THE LIFE AND LETTERS
OF

CHARLES BULFINCH
ARCHITECT
WITH

OTHER

FAMILY

PAPERS

EDITED BY HIS GRANDDAUGHTER

ELLEN

SUSAN

BULFINCH

WITH AN INTRODUCTION

BY

CHARLES A. CUMMINGS

BOSTON AND NEW YORK
HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN A N D COMPANY
1896

Copyright, 1896,
BY ELLEN SUSAN BULFINCH
All rights reserved.

The Riverside Press, Cambridge, Mass., U. S. A.
Electrotyped and Printed by H. 0. Houghton and Company.

TO THE MEMORY
OF

MY FATHER

PREFACE
FROM time to time, ever since the death of my grandfather, inquiries have been made of the family regarding
the chief facts of his life and work, and several biographical notices have appeared.
Since the death of his immediate descendants left the
family papers to the care of my mother, and especially since
the enlargement of the State House in Boston led to a
search for the architect's original plans, I have become
gradually familiar with their contents, and have believed
that material existed for a more complete and permanent
memorial.
My grandfather was not only a builder with wood and
stone. For twenty years, as chairman of the selectmen, he
stood at the head of the town government of Boston, called
by Henry Cabot Lodge " the most famous municipal organization of America," and contributed his share towards
moulding its character and institutions, so that an historic
interest, apart from his artistic career, attaches to his name.
Senator George F . Hoar has written, in an address delivered before the Worcester Fire Society in 1893 : " If the
artist who fashions a great statue, or who paints a great
picture, leave behind him an enviable fame and a fragrant
memory, surely the men who have helped fashion and adorn
a great city, who have laid its foundations and builded its

vi

FBE FACE

walls, who have given it its character and guided the currents of its history, who have made Boston Boston and
Worcester Worcester, have a far better title to grateful
remembrance."
In the preparation of this volume I have made use of a
narrative written by my father, Kev. S. G. Bulfinch, twentyfive years ago, at the request of the Boston Society of
Architects, and published in the " Daily Advertiser " of
February 20,1869, under the title, " Our First Architect;"
and also of the papers referring to my grandfather in the
"Memorial History of Boston," vol. iv., prepared by Mr.
Charles A. Cummings, and in the " New England Magazine" for November, 1890, by Mr. Ashton R, Willard.
The episode of the discoveries on the northwest coast was
frequently alluded to in my childhood, but I find slight
mention of it in the letters, and am therefore indebted to
the graphic description of Rev. Edward G. Porter. A
recent number of the " Architectual Review," vol. iii. No.
3, contains a notice by Mr. Cummings of Mr. Bulfinch's
architectural works; and the history of the Massachusetts
State House is treated at length by Mr. T. A. Fox in the
" American Architect" for June 29, 1895.
I have printed practically entire, although in separate
sections, the autobiographical sketch that Charles Bulfinch
left, in his own compact and even handwriting; and I have
given selections from his letters and those of other members of the family, with the correspondence relating to his
removal to Washington to take charge of the work of completing the Capitol.
The gap left in his own correspondence, during the years
most heavily burdened with labor and anxiety, is partially

PREFACE

vii

filled by his mother's letters, in which we catch sight of his
own activities and the life of Boston at that period.
My grandfather died before my birth, but I have been
glad to profit by my mother's clear recollections of his
personal appearance and way of life when she knew him in
his old age.
It gives me pleasure to remember in connection with this
work my dear and honored friend, — the friend, too, of my
father and my Uncle Thomas, — the late Rev. Andrew P.
Peabody, D. D., who gave to my first thought of the
undertaking his valuable encouragement and sympathy.
My acknowledgments are due to Mr. Horace E. Scudder,
and to the many friends who have aided me, — among
others to Hon. Edward Clark, Architect of the Capitol at
Washington, D. C , Professor F. W. Chandler, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Mr. Ashton It.
Willard, of Boston, — for their kind assistance in obtaining
information. In a special manner I would recognize my
indebtedness to my friend Mr. Cummings, President of the
Boston Society of Architects, not only for the direct contribution he has made to the value and interest of the book
in the chapter from his pen, but for his unfailing kindness
and sympathy throughout.
Among the works I have consulted are : Thacher's
" Medical Biographies," " The Memorial History of Boston," the Reports of the Boston Record Commissioners,
Quincy's "Municipal History of Boston," Shurtleff's
" Topographical History of Boston," Drake's " Old Boston
Landmarks," " Rambles in Old Boston," by Rev. E. G.
Porter, and the " History of the 200th Anniversary of
King's Chapel."

viii

PREFACE

I am aware of some of the many imperfections of the
work, and it has been especially difficult to obtain reliable
information regarding so large a number of buildings, but
I have attempted only a general survey of them. In some
cases, a more detailed description will be found in Mr.
Willard's interesting study, and the more important ones
are described in our local histories.
A very few passages, of a confidential character and of
no general interest, have been omitted from Mr. William
Lee's letters regarding the position of architect at Washington. No mention is made of Mr. Bulfinch ever meeting
Mr. Latrobe, his predecessor there; but Mr. Lee, who
always expresses a high admiration for Mr. Latrobe, remarks
on his friendship for my grandfather, a regard which was
without doubt cordially reciprocated by the architect from
Boston. The story of the building of the Capitol at
Washington has never been fully illustrated by original
documents; and towards this end it is hoped the present
volume may make some contribution.
E. S. B.
CAMBRIDGE, May,

1896.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION

•

1

CHAPTER I.
ANCESTRY.

1680-1763.
Ancestry and earliest Family Papers. — A Group of old Letters

.

.

11

West Boston. — Dr. Thomas Bulfinch and his Family. —King's Chapel
and Dr. Freeman.—Youth of Charles Bulfinch and Letters from Europe

34

CHAPTER II.
YOUTH AND FOREIGN TRAVEL.

1763-1787.

CHAPTER III.
BOSTON AFTER THE REVOLUTION. — MARRIAGE.

1787-1789.
Return Home. — Personal Appearance. — Boston after the Revolution.
— The Ship Columbia. — Marriage and Letters on Wedding Tour
.

58

CHAPTER IY.
EARLY PLANS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS.

1789-1798.
At work in his own Home. — Architectural Books and Outfit. — The Beacon Monument. — One of the Selectmen. — Plans for the State House.
— The first Theatre. — Franklin Place. — Misfortune and Failure. —
Hannah Bulfinch's Journal. — Her Character

81

X

CONTENTS
CHAPTER V.
ARCHITECT AND CHAIRMAN OF SELECTMEN.

1798-1818.
The State House in Boston. —Architectural Work in New England. —
Chairman of Selectmen. — Extract from By-laws. — List of Public
Improvements and Changes .
110
CHAPTER VI.
MADAM BULFINCH's LETTERS.

1798-1808.
Family Life. — Hannah Bulfinch's Journal. — Death of Dr. Thomas Bulfinch. — Madam Bulfinch's letters to her Brother, East Apthorp .
. 139
CHAPTER VII.
HOME LIFE AND ANXIETIES.

1808-1815.
Recollections of the Children. — Madam Bulfinch's Letters continued. —
Accident and Losses
164
CHAPTER VIII.
REMOVAL TO WASHINGTON.

1815-1818.
Conclusion of Autobiography. — Visit to Washington and first Letter
from there. — President Monroe in Boston. — The two Hospitals. —
Correspondence relating to Removal. — The Removal to Washington
and Letters to Friends at Home
191
CHAPTER IX.
ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL.

1818-1830.
Family Life in Washington. — The Unitarian Church. — Letters to the
sons. — Marriage and Death of Susan. — Memorial on close of Services. — Farewell Letter
233

CONTENTS
CHAPTER X.
RETURN TO NEW ENGLAND. — CONCLUSION.

1830-1844.
Return to New England. — Summers in Hallowell. — The Maine State
•
House. — The Death of Apthorp. — Visit to Washington. — Return to
Bowdoin Square. — Parting from his Wife. — Alone with Thomas in
the old Home. — Last Letters and Farewell
APPENDIX.
LIST OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS DESIGNED BY CHARLES BULFINCH

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE

Portrait of Charles Bulfinch about 1842, drawn by Alvan Clark
togravure)

(Pho-

Frontispiece

Birthplace of Charles Bulfinch, Bowdoin Square, Boston (after a painting
owned by Mrs. Joseph Lyman)

.

,

11

The Beacon Monument and Dome of the State House, Boston, showing
former height of Beacon Hill. 1

34

Portrait of Charles Bulfinch at the age of 23, painted in London by Matthew Brown in 1786 (Photogravure)

.

.

.

.

.

.

. 5 6

Silver Medal of the ship Columbia

57

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bulfinch (after miniatures by Malbone)
The Tontine Buildings, Franklin Place, Boston 1
Kepresentatives Hall in the State House, Boston

.
.

.

.
.

.

.

.
.

58
. 8 1

.

90

Facsimile of original drawing by Charles Bulfinch of Archway in Franklin
Crescent, in possession of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology .

100

Plan of the Tontine Buildings, Franklin Place (from the Massachusetts
Magazine, February, 1794)

103

Pulpit of Unitarian Church at Lancaster, Mass

110

Beacon Street front of the State House, Boston

112

.

.

.

.

.

.

122

Facsimile of a map of Boston in the year 1 8 0 0 !

Doric Hall, in the State House, Boston

.

.

.

.

.

.

130

Silver Urn given Mr. Bulfinch by the Catholics of Boston

.

.

.

138

.

139

Senate Chamber in the State House, Boston

136

New South Meeting-House, Church Green, Summer Street, Boston *

Portrait of Susan Apthorp Bulfinch, mother of Charles Bulfinch (Photogravure)

150
l

Old City Hall and Court House, School Street, Boston .
1

.

From photographs in possession of the Bostonian Society.

.

.

164

xiv

LIST

OF

ILLUSTRATIONS

South front of McLean Asylum, Somervillex .

.

.

.

. 170

University Hall, Harvard College, as left by Mr. Bulfinch in 1814 .
.
l
Staircase in McLean Asylum, Somerville
Plan of Staircase in McLean Asylum, Somerville
Facsimile of end of letter from Washington, February 7, 1817
.
.
1
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
Gold medal of the Boston Theatre presented to Charles Bulfinch, 1793 .
West front of the Capitol at Washington, as left by Mr. Bulfinch in 1830
Portrait of Hannah Apthorp Bulfinch in old age, painted by Thomas T.
Spear (Photogravure)

191
194
195
197
220
232
233
250

State House, Augusta, Maine
270
Thomas Bulfinch, son of Charles, and author of the " Age of Fable," from
a photograph about 1860 (Photogravure)
296
Front of Unitarian Church, Lancaster, Mass
312
1

From photographs by Pach Brothers, Cambridge, Mass.

It is time that fit honor should be paid also to him
who shows a genius for public usefulness, for the
achievement of character, who shapes his life to a
certain classic proportion, and comes off conqueror on
those inward fields tvhere something more than mere
talent is demanded for victory. The memory of such
men should be cherished as the most precious inheritance which one generation can bequeath to the next.
J. R. LOWELL.

THE LIFE AND LETTERS
OF

CHARLES BULFINCH, ARCHITECT
INTRODUCTION
BY CHARLES A. CUMMINGS

I GLADLY respond to the invitation to add some words by
way of introduction to the memoir which is here presented
to the public of the life and works of the first American
architect of distinction. No time could well be more exactly
opportune than the moment at which this book appears, in
which to hold up for the study and admiration of all classes
of men who love and serve their country the picture of the
simple, noble, and steadfast life which makes its subject.
To the architects of the present generation — to those of
Boston in particular, if I may be allowed to speak for them
— Charles Bulfinch, as the earliest native architect to leave
his impress on the face of the little capital, has always been
an interesting figure. In the earliest days of the Boston
Society of Architects, this interest was greatly enlivened by
a paper which was read at one of its meetings by his son,
Rev. Stephen G. Bulfinch, in which a concise account was
given of his father's life, with especial reference to his architectural experience. And now, at the expiration of a full
century since he entered upon his long and honorable career,
his name has been, in the city of his birth, on every lip, in

2

INTRODUCTION

connection with the threatened destruction of his greatest
work, and with the determined effort to save it.
Perhaps the first thing which strikes us in reading this
history is the absolute contrast between the conditions
under which Mr. Bulfinch entered on his chosen profession
and those which govern the practice of architecture to-day.
This contrast is, to be sure, not more striking than that
which exists between the prevailing manners of our day
and those of a century ago. These contrasts are of course
peculiar to a new country. Whatever may have been the
material growth of the cities of the Old World within the
century now drawing to its close, it is impossible in the
nature of things that the changes either in the cities themselves or in the life of their inhabitants can have been so
radical as in the cities of our own land. London and Paris,
Berlin and Vienna, were as fully developed capitals — life
and manners in them were as sophisticated, the arts were
practiced with as much of knowledge and academic training
— at the beginning of the century as at its close. But the
Boston of a century ago was not a city, but a little provincial
town, without wealth or the tastes and habits which are born
of wealth, and entirely unfamiliar with art in any of its
forms. Architecture, to its inhabitants, was represented
by half a dozen "meeting-houses,"—the work either of
English architects or more often of intelligent carpenters,
— in which all the architectural design consisted of a
steeple, adapted with more or less of skill and taste from
the steeples of London in the seventeenth century; and by
a score or so of colonial mansions, in which a charming
domesticity of effect was gained by the naive use of a few
architectural forms, but which were scarcely to be regarded
as works of architecture.
What was true of Boston was true, and generally in an

INTRODUCTION

3

even greater degree, in other parts of the country. When
in 1792 the Federal Commissioners advertised in all the
principal cities and towns for designs for a Capitol and
President's Mansion to be built in the new city of Washington (offering a premium of $500 and a city lot for
the accepted design), it appears to be true that, of the considerable number of plans received, only one was the work
of a professional architect. The greater number were mere
pictorial sketches, of no architectural character whatever,
and quite incapable of being translated into practicable
form.
In a community so bare of all stimulus or encouragement
to artistic endeavor, one would scarcely have predicted a
very brilliant future for a youth who should choose architecture as a field for the work of his life; and, indeed, Mr.
Bulfinch can scarcely be said to have chosen it. A succession of circumstances, as so often happens, led him into it.
The seed was sown, doubtless unconsciously to him, in his
journey through Europe not long after his graduation,
where, though there was apparently no study whatever, and
no observation quickened by any suspicion of what his
future life was to be, he was yet strongly impressed by the
great monuments of Italy and France. How much he saw
of France we are not told, though he had the advantage of
seeing Paris under the auspices of Mr. Jefferson and M.
de la Fayette. Of Italy he seems to have seen Genoa, Pisa,
Siena, Viterbo, Rome, Florence, Bologna, Parma, Piacenza,
and Milan, in the course of a rapid tour of three or four
months. This is all. He tells us no details. How little
he foresaw what might be the result of even so much of a
traveler's intelligent observation we are left to' conjecture.
"These pursuits," he remarks in the little fragment of
autobiography which he left to his children, " did not

4

INTRODUCTION

confirm me in any business habits of buying and selling;
on the contrary, they had a powerful adverse influence on
my whole after-life."
Eeturning from Europe early in 1787, he appears to have
passed the next three or four years in uncertain attempts to
determine his way of life. Of these, the first definite result
was the Monument on Beacon Hill, and the next the Franklin Street enterprise, whose disastrous result on his own fortunes was perhaps, in a large view, more than offset by the
necessity which it imposed upon him of devoting himself in
serious earnest to the work most congenial to him. Opportunities spread out before him. In 1793 he built the first
theatre in Boston, — a building of graceful, appropriate, and
entirely architectural character,—and a year later he was
given the commission for the new State House on Beacon
Hill. He was now thirty-one years old, and his position in
the little community is indicated by the fact that he had
already been for four years a member of the Board of Selectmen of the town of Boston, and for three years a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of
the Massachusetts Historical Society; while it is difficult
to repress a feeling of mild astonishment when we are told
that a year or two later he was made Superintendent of
Police. These honorable positions did not apparently interfere with the efficient discharge of his professional duties.
The State House, of which the cornerstone was laid on the
fourth of July, 1795, was finished in three years, and the
architect was fairly embarked on his career. The town was
fast recovering from the stagnation which had been caused
by the war, and by the uncertainty of political prospects.
Work flowed in upon him, and buildings of every kind,
public and private, rose under his hand. Of the character
of these buildings, regarded as works of architecture, it is

INTRODUCTION

5

sufficient to say that while in most of them, from the necessities of the case, a little architecture was made to go a great
way, they were invariably marked by sincerity, refinement
of taste, propriety, an entire freedom from excess or affectation, and an intelligent adaptation to their various needs;
while those which admitted of a distinctly architectural
treatment, like the theatre, the State House, the General
Hospital, exhibit a capacity for artistic composition, and a
knowledge of the methods by which a monumental effect is
produced, which are remarkable indeed in one whose opportunities for technical education had been so limited.
For consider once more the conditions under which this
solitary architect had to practice his art. With the exception of the few and unimportant works which he had
brought with him from Europe, there was perhaps not a
single architectural book in the town. He had presumably
no sketches of his own illustrating foreign work, for there
is no indication that he ever made any freehand drawings
whatever. He was the only member of his craft in New
England, and was thus entirely deprived of the stimulus to
activity which comes of emulation and the friction of mind
with mind. He was entirely self-taught, and could have
had little or no historical knowledge of architectural styles,
and no familiarity with the architecture of Europe beyond
the fleeting memory of a traveler. He had little facility
as a draughtsman, and what he had was quite untrained.
This is well illustrated by his dismay when, on assuming his
position at Washington as architect of the Capitol, he first
saw the drawings of his predecessor Latrobe, an English
architect who had enjoyed a regular professional training in
English offices.
Compare this outfit and these conditions with those with
which the young architect of the present day enters on his

