One of the most distinguished of Haverhill families was and is the Saltonstall family, who are first mentioned in the history of that town through Nathaniel, who was born at Ipswich and who came to Haverhill and married Elizabeth, the daughter of John Ward, December 28, 1663; from this union are descended all the people of that name in America. Saltonstall is spoken of by Sewall in his diary, where he tells of "Son Saltonstall comforting me on account of his father-in-law's health;" and Whittier, in a supposed journey of his heroine, tells of a visit to this man who later on lived in a fine house.

Saltonstall was in command of the militia in Newbury and many adjoining towns and is mentioned as among the most popular and well principled military men. He was judge of the Inferior Court of Pleas for Essex until his death. Samuel Sewall, who gossiped about everybody, gives us a little glimpse of this noted man, who was appointed one of the judges for the trial of witches, but who would not sit upon the case, being very much dissatisfied with the proceedings.

His grandson Richard became a judge of the Superior Court in 1736, and it is of him that the celebrated Samuel Moody speaks.

"Lynde, Dudley, Remington and Saltonstall
With Sewall meeting at the judgment hall,
Making a learned, wise and faithful set
Of Godlike judges by God's counsel met."

Judge Saltonstall had three sons: Colonel Richard, who lived at Buttonwood, a loyalist and refugee; Leverett, who died in the British army, and Doctor Nathaniel, who was descended through his mother from the patriotic Cooke family in Boston. It was he who built the house which is now situated on the border of Lake Saltonstall in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

This mansion is one of the historic houses in Massachusetts. It is a large, square dwelling, painted yellow with green blinds, showing at the front a porch ornamented with dentation. The house has never been out of the possession of the Saltonstall family.

He was a descendant of Sir Richard, who came to America with Winthrop in the Arabella and helped to form the settlement at Watertown, bringing with him cattle and servants, showing thereby that he was a man of property.

Nathaniel Saltonstall, who built this house, was sent to Harvard after his father's death and was graduated in 1766. He devoted himself to the study of medicine during the early Revolutionary movements of the Stamp Act Riot and the Tea Party. Returning to Haverhill against the wishes of his family, he began the practice of medicine in his native town. Later, he enlisted as a volunteer in an artillery company, being the only one of the family who espoused the colonists' cause, but more interested in establishing a comfortable practice than in war, he soon resigned and continued his profession.

In 1778 he married the daughter of Samuel White. His father-in-law presented him with a lot of land on Merrimack Street, and here he built his residence, at a cost of three thousand dollars, which in that time gave him the handsomest house in the vicinity. This land abutted on the river, and was one hundred and fifty feet deep, laid out in terraced grassland and garden. On July 24, 1788, a contract was made between Doctor Saltonstall and Marsh and Carleton, joiners, to build the house, to be completed on or before the first of July of the following year.

In the day book of the young physician, opened in 1774, we note that many of his patients worked out their indebtedness on the house. One Enoch Page gave work for nine days, and also helped out upon the doctor's flax. David Bryant brought him five thousand bricks, and among the many others who paid in product was Joseph Whittier, the grandfather of the Quaker poet, who brought a jug of hay, six pounds of butter, and one and a half bushels of oats, "in full payment of my bill, one pound, five shillings, and eleven pence."

We also find an entry in the same note-book that in 1774 he received for services rendered in the town proper a shilling. If he had to cross the river to Bradford, in 1800, it cost thirty-three cents, and in 1812 the charge was raised to fifty cents.

The house was wonderfully furnished with fine old furniture, china, and glass, much of which has descended in the family, and is owned to-day by the present mistress, Mrs. Gurdon Saltonstall Howe.

In 1806, Doctor Saltonstall's daughter married one John Varnum, who was the leading lawyer of the town, and was given as her marriage portion a handsome outfit, a highly respectable sum of money, and one warming-pan, one silver teapot, one sugar pitcher, one cream pitcher, one jug, twelve silver spoons, and one brass kettle. Many of these articles are still to be seen in the old home.

Sally Saltonstall married her neighbor, Isaac R. Howe, who was said to be descended from the old-fashioned stock, with "beauty of conduct" which was, alas, even then a little old-fashioned.

As years went by, Haverhill became more thickly settled, and the estate grew so valuable that it was necessary to move the house. This was no easy matter in those days, and in order that it might be more conveniently accomplished, the structure was sawed in two, the separate parts being carefully boxed in and moved by oxen. The timbers, which were brought from England, were so strong that although moved for several miles, not a single part of the frame was started. As the oxen toiled up the long hill near the Pentucket Club, they became stalled, and more oxen had to be brought before the building could be finally landed in its present position.

