Marston Family Home in Hyannis Port

Historical Significance: This house has been owned by 10 members of four or five families in the past 221 years: Timeline:

  |1786..............................|1826..................................................|1887.................................................|1946......|1959.....................................|2007

  | Bassetts?.......................| Marstons...........................................| Smiths.................................... .........|Wendem| Shermans.............................|

  | 40yrs.............................| 61 years............................................| 59 years...........................................| 13yr......| 47 years...............................|

Stephen Davis's argument that Joseph Bassett was the builder and first resident is partially supported by Census, early maps and family history. Both the Historic Commission and Davis agree that the house was built in 1786. Though the Town of Barnstable Historical Commission Survey of Historic Homes* indicates that in 1786 Winslow Marston was the builder and the first resident of the old house at 70 Marston Avenue, this is unsupported by Census, Family or Probate records. The biographical facts of Winslow Marston and Nymphas Marston are accurately given, whether or not they built and/or lived in the house.

*Snowden, Laurie P., recorder. Barnstable Historical Commission, "Form B - Building, area B, Form no. 38, Winston Marston House". Boston: Massachusetts Historical Commission, June, 1981.

Family History of the Bassetts in Hyannis Port

             Joseph Bassett¹ m: 1706\
                                          Daniel Bassett¹ Sr. b: 1710 m:1735 in Yarmouth\ 
                                                             Daniel Bassett² Jr. b:1736 in Yarmouth m: 1755, d: 1795\
                                                                                   Joseph Bassett²  b: 1763 m: 1786 d: 1855
                                                                                   Daniel Bassett ³  b:1771, m 1793?\
                                                                                                    Nathan Bassett b1793
                                                                                                    Daniel Bassett ⁴  b 1802  m 1834
                                                                                               ? Prince Bassett b1822
                                                                                                                                                                                                1735 - Daniel Bassett¹, Sr., born Nov. 11, 1710, Married Elizabeth Crowell, born about 1714, in Yarmouth July 1 or 17, 1735 and they had a son Daniel Bassett² Jr. born Aug. 7, 1736 in Yarmouth.  On March 20, 1741/2 in Barnstable County, Elizabeth petitioned the Court for permission to be married a second time because her husband, Daniel Bassett had deserted her. Permission to remarry was given.
      Elizabeth Crowell remarried to Hezekiah Marchant, born 27 May 1713 in Yarmouth, on May 2, 1742 Cached They moved with her son Daniel Bassett Jr. (age 6) to Hyannis Port. Their children: James Marchant born August 5, 1743 and Hezekiah Marchant born August 28, 1749 were both born in Yarmouth. The family lived in humble circumstances and was not wealthy or influential.

  Their home on Marchant Mill Rd., shown at left, was built about 1750 and is still standing on the grounds of the Hyannis Port Golf Club.

It is the oldest house in Hyannis Port. (photo Marchant House 2004)
  Mr. HEZEKIAH MARCHANT died May 19, 1792 at age 78. (Gravestone photo) Mrs. Elisabeth Crowell Bassett Marchant died Sept. 10. 1793 at age 81. (Gravestone photo)   They are buried in Hyannis, South Street Cemetery  (aka Old, Ancient or Paupers Cemetery), the oldest cemetery in Hyannis.

At age 19, Daniel Bassett Jr. and Hannah Studley were married March 5, 1755.

     At age 27, Daniel Bassett Jr. and Hannah Studley had a son Joseph Bassett born on April 21, 1763 in Hyannis.  

     At age 29,  Daniel Bassett Jr was selected at Town Meeting to be hog rever. (ie. animal control officer)

     At age 33, Daniel Bassett Jr. and Hannah Studley had a son, Seth Bassett born on June 27, 1769 in Hyannis.

     At age 35, Daniel Bassett Jr. and Hannah Studley had a son Daniel Bassett³ born on August 26, 1771 in Hyannis.

     At age 36, In 1772, Daniel Bassett Jr. was selected at Town Meeting to be Tythingman - 6. 

     At age 39, On July 1, 1775, Daniel Bassett Jr. enlisted in the Military  Capt. Joshua Gray's co, Barnstable.2d Lieutenant, and was discharged Dec. 31, 1775; service, 6 mos. 5 days.