6

INTRODUCTION

profession,—the architectural school, with its Systematic
teaching of the history and development of styles, its
directed exercise in planning and designing, its rigid drill in
the methods of rendering; the immense wealth of architectural precedent at the command of every student through
the multiplication of books and photographs; the facility of
foreign travel which opens new worlds to the instructed student ; finally, and not less important than all these preparatory aids, the mutual stimulus, encouragement, and support
which come from the constant association of educated men
engaged in the same work.
Yet, in spite of the absence of all these incalculable advantages, Bulfinch pursued his fruitful career for twenty years
and more in his native town before he was called to Washington, and, so far as we can judge from the letters which
have been preserved, without discouragement or complaint,
and with a result which, as I have said, is surprising. One
danger, it is true, he escaped, — a danger ever present to
the architect of these later days, and which has so often
brought his most promising work to shipwreck, — the danger of excess, of extravagance, of that affectation which is
in our day the bane of art and literature. How hard it is
for the architect of to-day to use his embarras de richesses
with the stern self-restraint and the cool judgment which so
vast a choice of materials enjoins on him, none but himself
can know. But any careful observer may partly understand it when in his walks abroad he remarks, in the costly
buildings which rise on every hand, the extreme rarity of
that virtue which is in all art the supreme grace, — the
virtue of simplicity. Just as the possession of great wealth
brings with it the temptation to excess in display, so the
command of this great wealth of architectural precedent of
all ages and all styles brings with it the temptation to excess

INTRODUCTION

7

and incongruity in design. That temptation Charles Bulfinch never knew. But out of his slender resources he created nevertheless in his day a body of architecture which
possessed the grand qualities of simplicity, dignity, repose,
not without a certain modest elegance which was of the
nature of the man himself. It is sorely to be regretted that
the march of progress which transforms in a couple of generations every American city has left so little of his work.
Those of us who remember the Franklin place, which disappeared about the middle of the century, will recognize an
illustration of what I have said. A little architecture was
made to go a long way. Yet the effect was distinctly architectural. The strongly marked centre, with its great open
arch spanning the street and flanked by smaller arches over
the sidewalks; the emphasized pavilions at the ends of the
composition, with a little superior height and a modest order
of engaged pilasters; finally, the gentle curve of the whole
line, — this was all, but it was sufficient; and it would be
difficult to-day, in any quarter of residences in the city, to
point to any frontage of 500 feet of which the effect is so
dignified and so attractive.
What Bulfinch was able to accomplish when the opportunity was given him for a more liberal expenditure, and for
the application of the principles of design to an important
public building, may still be seen in the State House on
Beacon Hill, which, as it is almost his earliest work, is also
unquestionably his best, — " Consilia juventutis plus divinitatis habent." Measured by the modern standard, it is by
no means a large building, its frontage being no more than
175 feet, while its depth is only sixty feet. There is no
richness of material, brick and wood serving all the purposes
of construction and decoration. Yet its disposition of parts
is so happy, its treatment is so broad and simple, its sparing

8

INTRODUCTION

ornament is so correct in itself and so judiciously used, that
it produces the effect of size and dignity, combined in a
remarkable degree with elegance and grace. Its site is the
finest in the city, and the adaptation of the building to its
site is perfect.
At the moment when this memoir appears, it seems doubtful whether the most strenuous efforts — continued now
through three successive years — on the part of those who
cherish this building, not alone for its architectural beauty
but for the tender and glorious associations which have
gathered in a hundred years around its walls and dome, will
avail to save it from the destruction to which it has been
devoted by those in power who despise and contemn it
because it is old, and who wish to replace it by a structure
more in accordance with modern methods of building, and
the modern scale of architectural splendor.
The story of Mr. Bulfinch's call to Washington, of his
assumption of the important work of rebuilding the national
Capitol, of his modest pride in his position and in his unusual facilities for work, of the dignity and self-possession
with which he adapted himself to the novel conditions of
his life and practice, does but strengthen the impression
of his character which we get from all the rest of his simple
history. To architects, there is a strong interest in this portion of the story, which shows us, even in these early days,
the same trials of patience, steadiness, and professional selfrespect with which the modern practice is so thickly strewn.
Witness the firmness and quiet dignity of his communications with the official persons who wished to cut down his
more than modest salary, and later to send him home before
his work on the Capitol was finished ; in both of which
instances it is good to know that he routed his opponents.
It would be interesting to know how literally he confined

INTRODUCTION

9

himself, in the rebuilding of the centre and wings, to the
designs of his predecessor. We are told that his estimates
for the wings was % 180,000, a sum which would indicate
that the work on them was confined principally to the interior. How far, then, had he a hand in designing the noble
chambers of the Senate and the Representatives, which offer
so striking and mortifying a contrast to the halls in which
those august bodies are housed in these later days ? We
are told that he had a model of the centre made in woodby Willard, of Boston, himself an architect of some distinction. How far, then, did he revise the great portico and
the dome? We shall not know. What seems certain is,
that on the west front — the front towards the city — the
succession of terraces and steps, which make the approach
to the Capitol from that side so imposing, was the work of
Bulfinch; and this bears witness again to the instinct for
large effects, and for the artistic adaptation of a building to
its site, which are conspicuous in his earlier work.
Finally, let me say that it is not only in his straightforward and consistent professional career that the life of
Mr. Bulfinch offers to the architects of the present day an
inspiring lesson and example. For he was from the beginning conspicuous not only as an architect, but as a good
citizen, ever ready to give both time and labor to the interests of his town. How early in life his qualities were
appreciated by his fellow-townsmen we have seen from the
fact that he was a Selectman of the town from the age of
twenty-seven. For twenty-one years he was chairman of
the board; a position which he relinquished only when he
left Boston to take up his duties at Washington. The contrast between the domestic politics of that early day and
those with which we are familiar can hardly be more strikingly presented than by an incident which occurred towards

10

INTRODUCTION

the close of his long term of office. In 1815, after having
been some twenty years in office, he with two others of the
board failed of reelection, from some cause not now to be
known. "• The circumstance," says Mr. Quincy in his
" Municipal History of Boston," " was a subject of general
regret. Every elected member of the Board of Selectmen
immediately resigned, and on a second trial Mr. Bulfinch
and the others were reinstated by decided majorities."
It is needless to say more. The story of this honorable
and useful life, both in its public and in its private relations, is amply told in these pages. The man and the times
in which he lived and worked are of the past, and one cannot but look back with a certain regret from these more
strenuous days of sharp and eager competition, of lavish
expenditure, of exaggerated scale, to the slower pace and
the ampler leisure of the earlier time.
" But we, brought forth and reared in hours
Of change, alarm, surprise,
What shelter to grow ripe is ours, —
What leisure to grow wise ! "

CHAPTER I
ANCESTRY

1680-1763
When our fathers were but a few in number ; yea, very few, and strangers
in the land.
When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another
people. — PSALM CV.

the subject of this memoir, was
born in Boston, August 8, 1763, of a family which had
come from England about a hundred years earlier and settled at the historic North End of the town. His father was
Thomas Bulfinch, a physician of repute. His grandfather
had borne the same name and profession; and his greatgrandfather, Adino Bulfinch, a merchant of Boston about
1700, is the first of the family of whom we have certain
knowledge.
The name occurs at intervals in earlier records, but we
CHARLES

BULFINCH,

12

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

have no means of establishing the connection between
individuals, or with the family of Adino. In Winthrop's
Journal, edited by Mr. James Savage, on the list of those
admitted to take the freeman's oath in 1642, we find the
name of John Bulfinch. Among the family heirlooms was
at one time an engraving with the words, "Vera effigies
Joannes Bulfinch," and the same engraving is found in
Bromley's Catalogue of Engraved British Portraits, recorded
as follows : " John Bulfinch, Printseller, 1690; 12°, scarce.
Engraver, D. Loggan." Again, in Hutchinson's History,
date 1706, notice is given of a petition to Queen Anne
against Governor Dudley for trading with the French and
Indians, furnishing them with arms, etc., which is signed
by twenty names, and among them that of John Bulfinch
also occurs.
Careful researches made at different times by the family
lead to the belief that Adino was not born in this country.
After 1700, however, his name is frequently mentioned in
the town records; and we read that in 1721 a tomb was
assigned to him in the Granary Burying Ground, near the
tomb of the Hancocks.
Charles Bulfinch himself writes as follows on the subject
in a brief autobiographical sketch found among his papers:
" The earliest information that I have been able to obtain
of any of my ancestors is from a record in the books of the
town of Boston of the choice in public town meeting of
Adino Bulfinch in 1707 as surveyor of highways, which
choice was repeated in 1708. I also find a deed in Suffolk
registry of deeds of land on the Mill Creek, on which his
mansion house was afterwards built; the date of this deed
was 1706, and it is observable that he has liberty by this
deed to cure fish on the adjacent land, which has long
since been covered most compactly with buildings. These

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13

circumstances show that he was a man of property, and
must have had a long residence in the town to have enjoyed
so far the confidence of his fellow-townsmen as to be chosen
by them to a responsible town office, from which I conclude
that he must have arrived from England and become an
inhabitant about 1680."
I find another record stating that Adino was a sailmaker
by trade, a successful man and influential citizen. The
large house he owned and occupied, on the borders of the
" Mill Creek," was still standing in 1841.
The will of Adino Bulfinch is recorded in July 26, 1745,
whereby he bequeaths a valuable property to his children.
After distributing his plate and silver-hilted sword, his
books and pictures, among them, together with two black
women, he gives as follows: To his son William, his
warehouse on Butler's Wharf; to his sons John and William, his mansion house in Marsh Lane, in equal parts, also
three chaise-houses or stables; to his sons Thomas and
Adino, two houses in Salt Lane and the shop over against
the mansion house; to his daughter Katharine, house and
land in Atkinson Street; to his sons John, Thomas, Adino,
and William, house and land in Summer Street. All the
above real estate subject to annuities to his two daughters.
Letters now extant show that his son Thomas, born
August 26, 1694, was educated in Paris for the practice of
physic, and completed his studies there in 1721, as appears
by his passport from France, still kept in the family, signed
by the Duke of Orleans, Regent, under Louis XV.
" I t is a proof that his father was in independent circumstances and of a liberal mind, that he should send his
son to Paris for education; it was the most distinguished
medical school of that time; but the prejudices of our forefathers against the French were so strong that it appears

14

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

an extraordinary degree of liberality for a New England
youth to be sent there for education/'
It is stated in Thacher's Medical Biographies that Dr.
Thomas Bulfinch, the son of Adino, obtained the rudiments of medical instruction at home from Dr. Zabdiel
Boylston, and that on going abroad he studied anatomy
and surgery in London under the famous Cheselden before
completing his medical studies in Paris.
A letter has been preserved from Adino Bulfinch to this
son, addressed, —
" For Mr Tho. Bulfinch, To be Left at Mr. James Taylor Living at ye Sine of the Three Black birds in Great
Eastcheap Neare Cannon Street London." This earliest
family document is clearly written in a bold hand on a large
sheet of paper, and runs as follows: —
BOSTON ye — Decemb 1720

Yours I Received, Dated The 5 th of June
Last from Paris by which I am Glad of Your Wellfare, & y*
ye Country Agrees wtb You, & Likewise I understand y* You
Design not to Leave yfc Country, till Some Mounths, I am Glad
of Your goeing Their it being I Doubt not but for Your
Good, Though Something Chargeble I Received A Letter from
Coz. Rosewell The 18 th of Novbr Last, wherein he Informs
me, he Received A Letter from you, Wherein You Inform d
him, You Design'd To Leave France in November, So I
hope y* You Are Arrived in England, before ye Writing
hereof. He Acquaints me w* Money You want, he will
Supply you with, to bring wth you w* you Want To
Carry an End your Buisness here, And I Shall As Soon,
as I know w* it is Make Return with Thanks for his Particular Service Done to You, for I keep Money by me A purpose. . . . I Wrote to You y* I belived There was not
LOVING SON —

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15

Occasion to bring much Medicins, by Keason, There was
so Many Apothecary Shops Allready, but Now upon Second Thoughts, I beleive it may do Well to bring fresh
Medicins, & Sett up A Shop, for I doubt not, but You
Will have A Share wth Them, & Likewise I beleive it would
do Extraordinary Well to bring A Good Sober Young Man
wth You, One y* has Served his Time, wth An Apothecary,
And to Agree wth him for four Or five Years, at So Much
P r Year, So y* You May Settle Yourself at Once, & Then
you have Somebody to Look after Your buisness in Your
Absence, wch I Would have You by all Means do, you know
y* we have Room for You, & you Are to be at my house till
You Can See & Settle Yourself better. I Would have
You to Come home in One of ye First Ships in ye Spring,
& Likewise to be as prudent As You Can, but To bring w*
May be Nesasary & Appear Well. This is ye Last Letter I
Design to Write to You, hopeing You Will not be at London Any Longer. Your Brother Jn° Went to Barbadoes,
about Three Mounths agoe, & About Three days Agoe is
Arriv d Safe here. Sam1 is now at home for They had a
Little Difference So he did not go wth him. Your Brother
Adino Lives at ye Coledge, he Takes his Second Degree
Next Summer, he is A Sober Young Man & I Doubt not
but—please God, he Lives — Will Make A fine Man, for
he Designs to follow ye Ministry. . . . Your Brothers &
Sisters give Their Kind Love to You, & Long to See You.
I would have You bring Some Small Thing Or Other for
Each of Your Sisters, for to be Sure They Will Expect
Something Or Other. If you Can gett me A good boy,
bring him wth You, for my Trade & I will pay His Pasuage.
Your Mother Gives her blessing to you. Give My Service
to M r Button Sailmaker of ye Docks, & To his Sister if
ALive. Do not forgett To give all Our Loves to Coz.

16

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

Eosewell & Thank him for All favours done for You. Not
Else by [but ?] my Prayer to God, to Bless you & keep
You from All Evils, & To Send You A Good Voyage &
Safe Return, if it may be his Will, & y* We May See One
an Others faces, with joy
Your Affectionate Father
AD°

BULFINCH.

The father also advises his son not to entertain an idea
which had been proposed to him to enter into partnership
with another doctor* on his return. " By No Means I
Would not have You have any Thoughts About it. The
Doctor has been Often A Talking to me About it but I
said but Little to it." A long postscript contains a number
of commissions to be executed in London, with a careful
statement of the money sent out in charge of the ship's
captain, John Osborn. Among a multitude of directions
the young man is instructed to buy for one of his sisters
" 28 yd of Yellow flowered Pee Green, or any Other Modest Colour. You Must go to the Weavers, for You may
buy it Cheaper There. She Likewise Now has sent 4 Oz.
of Silver & 3 s 6d in Odd Money Sterling To buy 5 yd of
Three Quarter of a Y d Wide Lutestring, for a Scarfe &
to gett The Veloure to Suit it." The lutestring, he is
told, must be of " a deep yealer." Katharine sends for
" A pair of Silk Shooes with Lase & Pattoones," and " A
White Scarfe to be Dyed blew." Some items of Boston
news are given. " Doct: Ellis is Dead and Mr Phillup
Book Seller Dyed Latly."
A letter exists from the son in France to the father in
America, of which the first part, written somewhat earlier
than the preceding, runs as follows : —
1

This is said by Thacher to have been Dr. Boylston.

17

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PARIS, Octr 5th 1720 N. S.

Sm,— I have yours of y 25 th April & 5 th May
and am Sorry I could not Comply wth your desire in Comeing Over this Sumer, wch I hope you'll pardon when you
Come to hear my reasons, for I doe assure you it's not
through anything of gaiety or Pleasure y1 I take being
abroad; but purely of Instructing myself in Some Particular things relating to my Business, for I'm not Content wth
ye bare name of being abroad, but am also willing (if I'm
Call'd to it) to Give Some proofs of it. I am at present wth
ye Greatest Manmidwife in Paris (& I might Say in ye Universe for y* business) wth whoom I'm Ingag'd for 3 Months
to Come. In which time shall have ye Opportunity of
Deliv'g. Some Considerable Numbers, for Scarcely a Day
passes but we have 2 or 3 Births; I have delivd Several
already myself most of wch have been preternatural Births.
I'm verry well Assur'd there's not many Surgeons in Our
Country y* knows much of ye Matter, Excepting my Master
& there is no place like Paris to Qualify a Man for y* business ; it's what I hope will bring me in a handsome penny,
Please God I prosper & gett a few years Over my head.
There is likewise Several Other things to be seen into here
very advantageous to one of my Business. Shall Certainly
have Completed all in 3 Months after wch Shall make ye
best of my way home. I Begg Ten thousand Pardons for
my long Delay, wch I doubt not your Paternal Goodness
will Excuse. Since it's like to be for my advantage, my
tarry here being Longer yn I Expect d , will Occasion me to
Draw for some Small Matter more upon Coz? Pray my
humble Duty to my Honor d Mother. Love to Bro s & all
friends to whoom Due, in Particular ye Doct r & Lady. I
Kemn
Your Dutif ull Obbed* Son
HONOUR

e

THO S

BULFINCH.