It stands back from the road, facing Lake Saltonstall, in the midst of green fields, over which are scattered beautiful trees and flower gardens. Entrance is at the front through a colonial porch, supported by dignified columns and showing dentation, which is repeated in the roof-line of the house. The entrance door, with its ponderous brass knocker, swings back on its long strap hinges, and reveals a wide hallway which extends entirely through the house to a second door, which leads to a garden beyond. This door shows plainly the mark of the saw where it was cut apart at the time of moving, and the scars of the joining are shown with great pride by the present owners as evidence of this achievement.

At the right of the entrance is the staircase, showing the spiral newel post and carved balusters of the early period. The wainscoting is a feature of this central hall, as is the arch midway between the two entrance doors. A grandfather's clock ticks off the time, and beyond is a wonderful old dresser with a rare collection of pewter, showing many pieces that cannot be duplicated in this country. There is enough of this metal collected to set an entire dinner table, reminding us of the days when it was used extensively in this country, before the introduction of china and glass.

Opening out of this room at the right is the den, where a wonderful Franklin stove is used for heating. All around the room are pieces of furniture which are not only historic but have much intrinsic value.

Opposite is the drawing-room, with its let-in window-seats and narrow, panelled, wooden shutters, locked at night and serving, if need be, instead of curtains. Many of the chairs found in this room were covered with wonderful specimens of handiwork done by the wife of Elisha Cooke, one of Doctor Saltonstall's ancestors, while much of the furniture came over, as did the timbers, from the mother country, for the first occupant of the house.

The dining-room is, perhaps, one of the most attractive rooms in the house. It is well lighted by small-paned windows and contains Hepplewhite chairs and side-table. At one side stands a sideboard which was originally in the possession of Governor John Leverett, who was Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony at the time of King Philip's War and who was a friend of Cromwell's, and created baronet and knight by Charles II in 1676. Governor Leverett was an ancestor of the present owner. On this sideboard are many pieces of old family silver, including a tankard which was also owned by the governor.

The fireplace is a true colonial one, showing blue and white tiles two deep, each illustrative of a Bible story. The upper hall has undergone a change since it was built through the introduction of low, built-in bookcases. Here the furniture includes Chippendale chairs of a design that was very popular all through this period, being of beautiful proportions and showing fine workmanship.

Chambers open off the hallway, each of which contains a great deal of rare furniture. There are the Field beds with their drapings of white, some showing testers of 1800. Modern wall-paper and frieze, as well as the draperies, have been introduced within the last few years, but are in harmony with the old-fashioned furniture, many pieces of which were inherited from the maternal side of the family, being the property, originally, of Middleton Cooke and also of Mary Cooke, third daughter of Judge Saltonstall and great-granddaughter of Governor Leverett.

The Cookes were a noted family and eminent politicians. Elisha Cooke, before mentioned, was an assistant under the old government, holding for forty years many positions of public trust; he was also a noted orator and politician, a member of the General Court and of the Council, and a leader of the Public Party.

The Saltonstalls also were a distinguished family, Dudley being in command of the Continental navy and captain of the Alfred in Hopkin's fleet in February, 1776, while Gurdon Saltonstall, a governor of Connecticut from 1707 until his death, was distinguished as an orator and statesman, and bequeathed to Harvard University one thousand pounds to students studying for the ministry.

Singularly enough, since the first class graduated from Harvard, there has always been a Saltonstall connected with the college. This covers a period of over two hundred and fifty years, and during this time not one of these men has ever done anything to disgrace his Alma Mater.

Pieces of furniture associated with all three of these distinguished families are to be found in this house, many of them belonging to the old governor and handed down in direct line to the present owner.

Perhaps the most interesting piece of all is an old desk which was once owned by Daniel Webster, who at one time was a law partner of the late Mr. Gurdon Howe's grandfather. It is filled with valuable papers, almost all bearing upon different business transactions in the great statesman's life.

This was brought from Boston at the time that Mr. Howe removed his law office from that city. One of these documents, a note characteristic of Daniel Webster, is still treasured.

"United States Senate, June 3d, ...

"D. Webster."

The house has stood practically unchanged since the day of building, some slight changes having been made, but not enough to mar the colonial architecture. It is large and square, three stories in height, of simple, dignified proportions, and showing colonial details. The windows are the small-paned ones that were used in the long ago, with the exception of one of stained glass, which has been introduced over the entrance porch. The house is one which reflects the period,—a notable mansion filled with interesting colonial relics which formerly were owned by some of the most prominent men in our country.