    On Feb. 21, 1776 Daniel Basset, Barnstable was commissioned1st Lieutenant, Mass. militia, Capt. Joshua Gray's co., Col. Cary's regiment.; company raised to serve until April, 1776;

    also, 2d Lieutenant, Capt. Micah Hamblin's co., Col. Thomas Marshall's regiment.; list of officers; commissioned July 5, 1776;    also, pay roll for service from May 14, 1776, to Aug. 1, 1776, 2 mos. 19 days, dated Castle Island; Bassett, Daniel.1st Lieutenant, Capt. Micah Hamlin's co., Col. Thomas Marshall's regiment.; pay roll for service from Aug. 1, 1776, to Oct. 31, 1776, 3 mos.

   also, pay roll for Nov., 1776.

     At age 41- Daniel Bassett Jr was selected at Town Meeting to be on a committee of six townsmen to procure men for the Continental Army. also, 1st Lieutenant, Capt. John Russell's co., Col. Gamaliel Bradford's regiment.; list of officers of Mass. Line; commissioned March 11. Also, Continental Army pay accounts for service from Jan. 1, 1777, to Nov. 26, 1777; resigned Nov. 26, 1777; reported commissioned Nov. 6, 1776.

    At age 42, In 1778, Daniel Bassett Jr was selected at Town Meeting to be deer rever. Also, he was allowed 5 Pounds for his time and expense in procuring men for public service.
    At age 45, on Oct. 15,1780 Daniel Bassett Jr was elected at Town Meeting to be Constable for the East end of Barnstable @ $1,150. but then voted to be excused from serving. Also, a large white ram was taken at large and brought to be posted by Daniel Bassett. Posted eight days.
    In 1781 Daniel Bassett Jr was chosen with seven others at Town Meeting to be Surveyor of Highways. In 1785 Barnstable Town Clerk records that Leut. Daniel Basset’s mark for his creatures is a crop of the left ear and a cut under the same and a ½ cross and a half feney?  X On underside of right ear.
   Lt. Daniel Bassett Jr. died October 1795 at age 59 only two years after his mother, Mrs. Elisabeth Crowell Bassett Marchant who died Sept. 10. 1793 at age 81. A humble man, It is likely that he was still living at the old Marchant house on Marchant Mill Way at the time of his death.
  

    Daniel Bassett³ married Prudence and had Nathan 12/8/1793, Seth? 6/17/1795, Olive 7/27/1796, Betsy 9/22/1798 and Daniel⁴ 5/28/1802. At the Town Meeting in April 1812, he ran for and lost the Town’s nomination for Lieutenant Governor. He was selected as School Agent for the 13^th district.
    Daniel Bassett ³ died Oct. 10, 1836 at age 65. and was buried at Hyannis Baptist Church Cemetery,

    Daniel Bassett ⁴ Married: 2/5/1824 Sarah (Sally) Linnell, born Dec. 20, 1804 Sally Linnell. Sally LINNELL. The Daniel Bassetts lived at #50 Marston Ave. Following the custom of ambitious young men marrying into a prosperous family, he may have built this house around the time of his marriage.(Daniel Bassett House photo 2004) The 1856 Town of Barnstable map by Walling shows D. L. Bassett on Marston Ave.
    From 1838 to 1848, Daniel Bassett served as Selectman of the Town of Barnstable. In 1839 and 1840, Daniel Served as Barnstable Representative to the Massachusetts General Court. Cached David Bassett served as Hyannis Port Postmaster from April 18, 1840 to Nov. 10, 1852. 415. His home # 50 Marston St. was the Post Office during this time. In 1845 he was the Town of Barnstable Tax Assessor. Daniel Bassett, a gentleman, was Master of the Barnstable Fraternal lodge A. F. and M. E. (Masons) in 1852. His next-door neighbor to the East, Zenas Marston, (photo) was Treasurer of the Lodge for 25 Years. In 1852, Daniel Bassett was Sheriff of Barnstable County. p.16 , Cached. In 1853, Daniel Bassett was treasurer of the Barnstable County Agricultural Society Cached.

Daniel Bassett ⁴ died Nov. 5, 1857 at age 55 and was buried at Hyannis Universalist Church Cemetery.

