Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-12-24
GREEN DRAGON TAVERN.
HEADQUARTERS AND BIRTH
PLACE OF FREEDOM.
Where Revolutionary Patriots Met TO Con-
fer or lan-Interesting scraps OF
History In This Com
nection.

The good old Green Dragon Tavern
long ago went the way OF good old
things But ifyou can revive good
thing, you can at least commemorate
II properly.
That is what the Massachusetts
Society OF Sons OF the Revolution has
done in putting tablet ia the frnEs
OF st. Andrew Masonic lodge build
ing. recently erected on the site OF
the Green Dragon on Union street
not far from Hanover says the BSs-
ton Herald
The inscription. which tells the
story with admirable cOnciseuess and
comprehensiyeness. is as follows:
On tnis spot stood tine
GREEN DRAGON TAVERN
The secret meeting place Of the
SONS OF LIBERTY
and in the words o. Webster, the
Headquarters Of the Revolution.
| the Birthplace Of American Freedom,
this tab.at Is placed by the
Massachusetts Society Of SoEs OF the RevO-
luton
August 49, 1892
Webster's designation OF the Green
dragon as the headquarters OF tho
revolution was historically accurate.
Adams Hancock Revere Otis. War
rem aud the rest OF the patriots came
here to plan or To confer How much
treason was Matched under this roof
will never be known but much WAS
unquestionably concocted within the
walls OF the famous old tavern.
4 L.. falF -
/ 1774 and winter OF 1875 / was one OF
upward OF thirty who formed our
selves into a committee for the pur-
pose Of watching the movements OF
the British soldiers and gaming every
intelligence OF the movements OF the
! Torres. We held our meetings at the
Green Dragon tavern This com.
mittee were astonished to find all
their secrets known to Gen Gage for
every time they met every member
swore upon the bible not 10 reveal
any OF their transactions except TO
Hancock Adams Warren otis.
Church and one or two more"
In early times the Green Dragon
was the property OF Lieutenant Gov
error Stoughton and was used US 4
hospital dur ng the revolution
IL was also known as the Free.
masons' Arms and Il especially noted
IN the nunat5 OF Masonry In Boston.
IL was purchased by St Andrew s
lodge before the revolution. and re.
manned in their possession more than
a century. This lodge was organized
under n charter from the grand lodge
OF Scotland in 1856. and was chiefly
Icomposed Of residents OF the North
end. There we're several lodges In
the British regiments that landed in
Boston in 1868 and 1874. and ST
Andrews lodge united with them III
organizing a grand lodge. The first
lodge of Freemasona by tho way
met IN Boston July 80. 1918 II was
the first in the colonies receiving
Authority from Lord Montague grand
master of England.
Some time ago a tablet bearing a
green dragon in relief was inserted
in tho front wall OF the building nd
Joining st Andrews lodge for the
same commemorative purpose but
without inscription. Drake remarks
that many think this tablet incor.
rectly placed As 10 the exact site
the tavern. including its court yard
probably covered the land now oc.
cupied by both buildings. but il il
believed by the Society OF the SoEs
of the Revolution that the tavern
Itself stood where st. Andrews lodge
has put up its new building and the
new tablet has accordingly been
placed there. At any rate neither
tablet can reproach the other and
the new one is especially appropriate
because Of It's inscrintinn.