The Washington times., 1901-10-06
BOSFON'S FAMOUS STONE.
A Quaint Monolith Which Was
Erected in 1901.
Enriy Massachusetts History Re-
cniIed by the Rude MemoriaI-was
Originally Used to Grind Paint.
To Celebrate 2Ooth Anniversary.

called by the Rude MemorInI-Wns
I Originally Used to Grind Paint.
To Celebrate 2Ooth Anniversary.
! The famous old Boston Stone will short
! ly celebrate its 200th anniversary The
exact date is not definitely known, for
| the chroniciers of the period when It was
erected were not careful of those details
However, the stone was placed in the po-
sition that it now occupies some time late
| in the summer of the year 1701
1t is stranger to a great many of the
Bostonians OF the present day, although
IT is situated but a step from Hanover
Street, and but minutes walk from
Washington. 1t is in Creek Square. a
square formed by the conjunction of Mar
shall Street and public alley lG2, which is
just back eff the big buildings that have
their front doors on the busy thorough
fare of the North End. The old stone is
now painted red, ard is firmly imbedded
in the wall of the building on the corner
of alley 102 and Marshall Street and no
suggestion of its original color remains
il Is Clipped and faxed. perhaps by the
storms of time. but more probably by en-
thuGiastic visitors looking for historical
relies.
The stone has an interesting history
and recalls two very ancient customs
First. the art of grinding paint as it was
practiced in the days when the colonies
were young, and also the custom of es-
tablishins landmarks, sign posts. and
stones to guide the people who wished
to find their way about the city in 1900
There were no numbers in those days,
and every resident lived so near or so
far away from a known locality Thus a
It4-K.p Ia
his address as at or near the Boston
stone" and man living down old Creek
Street, now alley 102, would say how far
away frUm II his domicile lay.
This custom is no doubt responsible
fro the present inscription on the stone
bearing the date 1871. There is no his
tOrical reference to this fact, but a we'll
known antiquarian gives this as a prob
able reason for the year thus inscribed.
The stone was sent from England to
an enterprising firm of painters who were
about the first to do business on any
scale in the town of Boston, and since
nearly all the houses We're wooden ones
they must have Jared very we'll At any
rate. the fact of their being able to send
back to the mother country for a paint
ers' stone to grind their own colors must
have been a ma -ter Of some Importance
in influencing their customers. The stone
was originally in two parts. consisting of
the ball. two feet in diameter, which rest
ed on the lower slab and fitted into a
hollow.
Into this hollow the paint was placed
and the ball rolled round upon it, thus
mashing or grinding It 10 pulp. The hol-
low in the slab was supposed to hold two
barrels of paint. The present slab is on
ly one-fourth Of the original That stone
was broken and the other parts have been
lost. The ball is the original one.
1t arrived in the latter part of 100, anG l
was put in its present place when the
painter built his shop on the corner OF
Creek and Marshall Streets The house
was adorned by coat of arms of the
royal painters guild and soon became
known, and is today celebrated in history
as the Painters Arms The coat of
arms remained on II old building, and
the building itself st I'd until 1885, when
it was removed and u new structure
erected in its place. When the new build
ing was put up the coat of arms was
transferred to it.
The old Boston stone was very dear to
the members of the Continental Army
about the time when Generals Greene.
Heth, and Gates ruled the city, for in a
house that was known to them as being
opposite TO the Boston stone" was stu
ated the headquarters of the paymaster
of the army. and for a long. weary period
the paymaster had nothing to give the
ragged Continentals as they fled past the
old stone, hoping eagerly for their money.
The Golfers were empty and no funds
were forthcoming A sentry paced before
the door where Ebenezer Hancock.
brother of Gov. John Hancock, struggled
with the problem of paying the troops un1
til King Louis of France opened his hear
and pursestrings and sent a stream
shining crowns across the doorstep to a
the struggling Americans. The money q
rived by the feet of d'Estaing, and W
into the old house cr
stone at night
Among the residents of TIL
er's Arms was William Pierce
barber who took up his aboc
l7S9, and wholived to be 100
He was a character of the neighIN
and his shop became the meeting p,
of all the gossips and was headquart
for the news of the North End.
Pierce shaved Benjamin Franklin
is strong witness for those histori
who claim that Franklin was born
Union Street and not on Milk. for the
fellow claimed that Franklin told
with his own lips that he was born tn
Another resident was James Ambi.
who had the house before Pierce and
was noted for his distinguished ances
He entertained the Due de Chartres t
when the latter was in this country 4
without funds.-Bos
Globe