Joseph Bassett, born on April 21, 1763 in Hyannis, (pedigree), enlisted in the Continental Army as a soldier, but served during 1775-1777 in the capacity of waiter to his father Lt. Daniel Bassett. At the time of his marriage in 1786, It was probably Joseph who built the Marston House at #70 Marston Ave. Hyannis Port.
      On April 20, 1786 Joseph Bassett, age 23, registered to marry Zerviah Bearce (Sophie) also age 23, born about 1762/63 in Barnstable. Cached She was 3/16 Wampanoag/Narragansett Indian, from both parents. Six months later, on Oct. 14, 1786 their first child, Zenas Doane Bassett was born, most likely at 70 Marston Ave. By 1801, They had nine more children, in birth order: Hannah C. Bassett, Sophia Bassett, Delia Bassettand others unknown, all born in Hyannis. Zerviah Bearse Bassett died in 1805 at age 42, 4 years after the birth of her last child.

Joseph Bassett served on the Petit Jury in Barnstable on Oct. 12, 1807.
     In 1808, at age 45, Joseph Bassett remarried to Nancy Hawes of Yarmouth, age 27, b: 1781, . Marriage license was issued in Barnstable on Feb 15, 1808. They had 14 children, including Nancy, b: Oct 19, 1808; Gerry Grey, b: July 17, 1810; Joseph, b: Feb. 1, 1812; Octavia, b: May 10, 1813; Louisa, b: Dec. 10, 1814; Cordelia, b: June 5, 1816; Joanna, b:Jan. 20, 1818; Julia, b:July 8, 1819; Laura Othelia, b: July 6, 1822; Darius, b:Dec 6, 1822; and David Porter, b: Oct. 25, 1825, all born in Hyannis.
     Joseph Bassett served on the Grand Jury in Barnstable on the 4^th Tuesday of October, 1809. He was chosen as Fence Viewer and Highway Surveyor at Town Meeting on March 12, 1812 and sworn in on March 22, 1812. In March 1813, he was sworn to another term as Highway Surveyor and also took the oath required of a Wood Corder. He was voted again to be Wood Corder in 1814.
     In 1826 it is likely that Joseph Bassett sold his house at #70 Marston Ave. and moved to Sea Street nearby. At this point in his life, at 63 years old, he was too old for active farming. His surviving children were grown and prospering, especially Zenus who at age 40 was at the peak of his career, a ship owner, merchant and town leader. It seems only natural that Joseph and his wife Nancy Hawes Bassett would choose to retire to a house near their son and close to downtown Hyannis. It also seems likely that Capt Zenus Bassett knew of the rising young Captain Zenus Marston and may have facilitated the sale of his family home to Capt. Marston soon before Marston's marriage in the autumn of 1826 to Mary Scudder, a member of a prominent local maritime and business family.

In 1840 Joseph Bassett's home was on Sea St. The 1856 map shows J. Bassett , near the top, on the West side of Sea St. across the street from L. Bearse (? Louisa Bearse, b: Dec. 10, 1814), just north of  J. Coffin. His prosperous oldest son Capt. Zenus Doane Bassett lived on prime pastureland nearby to the northwest at the head of Stewarts Creek.
   He died on July 7, 1855 at age 93⁽³⁰⁾, The natural father of 24  children. He was one of the last surviving Revolutionary pensioners in Barnstable. His widow, Nancy Hawes Bassett, died October 15, 1856 – age 75. They are buried in Hyannis at the Baptist Church Cemetery. 

Hon. Zenas Doane Bassett was born October 14, 1786 in Hyannis, the first of 24 children of Joseph Bassett. He was a prominent Cape Cod sea captain, businessman and politician. At age 21 he Married (1) Mary P. Howland, age 20, b: March 10, 1788 on December 27, 1808. Their 44 day old daughter Mary Howland Bassett died July 24,1813. Mary died on May 16, 1821 after 13 years of marriage.

At age 35, on October 10, 1822, Zenas Doane Bassett remarried to Sarah Lewis, b: October 7, 1809, three days after her thirteenth birthday. (?confirm dates )She died on December 20, 1874. Their 22 month old daughter Julia Williams Bassett died August 25,1825. Their 13-year-old daughter Henrietta Howe Bassett died on Nov. 4, 1848 and their 24 year old daughter Sarah Lewis Crowell, wife of Henry G. Crowell, died April 19,1849. Their 17 year old son, Horace Scudder Bassett, died September 12,1850. All are buried at the Hyannis Baptist Church Cemetery.