18

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

P. S. Should be Glad you had wrote me y r Opinion of
Goeing into partnership wth ye Doctr wch I think will be for
my advantage & what I purpose at present to doe. If this
should arrive soon enough to answer desire you would give
me y r opinion.
A continuation, dated in London some months later,
bears the marks of confusion and distress of mind, and is
nearly indecipherable. The writer announces a great misfortune that befell him on his return from France. His
cousin Rosewell, from whom he expected to receive remittances, had just sailed from Portsmouth for the East Indies,
without leaving orders to pay him so much as a farthing.
He writes to his father, therefore, in keen anxiety for supplies, that he may not be obliged to depend longer upon his
friends, whom he thanks God he is not wrholly without. He
says he bears himself as cheerfully as possibly he can, but
that it is not only the expense but the loss of time that he
regrets, as his time now has a certain value. His going to
France has given him an insight into many things which he
would not have lost for 500 guineas.
" It has Cost me indeed some money to be informed in
those things but I have endeavor'd to fetch it up in being
a Good husband, wch I think I may say without vanity I
have been, for ye whole wch I have had of Coz. for ye 12
m° at Paris & ye 18 m° at London is not above 136 pounds,
out of wch I have p d above 50 for my Learning in hospital
midwifery." He hopes that his father will continue his
paternal regard for him, and send him soon a bill of
exchange, or supply his needs in any convenient way. We
are glad to learn a few lines later that the money sent
by Captain Osborn had been received, and, coming at so
seasonable a time, was truly welcome. The partnership

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19

plan he will wholly decline, finding his father so much
against it, but prays his humble service to the doctor and
his lady. The faithless and disappointing Cousin Rosewell
is severely denounced, and his indignation leaves him no
leisure to mention the sundry feminine purchases with
which he had been charged, except to add that the silver
money sister Sarah had sent out could not be heard of.
We can only hope for her sake and Katharine's that it was
shortly recovered, and their little commissions were not
wholly forgotten.
Dr. Thomas Bulfinch returned to Boston in 1722, and
we learn that he established there a very large practice,
with a high reputation as a skillful physician. We are also
told that he married, June 11, 1724, Judith Colman, a girl
of seventeen, daughter of John Colman and his wife Judith
Hobby. Mr. Colman, who was a distinguished merchant
of Boston at that time, gave a lot of land at West Boston
(in Bowdoin Square) to each of his sons-in-law, Thomas
Bulfinch and Peter Chardon, on which each built a dwelling-house. The mansion of Dr. Bulfinch remained in his
family for somewhat over 100 years, and the present
" Coolidge House " now occupies that site. In place of Mr.
Chardon's, writes my grandfather, "there now stands the
Baptist church, with Gothic stone front."
' Dr. Bulfinch had only two children, who bore their
parents' names, Thomas and Judith. The daughter married Dr. Samuel Cooper, minister of Brattle Street Church,
and the son was graduated from Harvard College in 1746.
A valedictory oration delivered by him is still preserved by
the family. One of his grandsons wrote concerning it, in
later years, as follows : —
" This Oration was delivered at Harvard College in 1749,
by my grandfather, Dr. Thomas Bulfinch 2 nd , on taking his

20

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

Master's degree. That the Latin Valedictory was delivered
by a master, see Quincy's Hist, of Harvard Coll. vol. i. p.
445 < The oration also alludes, on its 4 th page, to the resti,
tution of cities taken by the French. This took place by
the treaty of Aix la Chapelle, made in 1748.
" The taking of Louisbourg, in which the New England
forces bore a part, which is triumphantly referred to, took
place in 1745. The ' Eques auratus' (page 8) was Sir
William Pepperell, who was created a baronet for that
achievement. . . .
" The scanty attendance of graduates alluded to on the
first page, and the absence especially of the clergy, wittily
noticed on page 11, may be explained by what is stated in
Quincy's Hist, of Harv. Coll. vol. ii. page 93. The Corporation made repeated attempts that year to have the
Commencement exercises private, on account of the public
distress from drought and scarcity, but were overruled by
the Overseers. There was probably much feeling about
the matter, and many of c the stricter sort,' especially the
clergy, stayed away from Commencement.
"There is extant another copy of this oration, only partially written by the author, and which I have completed
from this. This appears to be the original, being much
worn, as by use in committing it to memory. It is in my
grandfather's handwriting, as appears by comparison with
his letters. So also is the original part of the other copy."
The oration is in a handsome hand, always characteristic
of the younger Thomas. At the time when he pronunced
his " Vivat Rex Georgius Secundus," before the Commencement audience of that day, he was about twenty-one years
old, for he was born early in 1728.
After studying physic with his father for a time, the
young man followed the example of the elder and crossed

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21

the ocean, in company with a friend, Mr. John Apthorp, to
pursue his medical education abroad, first in London and
afterwards in Edinburgh.
A group of letters remain which passed between the
father and son. The young man arrived in England in
June, 1754, and wrote from Liverpool to announce his safe
arrival, anticipating much enjoyment in the journey by postchaise to London, as the country was in all its bloom. No
doubt a number of the connections and friends of the
family were still living in or near London, and we have
abundant proof that a close intercourse with the English
relatives was kept up for many years. He soon writes
from London to say that he has visited Dr. Nichols (one of
his Majesty's physicians), and received much civility from
him, and also the advice to begin at the foundation and
board for the present at a chemist's, that he may become
thorough in his preparation for his work. Dr. Nichols has
himself secured him such a lodging, in Friday Street, at
forty guineas per annum. He hopes that his father has disposed of his horse, and says he has sent Mr. Bowdoin the
things he had desired, though he found they were much
more expensive than had been estimated. (A box of glass
for Mr. Bowdoin is later mentioned.) " If you can conveniently send me a couple of Qtls. of very Fine Fish should
be glad you would do it, as I find it would be very acceptable to Mr Lane & some other Friends here." In a later
letter he describes his daily routine of duty. He rises at
seven and walks immediately to Great Marlborough Street,
Soho, about three miles off, where he is busied in dissection
of dead bodies until four in the afternoon, and often allows
himself no time to dine. At six he goes to Mr. Hunter's
lecture, where he is kept till nine, so that by the time h§
gets home he is fit for nothing but bed. He sends home

22

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

his mother's watch and chain, which he has had repaired,
and promises to insure it. As to news, an invasion is daily
expected, but he is so little of a politician that instead of
saying much upon that head he will send home the papers
for their perusal, from which they wrill obtain more information than from him.
A pleasant and lively letter from the young man to his
brother-in-law, Dr. Cooper, in October, 1754, gives many
farther particulars of his English life at this time, of his
visits to Margate and Canterbury, his Sunday morning
walks to his friend Mr. Lane's country seat at Clapham,
and his delight at seeing Garrick in the character of
Romeo.
The father, of whom we know so little since, a young
man, he wrote home in such distress from London, is now a
man of sixty-one, and, in his advice to the son and solicitude
for his welfare, reminds us of his own father, Adino.
This is his first letter: —
BOSTON, June 16, 1755.

— Since my last Have recd yours by Kirkwood, Cahail, Trout, Phillips & White, with your Aunt's
& Mrs. Green's things which they both like & your Mother's
shade & mark, the shrubs are most of them alive. Eejoyce
to hear your Illness went off so soon, hope you'll be very
Carefull of your health & not be out nor up too late— Am
much oblig'd to Mr. Lane for his Kindness to you, to whom
pray my Compliments.
I like Dr. Nichols' advice for you to be dresser * as it will
give you a much better knowledge of the business. Inclos'd
you have a bill of Mr. Lechmere's on Mr. Lane for £ 1 0 0
Sterling, shall send you another in a little time, am willing
you should live in Credit, doubt not of your prudence in
DEAR CHILD,

1

A term employed in the Loudon hospitals and of late adopted in this country.

23

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your Expenses. Your Mother Intends to send your Linen
by Mr. Tregothick who will sail with Capt. Cahail in about
a fortnight or 3 weeks. The peppers & Barberries when
the Season arrives, the Ducks as soon as I Can lite of them
. . . Have Bought S r Harry's Chariot x & sold your Horse
for 150
Give my Compliments to Mr. John Girle, am
Glad to hear he is alive & well. I was acquainted with him
about 35 years ago, at St. Thomas' Hospital. Chapman
thanks you for his book; he behaves well, has sent a
memdum for some things which I Leave with you to do as
you please. He is very desirous of ye Artichokes. As to
Mr. Kilby's favours you won't want them. I would have
you Settle my Ace1 with him before you Come home.
Hope you won't forget writing your Mother as often as
you can, she is troubled she han't had a letter from you so
long. As your time is taken up you may omit writing me
& what you have to say write in hers. Your Bro r & Sister
Expect d a Letter in the Spring Ships. Mr. Hancock desires
to be remembd to you & hopes you '11 continue writing to
him, acknowledges he don't deserve it, but says he will write
by the Spring Shipps.
I thank God we are all well, your Mother is perfectly
recovd. All friends desire to be remembd to you.
Your Affct. Father
THO S BULFINOH.

Trout goes down in half an hour, so can't write any more.
Again the son writes to his mother:
1 desired you would send me half
are for a very particular Friend, who
kind to me since I have been here; I

" In my letter per
a dozen Hams; they
has been extremely
should be very glad

1
Sir Harry Frankland's " princely residence " was on Garden Court Street,
next to Governor Hutchinson's.

24

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

they might be made at home, but if this is too much Trouble
for you I should be glad you would give particular orders
about them, & send me an ac'ct. of the cost, as he insists
upon paying for them. If you could send a Barrell Cranberrys to Mrs. Lane it would be extremely wellcome. If
you send the Hams direct them for Mr. John Goddard in
Cannon St. This I mention in Case I should not be in London." In a letter of which the beginning is missing he
asks the opinion and advice of friends at home in regard to
some plan of which we are now ignorant. I t was possibly
the plan of studying in Edinburgh. " I hope that not
only you, my Mother, Brother & Sister will think for me,
but that you will also mention it to Col. Henchman, Mr.
Hancock, Father Lechmere, Uncle Chardon, Col. Pollard,
Mr. Green & Mr. Wm. Cooper."
Having decided in favor of going to Scotland, he writes
as follows after his arrival in Edinburgh (his son Charles
tells us that he boarded in the same family with Dr. Robertson, the historian): —
EDINBURGH, Dec r 28,1756.

— I have now the pleasure to inform you of
my safe arrival here; after a very agreeable Journey, in
which I took both Hull & York in my way — and to my
no small satisfaction find that the Character I had of this
place, in respect of the Phisical Advantages which it has
over London is true ; besides which I have been so lucky
as to fix in a family, where there is nothing wanting but
the Language to make it truly English. Soon after my
Arrival I was seized with a violent Dysenterick Fever owing
partly as I imagine to my too close application to Business,
partly to Change of Climate; however by the great Care of
my Kind Landlady, & the Skill of one of the greatest
Physicians in Europe, Dr. Whytt, I am now thoroughly
HON D S I R

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25

recover'd, and enabled to prosecute my Studies with as
much Ardour as ever. As this is but a barren place in
respect of News, perhaps it may not be disagreeable to you,
if instead thereof, I give you a short Sketch in what manner I employ myself here, as far as relates to the several
Classes which I attend at the College. At Ten in the
morng Dr. Whytt begins his lecture on the Theory which
continues till Eleven, & from Eleven to Twelve Dr. Rutherford Lectures on the Practice of Physic. From Twelve to
one I attend the Infirmary, from one to two I attend Dr.
Cullen's Lectures in Chemistry, from three to four Dr.
Monro on Anatomy, and this is the round I have every Day
save Saturday and Sunday, besides attend g a Clinical Lecture twice a week after the other Business of the Day is
over. By Entering thus regularly, as I am enabled to do,
from D rs W. & R.'s Lectures, into the Nature, Make & Use
of the several parts of the Human Body, I am the better
able to form a judgment of the Nature & Cause of Diseases,
and of the best methods to pursue in order to their Cure.
Many of my Friends in London were surpris'd at my coming here, thinking that every Advantage might be obtained
with them, but I must beg leave to dissent from them & I
am well assured that if I had come here as soon as I arrived
in England I should have made much greater progress in
the Knowledge of my Business than I did in London, even
admitting I had not applied so close to it as I did there.
However, I hope it is not now too late. The Professors
here are very sensible that they have been too free in granting their Diplomas & are determin'd to retrieve the Credit
of their University, by granting them for the future only
to those who are very deserving. To this End they have
agreed that no one shall have that Honor bestowed on
them, without having lived here such a number of Years &

26

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

attended all the several Classes, after which they are to
undergo a very severe Examination. Now as my Stay here
will be but for a Short Time it is uncertain whether they
will admit me to an Examination for a Degree, however by
the Influence of some Gent ry here to whom I had Recommendations from Gent11 of the Business in London, I hope
to be able to obtain an Examination, but I am well assured
this cannot be done, unless I tarry here till the month of
July or August; so that you must not expect me home till
the fall, if you are desirous of my returning with a Diploma.
The world is led away with a Notion that an English Degree
is more Honorary than a Scotch one, but I am very sure
that the Examination for a Scotch one is the severest.
Yesterday I received yours & Mr. Cooper's Letters of the
16 Novr by which I perceive the melancholy Scituation of
your affairs in Respect of the War. However, I hope that
by the Conduct of Lord Louden they will soon take another
turn. The Death of poor Nat. Cunningham surpriz'd me
much, he had but short Enjoyment of the Advantages
which his superior Fortune gave him. Mr. & Mrs. Kilby
were extremely handsome to me in London, therefore I
think the like Civilities are due to Mrs. Cunningham, especially as she now is in a manner friendless. I have so often
made excuses to my Friends for not writing them that I am
ashamed to repeat them again, particularly I beg Pardon
of Mr. Wm. Cooper and Mr. Minot for Neglecting them as
I have but I hope they will be so Kind as to remember that
close Attention to Business only could have caus'd so great
a Neglect. I should also with
Pleasure address myself
to Father Lechmere, Mr. Hancock & many others, but it is
impossible, nor can I, I fear, get time enough to write my
Dear Mother, Bro. & Sister. However I will embrace the
first Leisure Moment I have to accomplish this. I am sorry

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27

Father Leehmere does not incline to draw any more as his
Bills were always good, and attended with no trouble, being
always ready in Mr. Lane's hands, but I don't doubt your
Care in procuring me others, & I must not forget to tell
you that my good Friend Mr. Lane gave me a Letter of
Credit in Scotland without Limitation, which I take as a
great Instance of his regard. I have not else to add Hon d
Sir, save Duty to my Dear Mother Love to Bro r & Sister &
that I am
Your Dutifull Son
THOMAS BULFINCH.
Addressed to
Doctr THOMAS BULFINCH

in Boston
P r Capt. Spender, London 15 Feb. 1757
Rec'd & forwarded by Sir yr most obed. servts Lane & Booth

The second and last letter from the father runs as follows : —
BOSTON, Feb. 21,1757.
DEAR CHILD — I wrote by Robson, Volnight & Mortimor & sent you Mr. Lechmere's 1, 2, & 3 d bills of Exeh e on
Messrs Lane & Booth for £ 1 0 0 Sterling & sent Mrs Lane
in Mortimer a Cask of New York biskit. . . . If you return Home in the Spring this may probably be one of the
last letters you may receive from me. I have sent by this
Conveyance an Invoice of Drugs & medicines in a packet to
be left at Mr. Lane's untill you return from Scotland, which
would have you bring with you, the Cost will be about £ 1 2
Sterling. I sent you formerly all my Instruments except
the Silver catheter & Gorget, 1 pair of large probe scizars,
& Case of Dissecting Knives which are but Indifferent &
would have you gett a new sett, & Case of needles, my
Gorget is too short for the new way of Cutting for the

28

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

Stone, you had best gett 2 longer ones, a cutting one, I
have lent or lost my Trocar & long steel probe. . . .
Shall send you by next a bill of £ 5 0 sterling & would
have you buy us a Case of Silver handled knives and forks
with partitions for a Dozen of Spoons & 2 Dozen Ivory
handle D° for our case, several of them being broke, let the
blades be good. A pair of Lamps for the Chariot, a wigg
for myself, such a Colour as you sent before & half a Dozen
p r of Thred Stocking Some Stocking & Gloves for y r m°.
Some flowering Shrubs that you sent before are all dead.
A coat for your neice, you will find the pattern for it in ye
packet, Some mittins for your Sister & both her child".
I would advise you to Come Home in a Man of War if
any should be orderd here or to Hallyfax, or in a Mastship
who allways are allowd convoy, or in the packet to New
York; if the war continues the danger will be very great
in our Common Vessels, what you send in them would have
you fully Insure. It would not be amiss for you to get a
letter of Credit from some Gentleman in London to some
person in France in case you should be taken, y* you need
not be Confined in a Goal. If this meets you in Scotland
& you can procure a Diploma for Mr. Cooper would have
you get it, the Charge will not be much. . . .
My Dear Child I comend you to a Good & Kind providence & pray that we may have a happy Sight of Each
other & remain
Your Affectionate Father
THO S BULFINCH.
r

e

M Booth Sent y Claws
& Slaybells by Bruce
which I recd
you may bring me a pocket Salvatory.

