Sandwich’s Historic Dan’l Webster Inn Sold to New Owners

One of Cape Cod’s most historic inns has been sold.

The Dan’l Webster Inn, which has been in operation for over 300 years, is one of the crown jewels of downtown Sandwich, Massachusetts and a key fixture of its historic district, and now has new, as of yet unnamed owners.

According to a release from JLL Capital Markets, the firm that represented the inn’s now former owners Catania Hospitality Group in the deal, the sale officially closed on Monday, Dec. 5. The specifics of the deal were not announced.

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The Dan’l Webster Inn is a 48-room boutique hotel situated in the heart of the oldest town on Cape Cod. According to the inn’s website, “the Inn on this site has offered Cape Cod lodging in one form or another for more than 300 years.”

The Catania family had owned and operated the inn since 1980, and also owned the Cape Codder resort in Hyannis and the Hearth ‘n Kettle chain of restaurants.

A November Cape Cod Times article reported that the Catanias were expected to close on the sale of the Cape Codder to Linchris on December 5, but a Linchris representative told the paper that, as of November 16, they hadn’t purchased the company that but that they would send out a press release if they did.

As of December 6, there was no press release and the Cape Codder is not listed on the Linchris website under its properties.

Emails to Catania Hospitality Group, JLL Capital Markets, and Linchris seeking more information have not been returned as of this writing.

In its current form, the Dan'l Webster Inn is known for its four different dining rooms and tavern, as well as an indoor pool, gift shop, and the Beach Plum Spa.

The site was originally a parsonage built in 1692, the same year the Salem Witch Trials began. It later became a tavern in the mid-1700s, and was used as a headquarters for the patriots during the American Revolution. Interestingly, the headquarters for the Tories – those who were loyal to the British crown – still stands today just a short distance down the road.

The original structure of the Dan’l Webster Inn burned down in 1971, but was rebuilt on the same site.

Despite its name, legendary statesman and orator Daniel Webster never owned the inn or the property on which it sits. It was named in his honor because he was a frequent visitor to the inn. According to its website, Webster “had a room reserved at this Tavern from 1815 to 1851.”