Inns and taverns sprung up along the new roads as more than 600 coaches would pass through Dedham each day on their way to Boston or Providence.

[5] In 1802, a local mason named Martin Marsh built his brick home at what is today 19 Court Street and was on then then-new new turnpikes.

[6][a] His establishment, the Norfolk House, like the other inns and taverns in Dedham at that time, were bustling with the arrival of both the turnpikes and the courts.

[7] It left Dedham at 7 a.m. in the summer at 8:30 in the winter, Monday through Saturday, and stopped at Mr. Davenport's Tavern on Elm St., Boston.

[10] Though he wanted to sell it as early as 1814,[11] Marsh maintained the tavern until 1818, and then sold it to Moses Gragg and Francis Alden.

[12][5][13][e] It was this partnership who renamed it as the Norfolk House[15] and who hosted President Andrew Jackson for lunch as he and his entourage passed through town in 1832.

[16] For 12.5 cents, spectators could watch the elephant stand on two legs, remove a cord and drink from a bottle, whistle, and take a bow.

[16] James Richardson, the president of the Norfolk Mutual Fire Insurance Company, gave a welcoming address.

[5][17][g] In 1863, the Norfolk House was the site of a grand ball thrown in honor of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.

[17] Horace Mann lived for several years at the Norfolk House in the early 1800s and opened a law office in December 1823.

"[21] The hotel also hosted a number of political conventions, weddings, and other gatherings,[22] as well as the annual meetings of the various fire engine and militia companies.

[17] By this time, and especially after an incident in which a group of Irish immigrants from Dedham and Roxbury got drunk and four people were stabbed, Bates was ready to sell the property.