The series closes with the following letter from the son:

ANCESTRY

29
LONDON, November 7th, 1757.

— Your favours of the lsfc of August p r Spender
& Cowley came safe to hand, & the bill inclosed met with
due honour. I can't but take notice of your kind provision
for me, notwithstanding your Complaints of not hearing
from m e ; but you may be assured that whatever my Neglects have been in the year past, I am however not insensible of the Duty and Obligation which I owe you. I have
now the pleasure to inform you that on the 6 th ult° I was
honour'd with a Degree of D r of Physic in the University
of Edinburgh, and that I am once more safely arrived in
London; But altho' I passed the several Examinations
previous to my Graduation to the intire approbation of the
Professors, yet I am not a little anxious when I reflect on
the Importance of the trust on which I am entering. The
Thesis which I have published (the Subject of which is De
Crisibus) I have inscribed to Dr. Nichols. I own that the
Duty and Affection which I owe to you demanded rather
that I should have addressed [it] to you, but my reasons
for dedicating it to the D r will I doubt not be very satisfactory to you, when I have an opportunity of giving them
to you at large. At present I shall only say that I have
adopted an opinion of his, of the Soul's Influence over the
Functions of the Body, thereby regulating and governing
its several actions, an Hypothesis which to some appears
highly ridiculous & absurd, but owing I imagine chiefly to
their not duly considering the matter. The Hypothesis is
not new for it is as old as Plato, & is embraced by the celebrated Stahl of Germany, Porterfield of Edinburgh, & many
other very learned men, but none have carried it quite so
far as Dr. Nichols, as you will see by his elegant production
de Anima Medica. I fear I shan't be able to send you any
of my Theses by this Conveyance but you may expect some
HON D S I R

30

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

by the next. But now methink, I hear you say, well Child,
since you have been from me so long, and have executed
the plan which you proposed at setting out, is it not time
to think of returning home ? 't is true indeed, S r I have
been long from you and little did I think when I left you
that I should prove so expensive to you, but howrever I hope
that your kindness & my Endeavours will not all be lost,
altho' I confess that the progress which I have made bears
but very small proportion to the ample field in which I have
been engaged. As a proper Theory is the surest foundation on which to build future practice, I have therefore
been engaged in the year past in that pursuit, well knowing
how great Advantage I shall receive from your extensive
Knowledge in Practice, when it shall please God to give us
a meeting. The greatest Inducement which I have to continue longer in this place is, that by my acquaintance with
a very worthy Gent n first Physician to the Middlesex Hospital I have an Opportunity of attending the Business of
the Hospital Gratis, nay farther, another Physician of the
same Hospital being gone into the Country to settle, his
part of the Business of the house falls into the hands of my
Friend first mentioned, who has made me the offer of managing this part for him, so that I have an opportunity of
prescribing myself and trying whatever methods may be
agreable to me. If the Gent n mentioned gives up his place
as Physician, which if he settles in the Country he must, I
have interest sufficient to get chose in his room, provided I
can stay in London another Year. However as I imagine
this will not be agreable to my Friends, I shall content
myself with being only Assistant Physician during the winter Season; wrhereby I shall get as much Knowledge tho'
not so much Credit as if I was principal. I have endeavor'd
since I have been in England to intermix as much pleasure

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31

with Business as I could conveniently, however not quite so
much as I could have chose, and my Friends all advise me
now, to relax myself a little more during this Winter, which
I can very well do, since the Business of my Hospital will
take up only 2 or 3 hours in the forenoon. But then how
can I think of heaping farther Expence upon you, when I
have already so far exceeded the Bounds I had proposed,
indeed it will be but for one winter more & then I hope to
return to you, no longer to be an Expence, but by the
Blessing of God a Comfort and Credit. Not but that I
must say a Tour into Italy for a Twelvemonth or so would
not be disagreable, but this I dare not think of. . . . If I
accept the place just mentioned I must put on a great Wig,
& all the Pomp of the Physician, which is the only objection I have to it. . . . I dined with Dr. Nichols a few Days
ago. He thanked me for the fine Bearskin & likes it so
well that he does not intend to use it till he has a new
Chariot, which he has lately bespoke. I have got yours,
my Mother's & Sister's Directions for sundry things which
I shall take [pains] to comply with, but as it is so long
since the measures for my Niece's Coat were taken I fear it
will not answer, however will manage as well as I can. I
am very glad Mr. Lechmere has given me a Letter of Credit
as it is very uncertain what money I might want. You will
excuse me if I should be a little more Extravagant this
Winter than formerly, as it is impossible to live genteely
here & attend publick places without a very considerable
Expence, but I shall endeavour at the same time to be as
frugal as I well can. I am Dr. Sir wishing the continuance
of your health
Your Dutif ull Son
THOMAS BULFINCH.

32

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

One month after the date of this letter, on December 2,
1757, the elder physician died at his home in Boston, so
that the writer never saw his father again. The trip to
Italy must have been abandoned at once, as the young man
returned directly to America, to take up his father's practice
and carry it on alone, putting his new wisdom to the test of
immediate experience, but deprived of the companionship
and the sympathy which both had hoped for. The father
is said by Dr. Cooper, in an obituary notice, to have been
" a constant, unshaken friend, a lover of English liberty, of
good order and good government. . . . The public have
reason to regret his loss, not only as an excellent physician,
but as a good citizen, whose example was beneficial to the
community."
On September 13, 1759, the young Dr. Bulfinch was
married to Susan Apthorp, daughter of a family well known
to Boston historians, and especially identified with the
chronicles of King's Chapel. Her father was Charles Apthorp, a distinguished merchant, also paymaster and commissary to the British forces quartered in Boston. His
name and virtues are commemorated by a marble tablet on
the northern wall of King's Chapel, the building he had
founded with Governor Shirley, and which owed much to
his generosity and zeal. In his day he was called the richest
man in Boston, and rich in children he would certainly
be considered in modern times, for his family numbered
eighteen sons and daughters, of whom it is said that fourteen lived to maturity, and that it was a goodly sight to see
them gathered around the family table.
Charles Apthorp, educated at Eton, was the son of John
Apthorp and Susan his wife, whose maiden name was Ward,
of the family of Lord Ward, of Bixley, now Bexley, in
England.
His wife, Grizzell or Griselda Eastwicke, was descended

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33

from the Sir John Lloyd who assisted in conveying Charles
II. to France after the battle of Worcester. The portraits
of Charles Apthorp and his wife Griselda represent them as
a stately and prosperous couple, seemingly fully equal to
the duties entailed by their numerous family. The attitude
of the lady is peculiarly lofty and spirited.
Her early years were passed in the Island of Jamaica, and
there is a tradition that her father, finding it difficult to procure the instruction for his daughter then considered proper
for a young girl, placed her under the charge of his sons'
tutor, to share their lessons, and her education was therefore
much superior to what many women of that period enjoyed.
It is certain that her daughter Susan, who came as a
bride to the mansion house in Bowdoin Square, was a
woman of marked intelligence and cultivation, and throughout her long life commanded more than ordinary regard
from her children and associates.
A fine portrait by Blackburn, owned by one of her descendants,1 represents her near the time of her marriage, a
pretty creature in gray silk and white lace, with dark hair,
and bright eyes full of animation and mischief. The young
doctor, in his " Romeo " letter, had hinted feelingly at a
sympathy with lovers' woes, and, if it was Susan Apthorp
who then ruled his thoughts, we cannot marvel. We know
less of this interesting period of her youth than of her later
life, when her own letters and the descriptions of Dr. Freeman
and others bring her near to us. " Nature had given her
intellectual powers of uncommon vigor," writes Dr. Freeman.
She was the child of fancy and wit, but had been educated
by religious parents in the strictest principles of purity and
virtue. In later days, her deportment is said to have been
"erect and dignified. It inspired respect and frequently
awe."
1

Mr. J. T. Coolidge, Jr.

CHAPTER I I
YOUTH AND FOREIGN TRAVEL

1763-1787
So before our vision did hope hang over the future,
Luring our eyes abroad into newly opening pathways.
GOETHE.

I T is difficult for any
one now, standing in Bowdoin Square and watching
the city crowds as they
throng the sidewalks and
surround the electric cars
constantly coming and going, to form an idea of
what it resembled in 1763,
a dozen years before the
Revolution, and picture to
the mind's eye the country
roads and green fields of
West Boston, where the
Chardon and
Bulfinch
houses stood side by side.
The square was even then
the seat of several other
fine residences, half hidden among their stately trees, and
was one of the aristocratic centres of the town. But the
neighborhood was still sparsely settled, and much of the

YOUTH AND FOREIGN

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35

area west of it, Drake tells us, was in its primitive condition of fields or pastures. The old building of the West
Church, near by, was standing then, replaced since by a
more modern structure; and not far off upon the hill may
have stood the ancient windmill known to have been there
in earlier times.
Dr. Thomas Bulfinch owned, beside his mansion with its
garden, stable, and grounds on the east side of the square,
a lot of four acres, known in the records as Bulfinch's pasture, on the opposite side of the road, in the region then
known as " Valley Acre," lying between Beacon and Pemberton hills. It was bought by the first doctor while his
son was abroad, and remained in the family for some fifty
years. We read of many such pastures at that time,—Middlecott's, Atkinson's, Stanley's, and others. The exact
dimensions of this are still preserved. It included the
present site of the Kevere House, and ran back on Cambridge Street probably as far as Bowdoin (then Middlecott),
following this up the hill to near Ashburton Place. The
remaining boundary is no doubt marked by the present
Bulfinch Street.
The Boston of that time was the Boston of the royal
governors and the Province House, and of many meetings
of patriots in the famous old taverns of the North End.
The pedagogue, Master Johnny Tileston, had just succeeded Zachariah Hicks as the head of the north writing
school, and his quaint figure could often be seen in the
street while he set his watch by the clock on the Old South
Church.
The year before this, the Paddock elms had been planted,
that for more than a century cast a grateful shade over
Tremont Street and the Granary Burying Ground, now
sadly missed in the scorching summer days. From his

36

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

house and shop opposite, Captain Paddock could keep them
well in sight, watching over their growth and safety, and
he now and again found occasion by public notice to warn
the " youth of both sexes " not to molest them.
In this very year the first public coach of the town was
established. It ran between Boston and Portsmouth, the
headquarters being at the sign of the Lighthouse, at the
North End, and was known as the Portsmouth Flying
Coach. To save the inconvenience of the ferry, the stage
and horses were kept across the water at Charlestown, for
the town had then no bridges to the mainland.
Dr. Bulfinch and his wife Susan had eight children in
all, of whom but three attained to their majority. A Bible
in two ponderous volumes gives us the family register for
several generations* It bears first the curious autograph
of Charles Apthorp, dated 1751, and just below is that of
his son, East Apthorp, at Cambridge, 1760. It is then, in
the next year, given by East to his sister, Mrs. Bulfinch,
and by her in 1777 to her " dear son Charles;" while a
note, to be explained by the disturbed condition of the
times, requests any stranger, into whose hands the book may
fall, to return it to the family.
Charles was the second child, and the first to survive
infancy. Of his early years we know almost nothing.
One relic alone of his boyhood has come down to us in the
shape of a small copy of "Dialogorum Sacrorum," almost
black with age and childish handling. The fly-leaves are
covered from top to bottom with schoolboy scribblings, and
it is inscribed " Charles Bulfinch, his Book, Bought of Mr.
Bowes, July 16 th 1773." On the inside cover are two penand-ink drawings of rather shaky little columns, less than
three inches high, and somewhat after the Corinthian order.
We know further that his companion and playmate must

YOUTH AND FOREIGN

TRAVEL

37

have been his sister Susan, or " Sukey," a bright and lovely
girl, three years younger than himself, whose early death —
on her fifteenth birthday—left her parents broken-hearted,
and made a deep impression on the family history. Some
of her childish toys were sacredly cherished, and handed
down to later generations: a mourning ring marked " Sukey
Bulfinch " still exists, and her portrait, a pastel painting,
shows us her smiling, pretty face with its bright hazel eyes
and soft waves of brown hair.
An old copy of the " Boston Gazette " for November 12,
1781, has been carefully kept. It contains the great news
of the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, and, besides this and
of nearer significance, there is a touching notice of the
death of the young girl, " Miss Sukey."
Two younger sisters, Anna and Elizabeth, completed the
family, and it seems probable, from what we know, that the
widowed grandmother, Madam Grizzell Apthorp, often
made her home with them. A beautiful portrait of Elizabeth, the youngest child, afterwards Mrs. Coolidge, is
owned by her descendants. Tradition says that Sukey,
though so young, had already become affianced to Mr.
Jonathan Freeman; and that Anna was for a long time
courted by Sir Eoger Hale Sheaffe, the gallant Bostonian,
who won his honors abroad, but that her mother was
unwilling to spare her to his distant home in England.
Meantime a number of the relatives were already settled,
more or less permanently, on the other side of the water.
Mrs. Bulfinch's brother, the Rev. East Apthorp, first rector
of Christ Church in Cambridge, returned to England in
1764, and his family have since resided there. Her eldest
sister, Grizzell, had married Barlow Trecothick, afterwards
Lord Mayor of London, and other members of her large
circle of brothers and sisters were spending long intervals in
Europe.

38

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

With Dr. Bulfinch himself we are already acquainted
through his early letters. There are none remaining in the
family which belong to a later period, and perhaps from
this cause his image lacks something of the warmth and
clearness with which the character of the earlier Thomas
comes before us. Dr. Thacher records of him that he was
of an active, healthy frame, and distinguished for an uncommon attraction of person and elegance of manners, with
a mild and unassuming character; that he enjoyed a large
share of very genteel practice, living in handsome style and
keeping a chariot; and was greatly valued and respected by
all his patients. He was a decided friend to the rights of the
colonies, but remained in Boston during its occupation by
the British, and suffered the loss of a large quantity of medicine, forcibly taken by order of the British general for the
use of the troops, without acknowledgment or remuneration.
Among his friends were Governors Hancock and Bowdoin.
He is said to have been unwilling to have his portrait
painted, but we have a black silhouette, taken after the
fashion of the time, with braided cue tied with ribbon bows.
His medicine chest and silver pill-box have likewise come
down to us. The family chronicles dwell upon his benevolence, for which his profession gave ample opportunities,
and describe him as having, in the language of the day, " a
fine flow of cheerfulness."
An episode of this period should find a place here, as Dr.
Bulfinch was, from his connection with King's Chapel, a
chief actor in it. 1 This was no less an event than the separation of that church body from the communion of the
Protestant Episcopal Church. We read in the " Memorial
History of Boston," vol. iii. pp. 450-452, in Bishop Brooks's
1

He was himself baptized, June 30,1728, at the church in Brattle Square,
where the family belonged at that time.

YOUTH AND FOREIGN

TRAVEL

39

account of the Episcopal Churches of Boston, that before
the Kevolutionary War was ended, and while their house
of worship was still used by the congregation of the Old
South, in September, 1782, the wardens of King's Chapel
— Dr. Thomas Bulfinch and Mr. James Ivers — invited
Mr. James Freeman, a young man of twenty-three years of
age, then living at Walpole, to officiate for them as reader
for six months. In the course of the next two years, Mr.
Freeman told his parishioners his opinions had undergone a
change, and he therefore offered for their use an amended
form of prayer and worship, more suited to his present
belief. The church accepted these amendments, though
still calling themselves Episcopalians, and wishing to form
a part of the new Episcopal Church of the United States.
But when Mr. Freeman applied to Bishop Seabury for ordination, the Bishop, after asking advice of his clergy, did not
think fit to confer orders upon him on such a profession of
faith as he thought proper to give. Mr. Freeman also
failed in his application to Dr. Provoost at New York.
Thus ended the effort for Episcopalian ordination, and on
November 18, 1787, after the usual Sunday evening service,
the senior warden of the King's Chapel, Dr. Thomas Bulfinch, acting for the congregation, ordained Mr. Freeman
to be " rector, minister, priest, pastor, teaching elder, and
public teacher" of their society. Of course so bold and so
unusual an act excited violent remonstrance. A protest
was sent forth by certain of the original proprietors of the
Chapel, to which the wardens issued a reply. Other protests from Trinity Church, Newburyport, and Portsmouth
followed, without leading to any change of attitude on the
part of the society, and " from the day of Mr. Freeman's
ordination the King's Chapel ceased to be counted among
the Episcopal churches of Boston."

40

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

Bishop Brooks goes on to say that " the whole transaction bears evidence of the confusion of the ecclesiastical life
of those distracted days. The spirit of Unitarianism was
already present in many of the Congregational churches of
New England. It was because, in the King's Chapel, that
spirit met the clear terms of a stated and required liturgy,
that that church was the first to set itself avowedly upon
the basis of the new belief. The attachment to the liturgy
was satisfied by the retention of so much of its well-known
form; and the high character of Mr. Freeman, and the profound respect which his sincerity and piety and learning
won in all the town, did a great deal to strengthen the
establishment of the belief to which his congregation gave
their assent."
A strong regard and attachment was felt for Dr. Freeman by Dr. Bulfinch and his family, and for two generations his descendants continued to find their religious home
in King's Chapel.
We give now that portion of the autobiography in which
Charles refers to his early years, his youth, and foreign
travels: —
I have now arrived at the mention of circumstances of
my own life, connected with important events; but a detailed autobiography would include so many individuals
with whom I have been connected that I shall only give a
general summary. I was born in 1763, considered as a
year of triumph; the peace with France having just been
effected, after a successful war, in which Canada had been
conquered, & all fear of a formidable enemy on the frontier
had been removed. My earliest recollections are of the
altercations and political disputes occasioned by the attempts
of the mother country to raise a revenue in the colonies, of

YOUTH AND FOREIGN

TRAVEL

41

the resistance to the Stamp Act, of the destruction of the
tea in Boston harbour, of the firing upon the citizens in
State street, then called King street, Mar. 5, 1770, of the
blockade of the port, and removal of the Custom house
to Salem, of the arrival of the British troops & of their
encampment on the Common & Fort hill; of the fight at
Lexington, & the battle of Bunker hill, which I saw the
progress of from the roof of our dwelling house; of the
continuance of the siege of Boston & of the evacuation of
the town by the British troops on March 17, 1776.
After the return of the inhabitants to Boston the town
schools being reorganized, I was readmitted to the Latin
school under Mr. Hunt & fitted for College, which I
entered in 1778, and graduated in 1781. The class consisted of only 27, and it now appears extraordinary to me
that the parents of even that small number could determine
to pursue an expensive education of their children at a time
when the war was raging & business interrupted, but I
think it proves the general confidence in the success of the
cause. This small class included several who have done
honour to their College and have been distinguished in
public life ; Dudley A. Tyng, Judge Davis, Judge Paine,
the Revd B. Howard, and Hon. Sam1 Dexter & others.
My disposition would have led me to the study of physic,
but my father was averse to my engaging in the practice of
what he considered a laborious profession, & I was placed
in the counting room of Joseph Barrell, Esq., an intimate
friend & esteemed a correct merchant; but unfortunately
the unsettled state of the times prevented Mr. Barrell from
engaging in any active business, so that for except about
three months of hurried employment, when he was engaged
in victualing a French fleet in our harbour, my time passed
very idly and I was at leisure to cultivate a taste for Archi-

42

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

tecture, which was encouraged by attending to Mr. Barrell's
improvement of his estate and [the improvements] on our
dwelling house & the houses of some friends, all of which
had become exceedingly dilapidated during the war. Coming of age about this time, an Uncle, George Apthorp died
in England, and a portion of his property, about £ 2 0 0 Stlg,
came to my parents, who devoted it to my use for a visit
to Europe. I accordingly embarked in June, 1785, and
returned Jan. 1787. The time of my visit to Europe was
passed, partly in London & in visits to friends of my family
in different parts of England; in a visit to France &
through that country to Italy. At Paris I tarried some
time to view its buildings & other objects of curiosity, to
which I was introduced by letters from the Marquis La Fayette & Mr. Jefferson, then minister there. From Paris I
proceeded in the spring of 1786 through Nantz & Bordeaux
& by the canal of Languedoc to Marseilles & then to
Antibes, from which place I crossed in an open feluca to
Genoa, thence to Leghorn & Pisa, by Viterbo & Sienna
to Rome, where I remained three weeks, & then returned
by Bologna, Florence, Parma, Placentia and Milan over the
Alps by Mont Cenis, to Lyons & again to Paris: after a
short stay there, I returned to London by way of Rouen &
Dieppe, crossing the channel to Brighton. This tour was
highly gratifying, as you may well suppose. I was delighted in observing the numerous objects & beauties of
nature & art that I met with on all sides, particularly the
wonders of Architecture, & the kindred arts of painting &
sculpture, as my letters to friends at home very fully
express; but these pursuits did not confirm me in any business habits of buying & selling, on the contrary they had
a powerful adverse influence on my whole after life.

