(5) Daniel Wing “Jr.” Sandwich (Owl MAR 1902, p. 43 called Daniel “Sr.” homestead)

     See Owl SEP 1903, pp. 197-200; 208-9; 1976, pp. 4242-4 [also photos]

Daniel Jr. and his sister Lydia Abbott obtained grants here about 1686, starting the holding which under his son Zaccheus Wing became a handsome two-residence farm, parts of which were still with the family until 1965. (Sandwich: A Cape Cod Town p. 130)

Daniel Wing (1691 – 1740)

     About a mile from Sandwich, nestling at the foot of hills at the head of the lower pond, surrounded by a growth of shrubbery and trees, stands the ancient Daniel Wing house. Its age is still problematical. Daniel purchased the land upon which it stands of Andrew Hallett in 1640. In September, the year following, he married Hannah Swift. It is probable that he immediately set about building his home, and that it is in this house that his twelve children were born; that it was here that he brought down the wrath of the Plymouth authorities upon himself by "entertaining Quakers," and that it was within its walls that he died, March 10, 1697. It is to be regretted that this ancient seat of the family has, within the present generation, passed into the hands of strangers… This old homestead, of interest to hundreds of the descendants of Daniel Wing, scattered throughout the land, was first sold out of the family to Mr. Elwell by the heirs of Ebenezer Wing. Mr. Wing died at Sandwich in 1859, a bachelor. His line of descent was through Paul⁶, Zaccheus⁵, Daniel⁴, to Daniel³, the builder. It is probable that the property came down to Ebenezer through his ancestors we have named. (Owl, MAR 1902, pp. 42-3)

Mr. Hoxie was also of the opinion that Daniel Wing, after his marriage to Hannah Dillingham in 1686, settled “up near the woods, somewhat by himself,” and that he was the first to live upon the Wing homestead upon upper Lake Shawme, now owned by a Mr. Crane. When Daniel was 67 years old in 1731, his son Zaccheus married Content Swift, and Daniel conveyed to Zaccheus the same year, “all the upland salt and fresh meadow land, swampy ground and wood lots which I am now the owner or proprietor of in the town of Sandwich with the orchards, fruit trees, underwood and fences Belonging to all or any of said lands with the south-westerly end of my dwelling house and the Chamber over it (after my decease and my wife’s the other part of the house also) together with my barn and all other buildings on said lands.” The consideration stated was 400 pounds. (Owl

Zaccheus Wing (1740 – 1784)

     Daniel Jr. gave the southwest end of his house to his son Zaccheus in 1731 on Zaccheus’ marriage to Content Swift, and Zaccheus got the whole property on Daniel’s demise in 1740. Zaccheus in turn lived in old age with his son Paul where he had always lived… As we see the family evidence then, the house which is now the Heritage office was started about 1686 on the marriage of Daniel Jr., and a wing or ell was added by 1731 to allow space for two families. The house probably took its full colonial form about 1740 following Daniel’s death. Zaccheus was well-to-do, and became a large landowner. He and his son Paul lived there jointly…. (Owl 1976, pp. 4242-4)

Paul Wing (1784 – 1810)

     Paul’s large family included Paul Jr., Lydia and Ebenezer who were the last Wings to occupy the house, Lydia dying in 1863… [I]n the next generation, Ebenezer and his sister Lydia occupied one-half while Paul Jr. and his wife occupied the other. (Owl 1976, pp. 4242)

Ebenezer Wing (1810 - 1859)

     The house is shown in the 1857 property map as Eben Wing’s. Ebenezer died in 1859, but the house was known long after as the Eben Wing place. (Owl 1976, p. 4242)

     The property remained an active farm up to about the 1850’s when Paul died, and Ebenezer was elderly. Firsthand accounts tell of three separate orchard areas and of at least 40 different varieties of apples being grown on the property. An inscription “1843HR” in one chimney probably refers to new fireplace and chimney arrangements when the house went over to stones. (Owl 1976, pp. 4242-4)

     This old homestead, of interest to hundreds of the descendants of Daniel Wing, scattered throughout the land, was first sold out of the family to Mr. Elwell by the heirs of Ebenezer Wing.  Mr. Wing died at Sandwich in 1859, a bachelor.  His line of descent was through Paul,6 Zaccheus,5 Daniel,4 to Daniel,3 the builder. It is probable that the property came down to Ebenezer through his ancestors we have named. (Stated to be the original home of Daniel in Owl SEP 1903, p. 197)

