed Health Officer to the town of Sandwich in 1888 and a Mason in 1884.
He was greatly interested in historical and genealogical research. He
brought with him his wife, Emma, an accomplished musician and a teacher
of music. Before their marriage, Emma was a copiest in the State House in
Boston. The Marstons were also very active in the community,
especially in the library which was housed in their home for some years.
After the death of Mrs.
Marston in 1907, the house came into the hands of the Nickerson family of
Tamworth into which Elisha's daughter Sarah had married. Mrs. Emma Gilman,
the widow of A.S.A. Gilman, bought it from the Nickerson's and it was her home
until purchased by the Sandwich Historical Society, who retained Mrs. Gilman as
caretaker and curator until 1937. The Elisha
Marston House Museum is currently the home of the Sandwich Historical Society,
which was founded in
1917. The museum houses a splendid collection of Sandwich artifacts,
photos, documents, and paintings.
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