YOUTH AND FOREIGN

TRAVEL

43

The letters which follow, written at the time of his
foreign travels, are addressed to his parents, excepting one
to his intimate friend, George Storer.
An allusion is made in the second letter to the " Church
plate " of King's Chapel. This ancient communion plate
was the gift of King William and Mary, George II., and
George III. Part of it had been distributed before the
Revolution to other parishes of the church in New England. That portion here referred to, which was carried
away by the last royalist rector on the evacuation of Boston, amounted to 2,800 ounces of silver. This property was
never recovered by King's Chapel.
TO DR. THOMAS BULFINCH.
LONDON, August 12th, 1785.

DEAR S I R — I have been anxiously waiting for an oppor-

tunity to inform you of my safe arrival, & agreeable situation in this city, as I knew you would be desirous of the
earliest information. This I shall send by Capt. Fellows &
will only inform you of matters in general terms; by Capt.
Lyde who will sail in 2 or 3 days, I shall write particularly.
This I am the more inclined to do as I have had a hint that
Fellows is to stop at some out port to take on board a cargo
of salt; and in that case Lyde will arrive before him.
Notwithstanding your good wishes, & our sanguine
expectations, our passage, considering the season, was
rather long and disagreeable. After being out about a
fortnight we lost one of our masts, a very unfortunate circumstance, for our ship at best was a very dull sailor &
under such a disadvantage we were fearful of a very tedious
passage. With an agreeable circle in the cabin & as excellent a captain as ever was on the sea, we contrived to pass
our time pleasantly, in spite of sea sickness with which I

44

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

was particularly afflicted. The sight of land filled us with
pleasure, & we landed the 20 th of July, early in the morning, after a passage of 36 days, without including the week
we spent against our will, in Boston harbour. Portsmouth,
where we landed, is 72 miles from London; we however
resolved to push on & taking post chaises, arrived about
eleven at night in this city. This is, in my opinion, the
best time to enter London, you are astonished with the
splendour from the immense number of lamps, & there is a
sufficient degree of obscurity to make a sublime scene.
Mr. Borland, who had been before in England, was our
guide; he carried us to an inn where we recruited after
our fatigue, & the next day I called upon Mr. Wheelwright ; he received me with the greatest civility & insisted
upon my tarrying with him while in London. He is very
agreeably situated in one of the handsomest streets of the
city in the neighborhood of Mrs. Green & Mr. Joy. Mrs.
Wheelwright is a very pleasing little woman, & they have
one little girl, who, you may suppose, is a great favourite.
I have been engaged ever since my arrival in gratifying
my curiosity with the sight of buildings &c &c, & find
I have still a great deal to see. I have spent several days
at Croydon very agreeably. My Uncle's 1 family consists
wholly of daughters, except one little boy, who seems very
sprightly & clever. Yesterday & the day before I passed
at Mr. Coore's seat, a few miles from town. Mrs. Lechmere happened to be there, she is in very good health, & is
not at all altered from her appearance when in Boston.
Mrs. Coore retains all her sprightliness & good humour, &
is here thought quite handsome. Mr. Coore is a genteel,
agreeable man, in exceeding good business, has four very
fine children & appears very happy; he gives but little
encouragement in the affair of Gen. Howe. But of all
1

Dr. East Apthorp's.

YOUTH AND FOREIGN

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45

these subjects I shall write more fully by Lyde. Mr. &
Mrs. Atkinson & family and Mr. C. Storer will embark for
New York, in their way to Boston in the course of a month,
by them I shall send long accounts of myself & inform you
how I mean to proceed; at present I am undetermined
whether to go upon the continent this winter, or tarry here
till the spring. (I have received your letters by Capt.
Coffin, & by a ship from Rhode Island, & in the mercantile
phrase, / note the contents ; they gave me great pleasure
as they informed [me] of your health & that of my dear
Mamma; pray let the little girls know I have not forgot
them, & as a proof of it I shall, some time hence, send each
of them a letter, & shall certainly expect one in return.)
Let George know that my constant engagements prevent
my writing to him by this conveyance, but that I purpose
doing it very soon. I fear Mr. Barrel has met with a great
loss in Mr. Soderstrom of Gottenburgh, as I am informed
he has stopped payment. I have forwarded to Gottenburgh the bill drawn by Mr. Barrel, but I fear there is no
prospect of its being accepted. Please to make my best
respects to Mr. Barrell, and inform him of these circumstances ; with the proceeds of the bill I was to purchase
some articles to send out this fall. If it should be protested I will take care that the articles shall be purchased
by some other means rather than disappoint him.
I wish to be remembered to all my friends, in particular
[Mr. & Mrs.] Cooper & my cousin, Mr. Storer, Mr. Freeman (both of the name) and especially [Mr. &] Mrs.
Deblois. I hope my Mamma's health is at least as good as
when I left her & assure her that I shall return with pleasure to my native country. Respects to my Grandmamma.
I am with affectionate regards
Your dutiful Son.

46

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

We are momently expecting the arrival of Callahan.
hope the Collonade goes on with spirit.

I

This last reference is unexplained. It cannot have been
Colonnade Row, as that was built much later, in 1810-11.
TO DR. THOMAS BULFINCH.
LONDON, December 12th, 1785.

— Your letter by Capt. Cushing found me
still here, where I had been waiting in anxious expectation
for his arrival; a report which prevailed that he had sailed
from Boston much earlier than he. actually did, had made
us rather apprehensive for his safety. I should have been
in France before this, had not I expected some papers by
Cushing to instruct me respecting your matters. The
demand on government is exactly in the same situation as
when I arrived. Col. Norton has done nothing, he thinks
the officers of the Treasury, &c. are very civil to him and
much in his interest, but their civility should not be esteemed
a real inclination to serve him. It arises wholly from habit,
and is the court manner of silencing the importunate. I
do not know but the best thing you could do, would be to
put the affair altogether into the hands of Mr. Coore; he
will be as likely to succeed as any one. I believe you must
not expect to recover the whole sum demanded, but if he
can compound for part it will be better than to lose the
whole. I fear your plan of making a demand through Mr.
Adams will not be attended with any good consequences.
The government here is not so well disposed to listen to
the demands of Congress. Mr. Adams cannot engage them
to form a treaty, though they behave to him with the
utmost civility and politeness. I think if it is made a
national matter the British government will expect some
DEAR S I R ,

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compensation to the Loyalists for their estates, debts, &c.
before they pay for any losses sustained from their army.
I was in hopes I should receive some further documents
respecting the Church plate, and also Mr. B
's debt.
The Doctor has been allowed by government a sum fully
equivalent to his house in Boston, so that he can now have
no plausible reason for detaining the plate, but as he still
means to keep it, I should be glad to be furnished with such
papers as would enable me to compel a return of it. If
Mr. B
is indebted to you a hint that you expect him
to pay would not be amiss; he is in very good circumstances and can very well afford i t ; an account properly
attested and vouch'd would soon oblige him to produce the
money.
This week I mean to set off for Paris. This circumstance
need not prevent your writing by every conveyance, for
the posts are so regular here that my being in France will
make a difference of only a very few days; but I must
mention that you must not be surprized if a ship from London should reach you without any letters from me, for as I
shall be on the Continent for 3 or 4 months, it will be
hardly possible for me to know of every opportunity of
writing, but you may rely upon it, I shall do all in my
power to be a regular Correspondent.
. The Ship Ceres is unfortunately cast away on the French
coast. Mr. Barrett saved your letter from the wreck and
forwarded it to me. I received it in a tatter'd condition,
but it was quite legible, and therefore, as you may suppose,
gave me pleasure.
The pillars of the Collonade are, no doubt, still in an
horizontal position. I hope they have been bored to secure
them from splitting; had not you a very difficult piece of
work to get them into Clement's shop? I suppose they

48

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

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must be very heavy. I have seen Capt. Cushing, who
informs me the Bridge * is in great forwardness. I hope it
will stand till I return, as I should like much to see it, but
I am not sure whether I would venture to pass over it.
If you wish to know how I spend my time &c. &c. I
must beg leave to refer you to my letter to my Mamma and
am
Dear Sir
Your dutiful son.
The allusion at the end of the following letter is to Miss
Apthorp, the dark-eyed young cousin who afterwards became his wife: —
TO MR. GEORGE STORER.
MARSEILLES, May 2d,

1786.

DEAR GEORGE, — Notwithstanding I have met with the
greatest instances of politeness and civility in this country,
still I feel a want of a friend and companion to whom I can
impart all my thoughts. At L'Orient I met with a young
gentleman of Baltimore, we formed an acquaintance and
travelled together from L'Orient to Bordeaux. This was a
journey of about 300 miles and a very pleasant one ; from
Bordeaux he went to Paris and I continued my course the
opposite way. I am now 500 miles from Bordeaux and
have not met with an opportunity of speaking English three
1
This was the Charles River Bridge, from the old ferry landing to Charlestown, the first bridge constructed from the peninsula to the mainland. " The
first pier was laid on the 14th June, 1785, and the bridge thrown open for
travel in little more than a year. This was considered at the time the greatest
enterprise ever undertaken in America, and its successful completion was celebrated by a public procession, consisting of both branches of the Legislature,
the proprietors and artisans of the bridge, military and civic societies. Salutes
were fired from the Castle, Copp's and Breed's Hill."

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times during the whole journey. I am sensible this will be
of advantage to me in learning French, but at present it is
very fatiguing. I have run over a vast tract of country,
have seen a variety of towns and people; you must not
expect a particular account of my travels till we meet, when
I shall inform you of many things which it would be tedious
to recite here, and perhaps not prudent to commit to paper.
A young traveller in this country should be on his guard
against sharpers who push themselves into his acquaintance,
profess a great regard and only watch an opportunity of
cheating him. I have been so fortunate as to keep clear of
them hitherto; I have had letters from one city to another
which have secured to me an honest acquaintance at least,
and have been particularly happy in meeting accidentally
with some young person who has served as a guide in every
city where I have made any halt. If a traveller can meet
with a genteel, polite conductor of this sort, it is a very
pleasing circumstance for him. . . .
It is now 3 months since I have received any letters from
Boston. I hope it is not owing to your forgetting me, but
that the letters are waiting for me either at London or
Paris. If at my arrival in those cities I don't find some
very large packets from you — woe betide you! The Ship
Leda arrived at L'Orient while I was there; the Captain
informed me that Boston remained nearly in the same place
as when I left it, and that matters in general went on in the
old way. If we may judge by the numbers of marriages,
you are in a flourishing situation. I am only afraid you
will marry off all the fine girls and that there will not be one
left for me. I shall be looking out pretty soon after my
return, and don't know whether you had not better engage
me the refusal of half a dozen, for if you go on so rapidly
as you have begun, I shall be compelled to take up with

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BULFINCH,

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some little French hussy. . . . You may expect me in
the fall, I think I shall be fully satisfied with Europe by
that time. I hope the guns of the castle will be ready to
give a salute when I appear, and, what I shall esteem a
greater pleasure, that your honor will be upon the wharf to
receive me. Adieu, perhaps you think this letter short, but
upon my word I am of a very different opinion, considering
that the number of my correspondents has increased, and
that I have a long letter to write to London, as well as
another to Boston. In very great haste your friend, &c.
CHARLES BULFINCH.

I just recollect that you mentioned something to me of
your part at the ensuing Commencement. All you have to
do is to present 3 questions, out of which the President will
choose one for publication. I have not thought much
about the matter, but if the following arrive in time to be
of service to you I shall be very glad. But I much question
whether that will be the case; as it seems to me that the
20 th of June is the time appointed for giving them in.
Whether, in a rising state, the utmost encouragement
should not be given to foreign settlers ? Affirmat.
Whether excessive duties on commerce enrich a government ? No.
Whether theatrical exhibitions corrupt the manners of a
people ? Yes.
Whether Agriculture and Manufactures should not be
encouraged by bounties ? Yes.
I would translate the above into Latin for you, but upon
my word I have such a jumble of French and English now
in my head that it is absolutely out of my power. You
and Josh must lay your noddles together, and I don't doubt
you will make excellent Ciceronian Latin. — Upon second

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d

thoughts it will not do for you to give in the 3 , for you,
not being acquainted with plays, cannot know the reasons
for and against it. On this account I have added a fourth
question.
I wish you a happy commencement. You must dance
either with Miss Williams or Miss A—t—p. If with the
latter squeeze her hand for me. If with the former do it
for yourself. Adieu.
May 20 th . No matter where, — hut not at Marseilles.
TO MRS. THOMAS BULFINCH.
MARSEILLES, May 10th, 1786.

— Since my last from L'Orient, I
have been in constant motion towards this place, have run
over a large tract, and seen great variety of objects; I have
passed through all that part of France known to us in a
commercial view, have seen their manufactures, and commenced some acquaintances which may perhaps be of advantage in future. From L'Orient I proceeded to Nantes, one
of the most mercantile towns of ye kingdom, and passed two
days in viewing its curiosities, &c. Among these you will
conclude the public buildings were not neglected. There
are a few there worth notice, and by their situation produce
a good effect. Every town ip France has one or more
public walks, shaded with trees and kept in constant repair;
these walks are usually surrounded by ye public buildings
of ye place, which are an additional beauty at the same time
that they serve as a shelter from the wind; I own myself
much pleased with this mode of public walks, they contribute to the health of the people, and by bringing together at
certain hours persons of all classes, they give that general
polish so observable here. I met with Mr. Burril Carnes at
Nantes, he is established there in ye commerce; he received
M Y DEAR

MAMMA,

52

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

me very cordially/and was very polite in showing me the
curiosities of the city. I passed through many towns in my
route to Bordeaux, but stopt only a few hours in the most
remarkable. At Bordeaux I stayed a week; it is a large commercial city, and in some parts very elegant. • The theatre
is the most superb in France — it is a noble structure of ye
Corinthian order, and cost only £130,000 Sterling. I passed
on from Bordeaux to Toulouse with almost as much rapidity
as I now make the journey on paper, and embarked on ye
grand canal of Languedoc — the navigation here is rather
tedious, the boat is drawn by horses, which seldom go faster
than a common walk; but my view in passing the canal
was, to have an idea of that great work; it is near an hundred miles in length, is 40 feet wide, and throughout has
about 8 feet depth of water. It joins the Mediterranean
Sea to ye Garonne, and by this means to ye Ocean; it passes
through vallies, over hills, across rivers, and under an arch
formed through a mountain the length of 900 feet; it is of
the utmost advantage to ye Southern provinces of France,
as it gives them an opportunity of carrying their products
to market with very little expence or trouble. The canal
ends at Narbonne, a town famous in days of yore, but as it
has passed its meridian and seen its best days, I made no
tarry there, but pushed on for Montpellier. This place is
better known to you by name than any other town in this
part of France. Its being long celebrated for the excellence of its climate has made it the resort of invalids,
particularly the English. The town is situated on the top
of an hill in the centre of a very extensive and beautiful
valley. It contains many good houses, but it is almost impossible to have a peep at them, on account of the narrowness
of the streets. They are built in this confined manner,
with a view of keeping off the sun, for as the houses are

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very high, his rays can never reach the ground except for a
few minutes at noon, and I was informed by an inhabitant
that in the hottest season they enjoy a fine current of air.
This confined manner of building may have its advantages,
but I am sure that of being beautiful is by no means one of
the most obvious. To enjoy the beauties of the situation,
you must go without the walls, where they have formed a
very beautiful square, ornamented on one side by a magnificent fountain, on another with a triumphal arch, and the
center is occupied by a noble equestrian statue of Louis
XIV. on a white marble pedestal. The prospect from this
place is as beautiful as the imagination can conceive, the
view is bounded on one side by the town, on another by the
Alps at a great distance, on another by the Pyrenean
Mountains, and the fourth presents an extensive view of the
Mediterranean. The summits of these mountains, always
covered with snow, afford a striking contrast to the valley
beneath, which is one continued carpet of ye most lively
verdure, and presents to ye eye extensive fields of grain intermixed with numberless Olive and Mulberry trees. It is a
situation which seems formed to give instant relief to an
invalid, and I wished, at the moment of enjoying the view,
that my dear Mamma, who has so great a relish for the
beauties of nature, could partake the pleasure with me.
Nimes is a one day's ride from Montpellier. This city was
formerly the capital of a Roman colony. Many ancient
remains announce the grandeur of its former masters. The
present inhabitants show with exultation the remains of a
very extensive Roman amphitheatre, and several temples;
one of which is entire, and is esteemed a perfect model of
Corinthian architecture. In this city I was present at a
scene unusual in this age. Above two thirds of the inhabitants of this city are of the Reformed Church of Geneva.

