11 Most Endangered
Daniel Webster Farm
Year Listed: 2005
Location: New Hampshire
Current Status: Saved
Threat: Deterioration, Development
Daniel Webster, one of America's foremost statesmen and most dynamic orators, maintained his family's Franklin farm outside of Concord, New Hampshire, as a retreat, model stock farm, and meeting place until his death in 1852. In 1871, the farm became the site of a home and school for children orphaned in the Civil War - one of the first such institutions to be located in a healthful rural environment. Today, Webster's home-a National Historic Landmark-still stands on the 141-acre property, along with several surviving orphanage buildings. But the home and buildings face an uncertain future at the hands of a developer who has a purchase agreement to buy the farm. Although the Franklin zoning board has denied his initial proposal to build 130 homes on the property, he may proceed with a less-dense development that would destroy the integrity of Daniel Webster's beloved Elms Farm.
Update
The Trust for Public Land (TPL), along with the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance (NHPA), and the Webster Farm Preservation Association (WFPA), announced the successful completion of the effort to permanently preserve Daniel Webster’s historic 141-acre farm in Franklin. As a result of the conservation project, the scenic riverfront farmland will never be developed, and the historic buildings, including Daniel Webster’s family home, will be permanently protected.