A Concise Diary, kept by Zenas Doane Bassett, Esquire, Contains a number of critical, quizzical, political, sentimental and nonsensical Circumstances relating to himself. This fascinating account of his life includes naval battles that he took part in during the War of 1812. He was later captured by the British and held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
    He was a ship owner of ELIZABETH, schooner, of Barnstable. Built at York, Maine in 1824. Reg'd 1 Apr. 1828-permanent Owners: Matthew COBB, Frederic COBB, Zenas D. BASSETT, George LOVELL, Barnstable. Master: Alvan SNOW, and of  PEGGY THOMAS, schooner, of Barnstable. Built at Thomaston, Maine in 1827. Reg'd 3 Sept. 1832-permanent owners: Simeon BAXTER, Matthew COBB, George LOVELL, Zenas D. BASSETT, Barnstable. Master: Simeon BAXTER.

He is listed in General Index of Queens of the western ocean; the story of America's mail and passenger sailing lines A - I by Carl C. Cutler © [1961]: Bassett, Capt. Zenas, 414, Bassett, Capt. Zenas D., 414,, 428, 434, Bassett, Capt. Zenas D., Jr., 450

Zenas Doane Bassett was described in "The Rich Men of Massachusetts" By Abner Forbes and J. W. Greene, Boston: W. V. Spencer, 1851 with a net worth of $50,000. and "at first a poor boy, and many such are found on the sterile plains of "the Cape", but sterility of soil does not always produce imbecility of intellect. He possessed a fertile and productive mind. He went to sea, passed through all the grades from cabin boy to control of the ship, and he was a successful merchant. He was a man much given to reading, a trait that generally characterizes the Bassetts."

He owned a salt works near the shore just west of Dunbar Point. His house was just Northwest of his father Joseph's house on Sea St.

  He was a prominent man in the county. In 1840, Zenas D. Bassett and others appointed a committee to locate a permanent public building for the Town House. A lot of ground Situated in the woods in Barnstable on a plot of ground near the geographical center of the town was secured. The work of building the Barnstable Town House was begun and completed on the main road between West Barnstable and Centerville, within easy distance of the other villages.                                  

The legislature of 1828 abolished the Court of Sessions and Commissioners of Highways, and established in their place, a Court of County Commissioners. In 1841, Zenas D. Bassett was selected and served a three-year term as County Commissioner. p. 202

In 1841-42, Zenas served as Vice-President of the Massachusetts Abolition Society.

 ?He married Hersilia Baxter on Sept. 10, 1843.

Zenas worked as the fourth President of the Barnstable County Mutual Insurance Co., which through careful management offered property insurance to Cape Codders for one-third the usual rates. P. 17.

He was President of the Barnstable County Agricultural Society from 1848 – 1850. p. 19

Zenas served as Barnstable representative in the Massachusetts State Senate in 1851 and 1852.

In 1858, he was elected and served the Barnstable District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. P. 13

He Died Dec. 30, 1864 at age 79. His wife, Sarah Lewis died on December 20, 1874 at age 65

His younger surviving siblings were: Temperance C. Bassett, Born Nov. 21, 1787 (1797)^2,
Solomon Bassett, Born Sept. 4, 1789,
Gorham Bassett, Born Sept 19, 1790,
Freeman Bassett, born Oct. 11, 1796,
Sophie Bassett, born on July 23, 1799. She married on Sept. 1, 1816,
Hannah Coleman Bassett, born on Mar 11, 1801. She married on January 1827 to John H. Lothrop (son of John Lothrop and Deborah Crocker) was born on 14 Jan 1802 in Barnstable. He died on 26 May 1878 in Hyannis. She died on Dec. 15, 1877 in Hyannis. Hannah Coleman Bassett and John H. Lothrop had Frederick Gorham Lothrop.

Correlation of Map and Census Data on Marston Avenue

The house locations of Daniel Bassett, Zenus Marston, Prince Bassett, Nathan Bassett, Warren Hinckley and others can be inferred through comparison of Census data with maps from corresponding years.  

1831 - 1840