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They are tolerated here and allowed the free exercise of their
mode of worship, but are not suffered to build any church.
Their place of meeting is in a deep valley in the suburbs,
the preacher is placed below in the centre, and the congregation is seated around him on rough stone seats, which rise
gradually one above the other. There were several thousands present who afforded a very striking spectacle. Great
part of their worship consisted in singing, and was conducted
with the utmost order and regularity. One may here observe
the effects of opposition. The Catholicks, who in all the
other towns of France seem to have almost forgot all religion, are here exceedingly attentive to their ceremonies;
and the Protestants assemble in their valley with a sort of
enthusiastick fervour which I fancy would soon cool down
if they had churches to themselves. From Nimes to this
place is another ride of two days. This is a country totally
different from any I have hitherto been accustomed to,
Vines, Olive and Mulberry trees appear in great abundance,
mixed with Lemon, Orange and fig trees; by this you may
judge of the heat of ye climate; it is indeed so violent that
I shall soon hurry back further north into a more temperate
region.
The people of France and their manners please me exceedingly, a constant politeness gives a charm to their society,
and I have found in several instances that this politeness is
not merely professional. I have everywhere met with
friends, who by letters and by all means in their power have
taken pains to render my visit among them pleasing. I
have rambled far, but I thought it best to gratify my curiosity now to the full, and leave no cause of regret at an
unfinished tour, after my return. I expect to see ypu in
the fall, and can assure you that, after all the variety of
objects I have seen, Boston still retains beauties and attrac-

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tions sufficient to make me chuse it as an abode [superior]
to every other place. / . . My dear Papa must excuse my
not writing to him separately ; I consider this as addressed
equally to both my Parents, and hope they want nothing to
convince them of the constant affection and regards of their
dutiful Son.
I hope you never forget to remember me particularly to
my Grandmamma, Mrs. Cooper, Mr. and Mrs. Norton, Mrs.
DeBlois and family, Mr. Barrell and Messrs. Freeman, with
all my other friends. — As for the little girls, they know I
am their friend and humb le Servant, &c. &c. &c.
The next letter we have is written from London in
August, to his mother, and throws light by its opening confession on some passages that have preceded. " My last
letter, my dear Madam, was dated from Marseilles, tho' at
the time of writing it I was at Leghorn in Italy. I did not
mean that my friends in Boston should have known that my
roving inclinations had carried me so far, till I had an
opportunity of informing them of it in person, but as some
one from this place has given you the hint, — the cat is out
of the bag, — and all I have now to do is to explain my
motives for so long a circuit."
The writer then proceeds to say that, his travels in France
having led him finally to the borders of the Mediterranean,
he had an opportunity for observing the constant intercourse kept up with Italian ports, and his imagination had
warmed at the thought of extending his journey thither.
On inquiry he learned, what he was no doubt eager to
believe, that the expense would be less than was usually
thought, and his knowledge of the French language would
probably carry him everywhere. He accordingly embarked,
and visited Rome and the greater part of Italy, without

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meeting with one unfortunate accident or one day of illhealth. " It is needless for me to say," he observes, " that
the satisfaction I have received in this tour has amply compensated for any fatigue I have undergone in making it.
. . . It would be in vain to attempt to give here a particular account of such a country; the subject is too copious
& must be left till we meet in ye winter." *
A postscript adds: " I find everybody is either married or
marrying with you; it will be difficult on my return to find
one left single."
TO MRS. THOMAS BULFINCH.
LONDON, September 17th, 1786.

You will think, my dear Mamma, that I have become
entirely regardless of my promises, when I suffer another
ship to sail from this port without sending you some of the
articles you have ordered out, but I assure you I am not
wholly without plausible excuses.
All my friends have left London for the season, Mr.
Coore's family is at Hampstead on one side, and Mr. Wheelwright's at Croydon on the other; my time has been spent
in visiting these friends, and in seeing some celebrated places
in the neighborhood of London. Matters are however in
a fair train, and I will venture to assure you that you shall
receive all the articles by Cushing; even the picture shall
not be omitted. I should have sent it by this opportunity,
but the colours are not sufficiently dried for packing. It is
esteemed a good likeness; I think it a very dull, unmeaning face ; but we must not blame the painter for that, as it
was not his duty to create, but to copy. It is the work of
1

I have heard my father say that my grandfather was so much affected by
the first sight of St. Peter's that he could not restrain his tears.

Charles Bulfinch, in fj86

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Mr. Brown ; you will find it very rough, but that is the
modish style of painting, introduced by Sir Joshua
Reynolds. Mr. Copeley indeed paints in another manner,
his pictures are finished to the utmost nicety, but then—
they are very dear. You will think it odd that I should
say so much of a picture which you are not to receive very
soon; but I am still in hopes that the ship will be detained
a day or two longer, and then I shall if possible forward it.
Mr. Adams returned from Holland a few days since; he
has the papers respecting the government affair, and I shall
know his opinion of it in a day or two. My father may
depend on my paying attention to his order, all the articles
he has written for shall be sent by Cushing, and the lasses
shall then find that I have not forgotten them. With love
to them and regards to all friends I am your dutiful and
affectionate son.

CHAPTER

III

BOSTON A F T E R T H E R E V O L U T I O N .

MARRIAGE

1787-1789
My bride,
My wife, my life. O we will walk this world,
Yoked in all exercise of noble end,
And so through those dark gates across the wild
That no man knows.
TENNYSON.

" ON my return to Boston, I was warmly received by
friends, and passed a season of leisure, pursuing no business,
but giving gratuitous advice in Architecture, and looking
forward to an establishment in life,"
The portrait alluded to in the London letter is still in
the family, and, with a miniature taken by Malbone, gives
us an idea of the appearance of Charles Bulfinch at this
time. The portrait represents a young man with powdered
hair, a slender, oval face, smooth and boyish, with a bright
color, and dark hazel eyes. The full lips are slightly

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parted, a characteristic feature of his face. The dark eyebrows are strongly marked. The coat is of brown velvet,
faced with yellow, and shows a white ruffled shirt bosom.
A miniature painted by Malbone, not far from the same
time, is similar in dress and general appearance. Mr. Bulfinch was of medium height, with a slender and very upright
figure. His hair was black, or dark brown. He speaks
of his own disposition as naturally grave; and it is said
that, although he enjoyed conversation and general society,
he was, to a remarkable degree, independent of company
and satisfied to be alone. Those now living who can
remember him in old age recall his manner as simple, unassuming, and quiet, but say that he possessed an even and
generally cheerful temper, with a quiet humor, occasionally
seen in his letters, and that he always showed a quick
appreciation of a good story or a witty remark.
He was now, in 1787, twenty-four years old. The recent
years had not been favorable to the growth or progress of
his native town, and in some respects things had gone backward rather than forward. It may be well to glance at
some of its leading features, as historians describe them,
at the time of his return. The population in 1783 was
but 12,000, although in 1791 it rose again to 18,000,
with 2,376 houses, and from that time, steadily increased.
The war and the occupation by the British had left their
destructive marks. The works on Fort Hill had been
badly damaged. Some of the finest trees on the Common
were cut down by the soldiers on the morning before the
evacuation; the wooden fence was gone, — though another
one, also of wood, was soon to take its place, — and the
grassy surface, where cows had quietly pastured, bore, for
long after, the traces of ditches and cellars that the troops
had dug.

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There were also other changes. The royal governors
were gone, and so were the court balls of Lord Howe, never
to return; but the stately and beautiful Province House
still stood, opposite the head of Milk Street, on what was
then Marlborough Street and is now Washington, with its
flights of steps, its lawns, its fine oak-trees, gateway, and
porter's lodges, and its famous Indian, armed with bow
and arrow, crowning the lofty cupola. Its deserted rooms
were occupied now by the treasurer and other officers of
the Commonwealth.
Some half dozen of the chief buildings of the town have
come down to u s : the Old State House, of illustrious memory, Faneuil Hall, — much smaller than it is now, — King's
Chapel, and the Old North and South churches. Christ
Church, with its lofty spire, towered above the narrow
streets of the North End, in whose ancient and sometimes
dilapidated dwellings are still left the remains of substantial
masonry and delicate carvings of the colonial time. The
Old Corner Bookstore is another relic of that day.
The old hostelries that played such a prominent part in
Revolutionary times could still be seen. There were the
Green Dragon; the Orange Tree Inn, with its fine well of
water; the Bunch of Grapes, that entertained Washington
and Lafayette; the Sun Tavern, and the venerable inn of
Salutation Alley.
In the place of Park Street with its church, there still
stood the ancient granary, with the other town buildings,
the Almshouse, Bridewell, and public Pound, above it on
the hillside. The old building of Trinity Church, of wood,
on Summer Street, with neither tower nor steeple, could yet
show a fine interior, so beautiful were its columns and ornamentation. Brattle Street Church bore a relic of the siege
in its " iron breastpin."

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Near the head of School Street stood the building of the
Latin School; and on the east side of Hamilton Place arose
the large " Manufactory House " of colonial days, representing on its wall a woman's figure with distaff in hand, as
an emblem of industry.
The " three hills " were still standing, untouched by the
leveller's spade. Copp's Hill had, as now, its field of the
dead, one of the earliest burying grounds on the peninsula.
Fort Hill, from which Washington had removed the heavy
guns, was beautiful with elm-trees and the mansions of
wealthy townspeople; and above them all rose " the great
hill with its beacon," — the wooden mast that, occasionally
replaced, had been a prominent feature of the town from
the earliest times.
The filling up of the large Mill Pond, northwest of the
town, had not then begun. The Mill Creek furnished a
supply of water for the tide-mills, and was also, a little
later, as an extension of the " Middlesex Canal," to permit
the passage of boats and sloops from Boston Harbor as far
as Chelmsford, on the Merrimac, thirty miles away. In
much later years, boys skated up this canal to Lowell. On
the bed of it, in the city, Blackstone Street is now built.
The old mill bridge, then standing over Hanover Street,
was afterwards replaced by an arch of stone, and a drawbridge was used at the crossing of the creek with North
Street.
South Boston, or Dorchester Neck, — not then annexed,
— had as late as 1804 only ten families in an area of 570
acres; and East Boston, otherwise Noddle's Island, was
unused except for farming purposes. Milk was brought
over from there to the town in boats.
State Street was without a sidewalk, the pavement reaching clear across, and most of the other streets were doubt-

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less in the same condition. A few public carriages may
have been seen at this time, for we have record of one
which stood in 1790 near the head of State Street, a small
post-chaise, drawn by two gray horses. Some street lamps,
at private expense or by special subscription, were in use,
but it was not until 1792, when Charles Bulfinch himself
was connected with municipal affairs, that the town undertook the task in an experimental way, and announced that
" the gentlemen selectmen propose to light the town early
in January."
The " Roxbury Neck " to the mainland, on the south, was
then indeed a neck or narrow roadway between the Charles
River on the west and the waters of the harbor, and in a
high wind the spray was dashed across the road from one
to the other.
On the north, the new bridge to Charlestown was a great
public improvement. There was no other bridge until, in
1793, the West Boston one to Cambridge was opened.
In various places the windmills still remained, and how
country-like were some parts of the town, covered now with
crowded buildings, may be gathered from a description,
given by an old Bostonian, of the western slope of Beacon
Hill, where early in the present century a well furnished
an abundant supply of very fine water in the fields where
Louisburg Square is now situated, while around it and all
the way down the hill grew rough grass and bushes.
Marsh land, overflowed at high tide, formed the boundary of the river here and at the western edge of the Common, where Charles Street was not yet in existence, and
nearly all the space now covered by the Public Garden was
somewhat later — after 1794 — occupied by ropewalks,
which ran from Eliot Street three fourths of the distance to
Beacon,

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63

Now were seen in the town those oystermen of whom we
read, going their evening rounds, with sacks upon their
backs like saddle-bags, and opening at the doors their fresh
bivalves, which are said to have been more delicious than
any known in these degenerate days.
As no coal was used in the town until 1820 or after, all
were at this time dependent upon wood for fuel, and huge
quantities were piled upon the wharves. We are told that,
in early fall, wood-sawyers could be seen in every street, in
front of the houses, sawing wood, which was afterwards
piled with the utmost neatness in the yards or sheds.
In a water-color drawing of the Bulfinch house, in
Bowdoin Square, made by the English artist Vautin a
generation or more later than this date, one of these woodsawyers is to be seen at work.
The mansion of Mr. Ebenezer Storer, the treasurer of
Harvard College and the father of George, was on Sudbury
Street, and is described by Miss Quincy, among other
Boston homes. It was a large, three-storied house, with
gardens and noble trees. An old English elm of uncommon height and circumfereijce stood in front of it, and
behind was an equally imposing sycamore. We are familiar
with descriptions of many of these " stately homes set deep
in gardens," the Hancock, the Faneuil, and the Phillips
houses, and others not less elegant.
Those who remember a time when the treasures of Boston
gardens were still left dwell especially upon the delightful
freshness of the summer breeze, as, coming from the east
over the harbor, it caught up and mingled with its saltness
the spicy breath of the roses, honeysuckles, and borders of
box.
This, then, gives us some idea of what Boston was like
at the close of the Kevolution, primitive enough in many

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ways, " a little town of detached houses," but yet, with its
group of dignified buildings, the centre of honorable traditions, and its noble situation inviting growth and activity in
all directions.
The town and the State alike were seriously burdened
and crippled by the war, but the assumption of state debts
by the federal government relieved some of the heaviest of
these burdens, and before long a new tide of life began to
make itself felt, inclining the people to listen to plans of
enterprise both at home and abroad.
Immediately after his return Charles Bulfinch became
interested, in connection with his father, in a project which
should find some mention here, from the historical value
attaching to its results, although the pecuniary returns were
comparatively insignificant. It was at Dr. Thomas Bulfinch's mansion and by his fireside that those plans were
discussed, among a little circle of friends, which resulted
in the purchase and outfit of the ship Columbia, whose
voyages, during the next five or six years, have become
matter of history, from her being the first American vessel
to carry the stars and stripes around the world, and from
her discoveries on the Northwest coast, claiming for the
United States that region now represented by the States
of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The publication of
Captain Cook's journal had attracted attention to the great
advantages open to the fur trade in the Northwest, valuable
skins being procured by the Eussians from the Indians in
exchange for trifling commodities, and sold at a great price
to the Chinese. Arrangements appear to have been made
in the summer of 1787 for sending out an expedition from
Boston; and as the originator of the scheme was Mr. Joseph
Barrell, well qualified by his experience and ability for
taking the lead in such matters, his friends the Bulfinches,

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father and son, naturally gave it their cooperation. In
company with a few others interested, Samuel Brown, John
Derby of Salem, Captain Crowell Hatch, and John Marden
Pintard of New York, the sum of $50,000 was raised for
the enterprise; and on September 30, 1787, the Columbia,
with her consort the Washington, left Boston harbor, well
equipped for her long voyage around Cape Horn, while a
concourse of friends watched their departure and bade them
godspeed.
At a meeting of the Bostonian Society on May 10,1892,
an interesting and valuable address was given by the Rev.
Edward G. Porter on the subject of these vessels and their
adventures, when many curious relics of the expedition were
shown. The address was in substance the same with a
paper prepared by Mr. Porter at the request of the Committee of the Centennial Observance at Astoria of the
Discovery of the Columbia River, and was founded on
material gathered with great care from private sources, and
illustrated by original drawings made at the time on board
the ships. This paper, with illustrations, may be found in
the "New England Magazine" for June, 1892, and to it
we are indebted for the details of the expedition.
The Columbia was a full-rigged ship, eighty-three feet
long and of two hundred and twelve tons. She carried ten
guns, and was commanded at first by Captain John Kendrick. Her consort, afterwards called the Lady Washington,
was commanded by Captain Robert Gray, who, however,
by an exchange of commanders, soon after took charge of
the Columbia. No pains nor expense were spared in the
outfit. Hardware and tools were carried to be used in trading for furs, and quantities of trinkets to please the fancy
of the Indians, — buttons, toys, necklaces, snuff-boxes,
looking-glasses, etc.

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The ships were absent, on their first voyage, for three
years, and when on August 10, 1790, the Columbia sailed
alone into the home harbor, having parted with Kendrick's
vessel in the Pacific, the fact was announced by salvos of
artillery and cheers from crowds of citizens. The perils of
the voyage had been great. Lingering too long before
attempting the passage of the Cape, they had encountered
heavy gales and had finally become separated, only meeting
five months later in Nootka Sound. They had suffered
losses from theft by the natives, but had met With signal
kindness on the part of the Spaniards. Making large purchases of sea-otter skins (which they paid for in chisels, six
or ten being the price of a good one), the Columbia, now
under Captain Gray, procured provisions at the Sandwich
Islands, and then set sail for China to dispose of the furs
and bring home a cargo of tea. The financial profit was
but small, but the voyage was considered a great achievement. A procession of citizens escorted the officers and
owners of the vessel up State Street, Captain Gray walking
arm in arm with a young Hawaiian chief in brilliant array,
who had accompanied them home and was the first of his
race ever seen in Boston. Governor Hancock gave a dinner
in honor of the returned voyagers, and a second expedition
was soon proposed.
The Columbia set sail September 28, 1790, on her
memorable second voyage, which was made tragic by the
cruel massacre of three of her men the following year by
savages. We quote from Mr. Porter's narrative an account
of the discovery which made her name so famous, and rendered so great a service to the United States : —
" Gray soon after took his ship on a cruise which was
destined to be the most important of all, — one that will be
remembered as long as the United States exist.