Unknown (ca 1870 – 1885)

After the death of Eben Wing the heirs sold to a "gentleman from New York" and the house was occupied by his agent, George Lamphear.  It was sold to John Murray and John S. Smith of Sandwich, I do not have a date.  in 1885 to was sold to Prof. F. Edwin Elwell, a sculptor from New York. (e-mail Barbara Gill {Sandwich Archives} to Raymond Wing 2 AUG 2007)

F(rank). Edwin Elwell (1885 – 1903)

Bought Shawme Farm in 1885 as a summer home and called it the Acropolis (also Walnut Hill Farm). He turned a poultry house in an orchard into a studio. He also raised goats. (e-mail from Jennifer Madden of Heritage Museums & Gardens JUL 2007) 

John Josiah Crane (1903 – 1921) (OWL SEP 1903 p. 208)

Retired to Sandwich about 1900-1901 and bought what was then called the Upper House. (ibid)

John J. Crane purchased the property in 1903. (e-mail Barbara Gill {Sandwich Archives} to Raymond Wing 2 AUG 2007)

Charles Owen Dexter (1921 – 1945) (1943 Annals, p. 14)

In 1921 he purchased the run-down dairy farm which was to be his subsequent home in Sandwich. (www.rosebay.org/chapterweb/rosebay/vol_4_no_2.htm)

The internationally-known Charles Owen Dexter was the next own of the land. He bought the property, then known as Shawme Farm, in 1921... At the age of 59, Mr. Dexter was told that he wouldn’t have long to live. This dire health prediction led him to purchase Shawme Farm. But however, despite the warning, he lived for another 22 years. Beginning in 1921, Mr. Dexter and his wife spent summers at the farm and for the next 15 years he worked in his garden hybridizing plants... In 1935, he moved to the farm full-time and commuted to work every day.

     During the twenty-two years that he lived at Shawme Farm, he developed between 150,000 to 200,000 seedlings and gave many away... Mr. Dexter died in 1943 and following his death, his wife, who had not interest in continuing his work, sold many of the plants.

     The Dexter estate changed hands four times between 1945 and its acquisition by Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Lilly III who founded Heritage Museums & Gardens (formerly known as Heritage Plantation). ... Stanley Berns, the owner who sold Shawme Farm to the Lilly’s, did attempt to continue some work with rhododendrons. His grounds superintendent from 1959 to 1967 was Jack Cowles, who with his wife, Eveleth, hybridized several plants which have gained recognition in the botanical world. (http://www.heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/history)

Eben Woods (1945-1946)

Mrs. Dexter (the widow of Charles O. Dexter) sold the farm to Eben Woods and moved to Connecticut. (e-mail from Jennifer Madden of Heritage Museums & Gardens JUL 2007) 

Col. Roy Brown (1946-1951)

Louise Schmalz (1951-1956)

Stanley Berns (1956-1967)

Hired Jack Cowles to tend to the estate in May 1958. Mr. Cowles continued to work there until it was sold to Josiah K. Lilly, III in 1967.

Josiah Kirby Lilly, III (1967 - ) of Falmouth.

Purchased the estate of Charles O. Dexter in 1967. In 1969 Heritage Plantation was opened to the public by Mr. Lilly. (Sandwich, MA Local Comprehensive Plan adopted 6 MAY 1996, Appendix 3, p. 110) The administrative Building for Heritage Plantation (now Heritage Museum and Gardens) is the original homestead of Daniel Wing, Jr.

It has been stated in The Owl a number of times that the ancient house at Sandwich, now occupied by Mrs. Elizabeth Wing, was originally the home of Daniel, son of the first Daniel Wing of Sandwich. For some time we have had a suspicion that this was incorrect and we are glad to give place to the following note from Annie Brown Hoxie, wife of Prof. Hoxie, of Philadelphia: “About the old homes. I am strongly inclined to think that Samuel, son of Daniel, Jr., was the man who built Asa’s house. What Uncle Newell Hoxie says about “the orchard, east of and near his brother Zaccheus,” we think would mean that place. And Uncle Newell certainly thought Daniel, Jr. lived at the ‘Uncle Eben place’. Also his son Zaccheus, and his son Paul.” The late Newell Hoxie, referred to by our correspondent, gave careful study to the places of habitation of the early Sanwich settlers, and his opinions upon that subject are entitled to great weight. (Owl MAR 1903, p. 151)