February - Scottish Rite

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WORKING TOGETHER Originally reported in the November 2004 issue of The Northern Light, the collaboration between the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts and the National Heritage Museum continues. Working together, the GLMA and NHM are making the GLMA’s remarkable collection of important Masonic and historic artifacts available to interested Masons and researchers. For more information about the collaboration between the GLMA and NHM or learn more about the collection, please contact the museum’s collections department at 781-861-6559. Model of a copper sheeting roller with a fragment of sheeting used at St. Stephen’s Church in Boston’s North End. ➤ cal to a larger certificate that is signed and was engraved initially in 1773. This smaller version was probably originally created in the late 1770s; at least one example in a museum collection is filled in with a 1780 date. At the lower right, the engraving reads, “Printed and sold opposite Liberty Stump Boston.” Revere owned land in this location from the mid-1770s. Located at the corner of Essex and Newbury (now Washington) Streets, the stump marked the location of the Liberty Tree that the British cut down in August 1775. Interestingly, when Revere moved his shop from that location, his new spot was opposite the “Liberty Pole.” An advertisement of his move is printed in a January 1786 newspaper. A diploma in the Grand Lodge collection is that of Joseph Walles Jr., of Warren Lodge. It marks his initiation to the third degree of Masonry and is dated June 25, 1785. In addition to Masonic engravings, Revere also engraved political cartoons and broadsides. One of the most famous is his rendering of the “Boston Massacre,” an incident that took place in Boston on March 5, 1770. The National Heritage Museum is fortunate to have one of the original colored engravings made by Revere in 1770. Due in part to rising tensions between colonists and British soldiers, five men were shot that evening by British troops after trading words. Revere’s engraving is based mostly on a depiction by another engraver, Henry Pelham. There were no copyright laws at the time and it was common for engravers to copy one another’s work, although in this case, Pelham was not happy that Revere did so. However, Revere was able to quickly engrave his version of Pelham’s basic design and distribute it widely, further Copper spike from the frigate Constitution. demonstrating his business acumen and ability. Revere’s feelings about this event are revealed in the title at the top, “The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street…“ In addition, Revere manipulated some of the details of the scene to cast the British in a more negative light. Revere was not shy about using his engraving skills to create propaganda that supported colonial independence. Revere hoped to use this image to win over public opinion to an anti- British point of view by downplaying the confusion of the scene and the actions of the mob of colonists who taunted the British troops. After the Revolutionary War ended in the early 1780s, Revere turned his attention in new directions, decreasing his direct involvement in silversmithing and engraving. He opened a hardware store in 1783. At this store he sold imported hardware as well as a variety of other items including handkerchiefs, ivory combs and a variety of tools. He continued to have a number of fellow Masons as customers. Experience with the hardware business, in part, led him to start a foundry in the North End of Boston in 1787 where he produced metal fittings for ships and, later, cast bells for public buildings. The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts owns a rather unremarkable copper spike which might easily be overlooked 12 THE NORTHERN LIGHT / FEBRUARY 2007
without its accompanying note (see illustration). The note explains that the spike came from the frigate Constitution, one of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. Also known as “Old Ironsides,” the Constitution is the oldest commissioned ship afloat in the world and still makes brief voyages in Massachusetts Bay today. The ship was constructed between 1794 and 1797, and Revere’s records show that he charged over $3,800 to outfit the vessel with copper fastenings. Undoubtedly, Revere’s experience with working silver and gold, selling imported hardware and running a foundry inspired him to pursue his greatest business venture. In 1800, at the age of 65, Revere started a mill in Canton, Massachusetts, for rolling sheet copper. Up to that point, Americans were dependent upon imported sheet copper from England. The primary use for this material at the time was protective plating on the bottom of ships. Copper inhibited marine growth that could damage and slow the ships. Sheet copper was also used on the roofs of public buildings. Revere wanted to be the first successful American producer of sheet copper; an ambition that he did realize. Using $25,000 of his own money along with $10,000 from the U.S. government, Revere purchased property on the Neponset River in Canton and started his enterprise. The Grand Lodge collection includes a model of the roller machine used to press the copper into smooth sheeting. By 1801, he was able to write to Robert Smith, secretary of the Navy, “I have erected my works and have rolled sheet copper which is approved of by the best judges as being equal to the best cold rolled copper.” One of his first orders was for 6,000 feet of copper sheathing to cover the dome of the new State House. Soon after, Revere produced copper sheeting for the roof of St. Stephen’s Church. St. Stephen’s, located in Boston’s North End, was designed by Charles Bullfinch in 1802. Master Mason diploma for Joseph Walles Jr. designed by Paul Revere, issued by Warren Lodge in 1785. A fragment of this sheeting is currently in the Grand Lodge collection, along with four nails from the church that were supposedly made at Revere’s forge. The fragment of copper sheeting has remnants of gold paint or gold leaf on one side, a popular treatment for roof domes at the time. Despite decades of leadership within the Masonic bodies of Massachusetts, Revere significantly decreased his involvement after his term as Grand Master was completed in 1797. Unfortunately, there is little evidence to suggest why Revere stopped actively participating and failed to have a Masonic funeral when he died in 1818. Most likely his intense involvement with his copper rolling mill from 1800 to 1811, requiring him to spend most of his time in the Canton countryside, impeded his ability to attend meetings. In 1811, Revere retired from active operation and management of his mill, giving control to his son. At that time, after eleven years in existence, the company was worth over $50,000. While Revere’s beautiful silver bowls and Masonic jewels are well known today it is the innocuous everyday items such as the diploma for Joseph Walles Jr., the spike from the frigate Constitution, and the fragment of copper sheeting from St. Stephen’s Church that help us understand the journey from artisan to gentleman that Revere made during his life. We are fortunate that Massachusetts Masons felt a connection with Revere and saved these relics, donating them to the Grand Lodge’s Museum collection. By thinking about the hands that crafted these materials, they allow us to learn about Revere’s contributions to Freemasonry and American history. If you own an object, engraving or certificate related to Paul Revere and would like to consider donating to the National Heritage Museum’s collection, please email Aimee Newell at anewell@monh.org or call 781-457-4144. A number of objects associated with Paul Revere will be part of the upcoming exhibition, “Sowing the Seeds of Liberty: Lexington and the American Revolution,” opening in April of 2007 at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, MA. This new exhibition tells the story of how extraordinary patriots and everyday people shaped the course of the history of America. FEBRUARY 2007 / THE NORTHERN LIGHT 13
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