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" On the 29th of April, 1792, he fell in with Vancouver,
who had been sent out from England with three vessels of
the Eoyal Navy as commissioner to execute the provisions
of the Nootka Treaty and to explore the coast. Vancouver
said he had made no discoveries as yet, and inquired if
Gray had made any. The Yankee captain replied that he
h a d ; that in latitude 46° 10' he had recently been off the
mouth of a river which for nine days he tried to enter, but
the outset was so strong as to prevent. He was going to
try it again, however. Vancouver said this must have
been the opening passed by him two days before, which he
thought might be ' a small river/ inaccessible on account
of the breakers extending across it, the land behind not
indicating it to be of any great extent. ' Not considering
this opening worthy of more attention/ wrote Vancouver
in his journal, ' I continued our pursuit to the northwest/
What a turn in the tide of events was that! Had the
British navigator really seen the river, it would certainly
have had another name and another history.
"Gray continued his 'pursuit' to the southeast, whither
the star of his destiny was directing him. On the 7th of
May he saw an entrance in latitude 46° 58' c which had a
very good appearance of a harbor/ and observing from the
masthead a passage between the sandbars, he bore away
and ran in. This he called Bulfinch Harbor, though it was
very soon after called, as a deserved compliment to him,
Gray's Harbor, — the name which it still bears. Here he
was attacked by the natives, and obliged in self-defense to
fire upon them with serious results. Davidson's drawing
gives a weird view of the scene.
" On the evening of May 10, Gray resumed his course to
the south, and at daybreak on the 11th he saw ' the entrance
of his desired port' a long way off. As he drew near,

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about eight o'clock, he bore away with all sails set and ran
in between the breakers. To his great delight he found
himself in a large river of fresh water, up which he steered
ten miles. There were Indian villages at intervals along
the banks, and many canoes came out to inspect the strange
visitor.
" The ship came to anchor at one o'clock in ten fathoms
of water, half a mile from the northern shore, and two
miles and a half from the southern, the river being three or
four miles wide all the way along. Here they remained
three days, busily trading and taking in water.
" On the 14th he stood up the river some fifteen miles
farther, ' and doubted not it was navigable upwards of a
hundred.' He found the channel on that side, however,
so very narrow and crooked that the ship grounded on the
sandy bottom, but they backed off without difficulty. The
jolly-boat was sent out to sound the channel, but, finding it
still shallow, Gray decided to return, and on the 15th he
dropped down with the tide, going ashore with his clerk
' to take a short view of the country.'
" On the 16th he anchored off the village of Chenook,
whose population turned out in great numbers. The next
day the ship was painted and all hands were busily at work.
On the 19th, they landed near the mouth of the river, and
formally named it, after the ship, the COLUMBIA, raising
the American flag and planting coins under a large pine
tree, thus taking possession in the name of the United
States. The conspicuous headland was named Cape Hancock, and the low sandspit opposite, Point Adams. . . . At
last, after all her wanderings, the good ship reached Boston,
July 29, 1793, and received another hearty welcome. Although the expectations of the owners were not realized,
one of them wrote,' She has made a saving voyage and some

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profit.'
But in the popular mind the discovery of the
great river was sufficient ' profit' for any vessel, and this
alone will immortalize the owners as well as the ship and
her captain, far more, indeed, than furs or teas or gold
could have done."
One of the silver medals struck, for the owners and
others, to commemorate this expedition, is preserved by the
Bulfinch family. Hundreds of the same in bronze or
pewter were carried out by the vessels, to be distributed
along their course, and some of these have since been discovered on their track.
Many names were given at the time by the ship's officers
to points on the coast, such as Pintard Sound, Hatch's
Island, Barrell's Inlet, and Bulfinch Sound, which have
since, in many instances, been changed, making it difficult
now to identify the places.
On November 20, 1788, Charles Bulfinch was married to
Hannah Apthorp, the eldest of the orphan grandchildren
of the royalist, Stephen Greenleaf, the last high sheriff of
the county of Suffolk under the British government. The
bride was also an own cousin of the groom, for her father,
John Apthorp, earlier mentioned in this narrative, was one
of Madam Bulfinch's brothers. He had formed an early
marriage in England, where he was connected with the
London house of Tomlinson & Trecothick, but on the
death of his wife had left their two little girls in the care
of her relatives and returned himself to America, disposing
of his concern in the commercial house for a considerable
sum of money. Here he very soon married Hannah, a
daughter of Sheriff Greenleaf, and three children were born
of this union, two girls and a boy.
Mr. Apthorp's health was not strong, and, as a Southern
climate was recommended by his physicians, he sailed with

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his wife for Charleston, S. C , on board a vessel which,
though spoken when a few days out, was never afterwards
heard from. It was late in the autumn, a severe snowstorm
followed them, and it was supposed that the ship was lost
at sea with all on board. The Httle ones, left thus early
without father or mother, found a loving home with their
grandfather Greenleaf, who attended most faithfully to
their interest and education. One of Hannah Bulfinch's
sons wrote many years later: " Y o u know the place where
their childhood was spent, the fine old house, standing back
from the street, on about the spot where Temple Place now
is, the whole space to the corner of West Street being enclosed in the garden attached to the house (afterwards
known as Washington Gardens). I remember well the low
brick wall that enclosed it, and the fine old trees that overhung the street, and belt of shrubbery that bordered the
wall."
Sheriff Greenleaf was in the possession of a handsome
fortune, and, from the father's property accumulating
through a long minority, there was a prospect of abundant
affluence to each of the children. A fine portrait of John
Apthorp, painted in Italy by Angelica Kaufmann, is owned
by the Apthorp descendants, and the orphans are said to
have been a handsome trio, while their condition attached
them in no common degree to each other. Through all the
reverses which after years brought upon the two sisters,
their brother's care and affectionate generosity always followed them. Hannah, the elder, born in 1768, of a bright
and vivacious temperament, was about twenty years old at
the time of her marriage with her cousin Charles. Her
miniature shows a delicate face, with dark hair entwined
with pearls. The natures of the two seemed peculiarly
fitted for each other.
He writes himself: " W e were

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cousins, and had been in some degree acquainted from
early life; the connection was esteemed a happy one and
began under the most favorable circumstances. My disposition was sedate, hers cheerful and animated; a respectable
property on both sides promised us the enjoyment of all the
comforts and rational pleasures of life, and these expectations were fully realized in the blessings of a peaceful
home, with mutual affection and the enjoyment of the best
society."
Happily for her children and friends, Hannah Bulfinch
possessed, throughout her life, a gift for easy and graceful
literary expression, and her ready pen indited many occasional verses that must often have brightened the family
circle. The exceeding regard and affection of her sons led
them to collect and treasure all of their mother's writings
that were accessible, and, although they are chiefly of
interest to her descendants, we find in them some valuable
help in tracing her husband's career, as well as in forming
an idea of the family life. In describing her own early
years, she writes: " These revered Grandparents who had
the care of our childhood and youth, were truly high principled and affectionate. Pious and tender, they felt for us the
sincerest compassion and passed their lives in cherishing
and training as up in the best manner, by private instruction
and schools. Our Grandmother was taken from us when I
was eleven years old. As I was the oldest child, I was the
more sensible of this heavy loss, as she became very dear to
me, and as my disposition was uncommonly lively I was in
the more danger from my inconsiderate gaiety. This was,
however, in some degree checked by my dear sister's calm
and rational turn, and by our Grandfather's watchful attention. This I set down as one of the first and best of my
blessings. I was also restrained by the austere manners of

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an old lady, the sister of my Grandfather, who being a
widow, lived in his family and was protected by his kindness. She was a singular character. Calvinistic divinity
joined to a mind deeply embued by romance reading, gave
an unbending gravity to her thoughts, words, and actions.
My wild and childish ways offended her, and a distaste
existed accordingly towards me, and a doting love of my
sister, whom she could govern in everything but her
generous love of me." *
In the spring of 1789, following their marriage, the
young couple, accompanied by their two sisters, Anna Bulfinch (who figures as Nancy in the letters) and Frances
Apthorp, started on a tour through Connecticut to New
York, and proceeded as far as Philadelphia, travelling in
carriages or sleighs, as it was long before the days of railroads, and somewhat slowly on account of the rough
weather of the spring. Arriving at Fairfield, Conn., they
were delayed for some days by illness, but the trip seems to
have been on the whole a most happy one, culminating in
the ceremonies at the Inauguration of General Washington,
in New York, on the 30th of April, 1789, immediately after
which the party seem to have turned their faces homewards, since, among the letters written to their parents at
this time, there are none remaining which describe the
great event itself. George Storer, the dear and intimate
friend of the family, who soon after became still more
closely connected with it by his marriage to Anna, seems
to have been one of the party, and no doubt added much
to their enjoyment by his happy and lively temper.
Charles Bulfinch writes of him, " a man whose cheerful and
friendly disposition had engratiated him to me from early
1

A few valuable portraits are almost the only relics that remain of the
Greenleaf household.

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boyhood." The brother of the bride, young Apthorp,
lately returned from pursuing his education in England,
would appear to have joined them in New York.
A few letters remain, giving some account of the excursion.
The references to " the common " designate the Greenleaf homestead, which stood opposite the Common, on what
is now Tremont Street, but was then known as Common
Street.
FAIRFIELD, IN CONNECTICUT,

Sunday Morn'g, March 1st, 1789.

Our short billets, my dear Parents, from Worcester and
Springfield were not intended as correct accounts of our
proceedings; but were only a mention of such circumstances as our fatigue after a long day's ride would permit
us to put to paper, and which your desire of hearing from
us frequently induced us to send. We arrived here yesterday ; and find ourselves in a remarkably convenient house,
well accommodated and with neat, civil people; advantages
which we have not been so happy as to meet with in all the
places where we have stopped. We found upon our arrival
here, that we should not be allowed to travel on Sunday;
this is in some degree a disappointment; but I hope advantages will flow even from this, as it will be an agreeable
refreshment to our young travellers, who have been pretty
rapidly conveyed here. Soifte of my present leisure I mean
to employ in mentioning further circumstances of our proceedings thus far. Our spirits were a little damped, as you
may suppose, upon the first afternoon of our journey, when
we saw a slight fall of snow, which we feared might end
in a violent storm ; but we soon grew cheerful again when
seated around a large fire, in a comfortable room; with
an ample provision of tea and toast before us. You are

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informed of our getting as far as Springfield, and of our
changing our Coach for a sley, at about 50 miles distance
from Boston. The sley our driver procured was an open
one; but by forming a superstructure of Blankets, upon
some hoops which supported them, we made a very compact
and comfortable vehicle. In this carriage we have proceeded much faster than we could have done in a coach
even on the best roads. We think we have experienced two
of the coldest days of this winter, in last Wednesday and
Thursday. I suppose it must have been very cold with
you, but our situation on some of the highest hills in this
country rendered the air particularly sharp. We however
kept the ladies tolerably warm by the help of blankets,
cloaks and hot bricks. They would not be deprived of the
view of the country by the cold, but kept the sunny side of
the sley uncovered, which gave them an opportunity of
viewing all that was worth seeing in this season, and I can
assure you that, altho' covered with snow, the country
afforded many views, some in the grand and others in the
beautiful stile, which were very pleasing. Our young travellers were particularly delighted at find'g so many really
handsome towns, where perhaps they had expected to have
met with a wild waste, or at best a few farm houses. The
towns of Worcester and Springfield in our state pleased
them; and in Connecticut almost every place afforded some
entertainment, particularly Hartford, New Haven, Wethersfield, and above all Middletown, by its beautiful view.
We passed very safely over those rivers of which we were
so apprehensive; the cold had formed us bridges, as solid as
the most firm bridges of Europe. We are now about 65
miles from New York, and I hope soon to arrive there without any accident, when the ladies purpose writing you fully.
Nancy begs you will excuse her this time and will be a

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good girl the next. Our love to Betsey and regards to all
friends.
I am your affectionate and dutiful
CH S

BULFINCH.

PHILADELPHIA, April 2d, 1789.
MY DEAR PARENTS, —

I seize upon this only moment of
leisure to write you by Mr. Cutlfir, and acquaint you with
our more than polite reception here; our whole journey has
been productive of pleasure, we can speak largely of the
politeness of our friends in New York, — but must be particular in mentioning the friendly, hospitable treatment of
many of the inhabitants of this place; Mrs. Powell, Mrs.
Morris and Mrs. Bingham have done all in their power to
render our stay perfectly agreeable.
I was in hopes that before this I could have informed
you of our ladies having been at the Theatre, and their
behaviour at the first theatrical entertainment, but from an
unlucky concurrence of circumstances we have never yet
seen a play — this is owing to a representation's having
been postponed on one night when we had formed a party;
and to constant engagements elsewhere, which we could not
break thro', on every other evening. I hope, however, that
to-night we shall see Romeo and Juliet, if we can possibly
retire soon enough after dinner. The fashionable hours of
dining at this place interfere much with any after engagement for the evening.
This city is not much altered since I was last here, except
in its increase; the same plain stile of building is kept up,
and the same quakerish neatness. One only great exception to this appears in the house of Mr. Bingham, which is
in a stile which would be esteemed splendid even in the
most luxurious parts of Europe. Elegance of construction;

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white marble staircase, valuable paintings, the richest furniture and the utmost magnificence of decoration make it a
palace, in my opinion far too rich for any man in this
country. We are told that his mode of living is fully equal
to this appearance of his house. Of this we shall be better
able to judge in a few hours, as we are to dine there to-day.
We begin to talk of home, and anticipate the pleasure of
meeting with our friends1; we shall leave this city in a few
days and proceed by Bethlehem to New York, where we
are now morally certain of meeting with General Washington and after seeing him shall push on for Boston.
I mean to write a few lines to Mr. Greenleaf, by this
conveyance, which must be my apology for not adding
much to the above scrawl.
I am, with sincerest regards
Your dutiful Son.
NEW YORK, 19th April.

— My last was dated from Philadelphia the day before we left that place; we came on at an
easy rate towards this city, but made an excursion from
the direct road to take a view of a famous fall of water
about 18 miles out of our way. These falls of Passaac are
a noble and an awful object and served to give all the variety
to our journey that we could desire. We were obliged,
much against our inclination, to give up the thought of visiting Bethlehem ; the road from Philadelphia to that place
is thro' an irregular, hilly country, and is bad at all seasons,
but at this time in particular is so bad, that upon mature
deliberation our whole party determined it would be best
not to venture.
We arrived here the day before yesterday, have been
peculiarly fortunate in our weather; it is now very pleasant,
M Y DEAR PARENTS

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and I trust will not grow too warm while we continue here.
Among the pleasures my companions promised themselves
in this journey, you know that the seeing a play was not
reckoned among the least; I have the pleasure to inform
you that although their expectations were highly raised,
they have been more than gratified. We attended three
plays in Philadelphia, and have already seen two here ; and
I suppose it will be thought absolutely necessary by our
party to see every one that shall be performed during our
stay; indeed so charmed are they, that remarks upon the
play and the different actors engross great part of our conversation. You must expect our ladies to form a party in
Boston for establishing a Theatre there, and they are pretty
sure of success, as they perceive by your papers that you
are attending " Lectures on heads," &c. I hope Mr. Barrell
will put his long-talked of plan of coming to New York in
execution. I should be very glad to see him at a play ; for
the greatest part of my entertainment has arrisen from a
strict attention to the novices, and perceiving their emotions.
Notwithstanding these and other amusements we begin to
wish to be at home, and shall hasten there with dilligence as
soon as we have seen General Washington. The sight of
this great man is all that is wanting to make our pleasures
complete; he will certainly be here the latter end of this
week, and will probably enter upon his office the Monday or
Tuesday following ; great preparations are making to shew
the public joy on his arrival; elegant transparent paintings
and fireworks are to be exhibited; and everything will be
done to induce Congress to make this city the place of their
permanent residence. Indeed, if a readiness to lavish away
money can influence that body, no place can have an equal
claim with New York, but I should not be surprised if they
were to overdo the matter, and by such great eagerness excite

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the jealousy of other states; they have already expended
near 25,000 pounds and seem to be still going on. We
received no letters from you by last night's post; suppose
you have written by Mr. Adams, who will be here to-morrow
afternoon. We hope you do not blame us very loudly for
overstaying our time, for you must reflect that the object
we have in view is of such a sort as will perhaps never
again appear during our lives. We expect not only to see
General Washington, but to see him the favorite of this
whole continent, the admiration of Europe — to see him
publickly introduced to office and take an oath to preserve
inviolate the constitution. This was one great motive for
our coming, and we should ever regret losing this sight by
any precipitate departure.
We are all well, and in good spirits, wish to be particularly
remembered to our friends, Grandmamma, Mrs. Cooper,
Mr. Freeman, Mr. Barrell, &c. &c. &c. As to domestic
matters:
I suppose Peter is desirous of going; if so would wish
you, Sir, to pay him from the 20th of February, and if Mr.
Foster's man is determined to leave him and there would be
nothing ungenteel in the matter, I shall be glad to engage
him from the first of May. I have no doubt good Mrs.
Inglis will be glad to see u s ; we shall be no less pleased at
meeting with her. Love to Betsey, she has been a good
girl and a charming scribe to Mamma.
I must repeat that we desire to be remembered to all
friends.
I am your most affectionate
dutiful Son.
The matter of the picture shall be attended to.

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NEW YORK, April 21st, 1789.

M Y DEAR PARENTS, —

Mr. Adams arrived here yesterday, and was received most
cordially by all ranks; I have not yet seen him; have
called on him, but he was from home. General Washington
will certainly be here the day after to-morrow. He will be
conducted to his house as a private gentleman, and all
parade and show will be postponed to the day on which he
is inducted to office, when a general illumination, &c. is to
take place. This stile of reception is resolved on by Congress, but the city in its corporate capacity and its individuals will receive him with congratulations, and we shall
have a military parade and firing of cannon and I suppose
abundance of noise to shew him their heart-felt satisfaction. . . .
Mr. John Apthorp, who left us at Philadelphia to proceed
on to Baltimore, joined us to-day; he has completed his
tour with great expedition. He has been as far as Mount
Vernon, General Washington's seat — dined with him —
saw as much of the Country as he wished, and is here with
us ready to proceed to Boston. He is capering about, but
ceases a little to desire his respects to you and beg Mr.
Greenleaf may be acquainted with the above particulars.
We have found a very good miniature painter, Nancy is
to give him her first sitting to-morrow — and I doubt not he
will give a good and pleasing likeness. Hannah, Frances,
Nancy, all desire regards and love to you particularly —
next to their friends in the Common and then to all friends
generally.
I do not know what you think, but / conceive myself to
have a considerable share of merit in giving you such long
letters — especially considering the inconvenience I encoun-

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ter of writing in a room filled with chearful — and rather
loquacious beings.
I am your affectionate and dutiful
CHARLES BULFINCH.

I find by the Boston papers that Mr. Barrell's India ship
has arrived. I suppose this will prevent his coming this
way. He ought to have been here at this time. My best
compliments to him and family.
This is the last letter from the travellers, who must have
found in General Washington's visit to Boston, the succeeding autumn, a great deal to renew their patriotic enthusiasm.
The wedding journey was to be followed, a few years later,
by the marriage of the two young ladies, Anna Bulfinch to
George Storer, and Frances Apthorp to Charles Vaughan,
" a descendant," so says the chronicle, " from a family of
great cultivation and distinguished benevolence in England."
The town directory for the year 1789 contains the name
of " Charles Bulfinch, gentleman, Marlborough S t r e e t ; " so
it is probable that his home was not far from the old neighborhood, and the other young people seem to have been
settled near by. All of them entered upon their married
life under the happiest auspices, amid the new and inspiring conditions of the young republic. Rich and well connected, high-principled, yet with their grave New England
training softened by a cultivation of mind and sweetness
of temper somewhat unusual, there was every reason to
predict for them a happy future.

CHAPTER

IV

EARLY PLANS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS

1789-1798
Whatever touches and ennohles us in the lives and in the voices of the past is
a divine birth from human doubt and pain.
JAMES MARTINEAU.

ESTABLISHED now in a home of his own, with the library
around him of which some volumes have come down to us,
— his set of Shakespeare, his British classics, his works on
architecture,—Charles Bulfinch turned his attention to those
opportunities for improving and ornamenting his native
town which readily suggested themselves to one of his
tastes after visiting the cities of the Old World.

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BULFINCH,

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Architecture was not then recognized here as a profession. The Puritan temper and the exigencies of early New
England life had not been favorable to the development of
the artistic spirit; and for anything beyond the powers
of the thorough and well-taught artisans of those days, our
forefathers were indebted to artists from abroad, like Smibert, who designed Faneuil Hall, or Peter Harrison, the
architect of King's Chapel.
The field was open to native talent, and Mr. Bulfinch's
leisure and comparative wealth made it easy for him to follow his favorite tastes and promote the execution of his
plans.
Notwithstanding his statement that his love of art had
been disadvantageous to business habits, and had influenced
his after life unfortunately, there seems no reason to suppose that his style of living, even at this time, was at all
expensive. It certainly was extremely simple at a later
date. As to his way of working, it is probable that one
of the parlors was his only office, and a small table with
a drawer containing his box of mathematical instruments,
color-box, and a few rulers, his only outfit. As there is
nothing known of his ever studying with a master the principles of his art, so nothing is remembered of his ever having pupils of his own. But very few of his designs remain,
either of ground-plans or elevations, and they are slight
in character. It is unlikely that his drawings were ever
numerous, elaborate, or on a large scale.
The simple ways of living and working at that time
would be nearly inconceivable to the present generation.
Personal supervision of the progress of a work, the eye of
the master following each detail, possibly a drawing made
upon the spot for illustration of his idea and then destroyed, — such must have been his method.

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In my childhood, my little sister and I were sometimes
indulged with the privilege and delight of looking at our
grandfather's English books on architecture, with numerous
plates of the plans and elevations of country seats, hunting
lodges, farmhouses, etc., the " house-books," as we called
them, which were piled upon the dining-table while we
searched eagerly for the well-known engravings. Soane's
" Sketches of Architecture " was one of the titles; but our
favorite was Plaw's " Rural Architecture," which contained
the wonderful circular house " on an island in the Lake of
Winandermere, designed and built by the Author," and also
a charming farmhouse, Plate VII., of which we were very
fond. Another great favorite was a " Design for a small
House, on the Environs of a Town or Village, suitable for
a family of a genteel Profession;" and the frontispiece,
designed by the author, showed an English landscape, with
two female figures, and represented Taste, accompanying
Rural Simplicity, and pointing to the before-mentioned
round villa on Lake Windermere.
I remember well, also, the beautiful plates of Westminster
Abbey in " Malton's Tour," and the colored views in the
" Microcosm of London."
Other books that belonged to my grandfather's library
are, " Nuova Raccolta di cento Vedute antiche a Roma e
sua vicinanza, da Achille e Pietro Parboni, 1831," and " A
Treatise of Architecture. By that Excellent Master thereof,
Sebastian le Clerc, Knight of the Empire, Designer and
Engraver to the Cabinet of the late French King," etc.
This work has four dedications, — to " Worshipful Companies " of Carvers, Joyners, Bricklayers, and Masons of
London, surmounted by their several coats-of-arms. It is
the oldest book in the collection, for, although it bears no
date of publication, it is inscribed on the title-page with the

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name of Charles Bulfinch's uncle, Charles Ward Apthorp,
and the date 1759. It might, therefore, have been a familiar companion of my grandfather's boyhood.
Besides these books, which still remain in the family,
there were others, which were given, together with a few
note-books and original drawings, to the Boston Society of
Architects after the death of my father in 1870, and these
are^ now preserved at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Here are found the Orders of Palladio and a
careful compilation of notes on perspective, according to
different authorities, with the English and French methods,
made out in Mr. Bulfinch's own manuscript, with illustrations. Here is a scrap-book, containing a collection of
engravings of classical entrances and archways, from John
C. Borlach. A book is here of his own designs of the
Unitarian Church in Washington, on the corner of Sixth
and North D streets, with plans, elevations, and sections,
on the uuusual scale of six feet to an inch, a scale that we
find in some other of his plans.
One book that contains some original designs has also
drawings and measurements of other buildings, and among
them a sketch of the beautiful " St. Stephen in Wallbrook,"
the choicest work of Sir Christopher Wren's genius. It is
interesting to see what was the style that especially appealed
to him.
Among the most noteworthy things in this collection is a
little book containing " Rules of Work of the Carpenters
in the Town of Boston," published in 1800. The architect's own clear and careful notes give this an added interest, and extend the scheme to other material not mentioned
in the body of the work, with notes of his own measurements of various buildings.
No freehand drawings have come down to us from him,

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nor is there anything to showT that he was attracted by other
forms of artistic expression than his own chosen one of
architecture.
His work for the first few years is only partially known.
The brief sketch of his life which he wrote, probably in
old age and with a view mainly to its interest for his family,
passes over his professional labors with few particulars, and
in the list of his public buildings made out by himself no
dates are given.
The second building of the Hollis Street Church is attributed to him in the " Massachusetts Magazine " for December, 1793, and was erected in 1788. This was the edifice
taken down and removed to East Braintree in 1810, the
portions having been floated thither, it is said, upon a raft.
His first undertaking after his marriage originated with
himself, and was strongly characteristic of his feeling for
home and country.
The old beacon pole, which — occasionally replaced —
had kept watch for generations on the summit of the hill,
was blown down in 1789, and in its stead was now erected,
by his suggestion and design, a memorial column, of the
Koman Doric order, built of brickwork, covered with stucco,
and about sixty feet high by four in diameter, standing on
a pedestal and crowned with a gilt eagle. Instead of bearing aloft the danger signal in time of war, it bore inscriptions which should serve to remind the restored and grateful community of the perils which had been safely passed
through. It is supposed to have been the first monument
to commemorate the Revolution.
We cannot, perhaps, do better than to quote here, nearly
at its full length, a letter written in after years by a son of
the architect, Thomas Bulfinch, to the " Boston Transcript,"
addressed to " Gleaner," Mr. N. I. Bowditch, whose interest-

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ing articles on old landmarks were at that time attracting
much attention: —
Sept. 25, 1855.

SIB, — As you have ingenuously confessed in one of
your articles that you never saw Beacon Hill, you will
permit one who saw it often, and had as a child a familiar
acquaintance with its dandelions and buttercups, to tell you
something about it. I t was, at my earliest recollection, in
its full glory, surmounted by a graceful column, on whose
top perched a gilded eagle, and on whose base were those
inscriptions which I am still young enough to go to the
State House to copy, as I mean to do, for this article,
before I have done. But let us go back to the time when
the hill was as described by your ancient friend, when there
was, in place of the column, a stone basement, on which
rested four horizontal timbers, crossing each other in the
centre. From this centre rose a mast, holding on its top a
tar barrel, which in case of danger was to be set on fire, to
be a beacon to the country round. This preparation was
adapted to a time of war, but it was happily never needed;
when the war ended, the beacon was but a remnant of
things that had been. Thus it remained till about four
years after the war, when a young gentleman returned from
Europe who had been passing a year in England, France, and
Italy, led thither, not by motives of business, but, what was
then unusual, by a love of art, particularly that art which
in a young community is the most practically useful, —
architecture. This young gentleman, Charles Bulfineh,
was the son of that Bulfineh whose name, as the owner of
the pasture, has found a place in some of your communications. On his return home he immediately began to put in
exercise those tastes for architectural improvement which
he had carried with him abroad, and nourished by all that

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he saw. The first idea that occurred to him was to remove
the unsightly timbers of the old beacon from their conspicuous site, and replace them with a handsome column, resembling, at an humble distance, those he had seen in London,
Paris, and Kome. How the funds were obtained I do not
know, but presume that the method that has been so often
used since was employed, and a subscription paper passed
round, and am equally well satisfied that in that case, as in
later ones, the prime mover in the scheme had to take all the
trouble and make up all deficiencies himself. The monument, designed by Mr. Bulfinch and built under his superintendence, bore on its pedestal tablets of slate, with inscriptions written by him. On two sides the principal civil and
military events of the Revolution, with their dates, were
inscribed.
On the third and fourth sides we read as
follows: —
TO COMMEMORATE
THAT TRAIN OF EVENTS
WHICH LED
TO T H E AMERICAN

REVOLUTION,

AND FINALLY SECURED
LIBERTY AND

INDEPENDENCE

TO T H E UNITED STATES,
THIS COLUMN IS ERECTED
BY T H E VOLUNTARY

CONTRIBUTIONS

OF T H E CITIZENS
OF BOSTON.

MDCCXC.

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BULFINCH,

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AMERICANS!
WHILE FROM THIS EMINENCE
SCENES OF LUXURIANT FERTILITY,
OF FLOURISHING COMMERCE,
AND T H E ABODES OF SOCIAL HAPPINESS,
MEET YOUR VIEW,
FORGET NOT THOSE
WHO BY T H E I R

EXERTIONS

HAVE SECURED TO YOU
THESE BLESSINGS.

The column stood till about the year 1808, when at last
the suit between the Hancock heirs and the town was decided
in favor of the former, and it became certain that the hill
must be dug down, with the exception of a limited space in
the centre. It seemed useless for the town to retain this
square pile of earth (for such it would have been), bounded
with perpendicular sides, and therefore it was sold to share
the fate of the rest. This is, according to my recollections,
the reason why the town parted with what, if it could have
been preserved entire, would have been, as you say, a unique
and unrivalled ornament. But the times were hard; embargo and commercial restrictions had crushed the trade and
dampened the spirits of the community. The liberal and
public-spirited individual through whose agency the monument had been erected had fallen a victim to the derangements of the times, and, in the enterprise of Franklin Place,
had made shipwreck of his fortunes. No other stood ready
to redeem the hill from its fate by buying up the Hancock
claim, and the hill fell and the monument disappeared, leaving only the tablets, which still meet the visitor's eye as he
prepares to ascend to the lantern on the top of the State
House, a spot from which a view similar to that which used
to be commanded from the top of Beacon Hill may still be
seen, with its " scenes of luxuriant fertility," etc.

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At my earliest recollection the appearance of the hill was
this : a grassy hemisphere, so steep that one could with
difficulty mount its sides, descending with a perfectly
regular curve to the streets on the south, west, and north.
On the east it had been encroached upon and the contour
was broken. Just opposite the end of Coolidge Avenue,
on Derne Street, there was a flight of wooden steps, ten or
fifteen in number, leading part way up the hill. After
that, we had to climb the rest of the way, by aid of the
foot-holes that had been worn in the surface, along a wide
path worn bare by the feet, to the top, where there was also
a space of some fifty feet square, worn bare of sod. In the
midst of this space stood the monument. Descending by
the south side, one followed a similar rough gravel path to
another flight of plank steps, leading down to the level of
Mt. Vernon Street, and terminating at about the position
of the front of No. 13 Mt. Vernon Street, the first house
of those facing south.
The sport of batting the ball up the hill and meeting it
again on its descent was played by some; but it was not
so easy a game as one would at first suppose, on account of
the difficulty of maintaining one's footing on the hillside,
which was so steep as to require some skill even to stand
erect on it. The appearance of the hill in winter I do not
recollect; but I think it must have been generally bare of
snow, from its elevated position, and I do not recollect having
ever seen sleds used on it. . . .
T. B.
The mast of the old beacon, described above, was still
further strengthened by braces, and it bore a cross-bar or
crane to support the iron frame to hold, as was intended, a
burning tar barrel.

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I t should be added, that the position of the Beacon
monument was exactly in the line of Temple Street.
The gilt eagle is at present suspended over the Speaker's
desk in the House of Representatives; and the four tablets
with the inscriptions also remain in the State House, in the
corridor, to the right of the Doric Hall.
Mr. Bulfinch has always been supposed by his family to
have been the author of these inscriptions, but as a passage
in the correspondence of Dr. Jeremy Belknap, pastor of the
Federal Street Church, seems to imply that he also had a
share in them, we give his words on the subject: —
" Yesterday I was consulted on forming a set of inscriptions for a historical pillar, which is erecting on Beacon
Hill. Some of the most striking events of the Revolution
will be inscribed, beginning with the Stamp Act and ending
with the Funding Act. These comprehend a period of
twenty-five years. The one may be considered as the beginning, and the other as the conclusion, of the American
Revolution. The pillar is to be sixty feet high ; over its
capital, the American eagle, which is to perform the office
of a weather-cock. The arrows are to serve for points, and
a conductor is to be added for the lightning. The designer
is Mr. Charles Bulfinch, a very ingenious and accomplished
gentleman, and as modest as ingenious." (Belknap Papers,

ii. 233.)
The first child of Charles and Hannah Bulfinch was a
little girl, born in 1789, and named for that young Sukey,
of brilliant and tender memory, who had died some seven
years before.
This fcvas their only daughter, and was followed by
several sons, but the parents had the grief of losing two of
the little boys in infancy, from the fatal results of inocula-

1)111)
^

«li

*•

• f

* r
REPRESENTATIVES HALL, STATE HOUSE, BOSTON

**•

,#

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tion, and the records in the mother's journal show that her
bright young life was early touched by " the sense of tears
in mortal things."
This journal lies before me as I write,—a small, thin
book in paper covers, — containing entries, at intervals
often of more than a year, from the time of her marriage
until 1837. Here and there occurs a little poem, either by
herself or her sister, and she sometimes gives a quotation
from one of the favorite religious writers of that time.
After the death of the two boys, which left her with only
her little girl remaining, she writes: —
" Heaven is just, and perhaps saw that our fond hearts
were too firmly fixed towards the objects of this world to
think with pleasure of a change, in the enjoyment of a
kind partner, smiling children, health, affluence and contentment. Perhaps we had too much for mortality, and in
the midst of prosperity felt too secure. We are now rous'd
from our dream of happiness; we see that we have many
blessings yet in possession, but sensibly experience that
they are on the wing.
" Give us, oh, Thou that hast seen fit to chastise us, a
temper of mind best suited to Thee, purify'd by affliction,
and cheerfully yielding to Thy wise dispensations."
Her husband's sketch passes over these early years with
but a few sentences. After speaking of the marriage and
settlement near them of their sisters, Anna and Frances,
and the great addition this made to their happiness, he
adds:—
" I enjoyed too the confidence and good will of my fellow
townsmen, who chose me one of their Selectmen at the
early age of twenty-seven. The occupation attending this
office and superintending the building of the State House
after my plans afforded me sufficient and agreeable employment.

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" Our pleasures were increased by the birth of children, and
we had experience of the sorrows attending every condition
of life, in the death of several of them ; but on this subject
I will not enlarge, as their mother has so tenderly mentioned them in a memoir of herself."
Mr. Bulfinch's appointment to a town office at this date,
1789, marked the beginning of a relation to the municipal
government of Boston which continued with some brief
interval for many years. He has left in his own handwriting a statement that he was a junior member of the
Board of Selectmen from 1789 to 1793, and that he was
chairman of the board for a period of twenty-one years,
from 1797 to 1818. During this long space of time, many
changes were effected in the town: streets were opened and
widened, low and marsh land was filled up and laid out in
streets, sidewalks built, streets paved, and public buildings,
as well as private, erected.
A list of these changes, milestones on the road of progress from the country town to the great city, will be given
in a later chapter, copied from his own manuscript.
On the 24th of August, 1791, he was elected a member
of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, John
Adams being then President.
The new State House was definitely undertaken somewhat later. It was not until 1795 that the land was secured
and measures taken to erect upon it a building worthy of
the Commonwealth, which was then the leading State in the
Union. These intervening years were destined to be eventful opes to the architect. Plans for public improvement
found ready acceptance, and schemes in some cases were set
on foot which the still unsettled state of the times rendered
insecure.
Among other changes, however, there came some modifi-

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cation of the severe laws of the colonial period. We have
seen the lively interest which the theatre excited in the
minds of the young people on their wedding journey, and
their ardent wishes for the establishment of a theatre in
their own sober-minded town were now to be fulfilled.
Evidently they had much to do themselves with bringing
it about.
Up to this time there had been no regular theatre in
Boston, but performances had been given sometimes in an
irregular way, always more or less under the ban of public
opinion, and in direct violation of the statute.
The first attempt seems to have been the performance of
" Otway's Orphan," in 1750, at the British Coffee House,
which incurred the severe displeasure of the authorities,
and was followed by a law forbidding such performances in
future under heavy penalties, the sum of twenty pounds to
be paid by the owner of the premises so occupied, and each
actor or spectator to forfeit the sum of five pounds.
During the siege, in 1775, the British officers had a
theatre in Faneuil Hall, for their own entertainment and
that of the royalist families in the town, where among other
plays was produced General Burgoyne's drama, " The Blockade of Boston."
Since the Revolution, the feelings of the best class of
citizens had come to be, not only tolerant of the drama, but
decidedly favorable to its influence as an educating and
broadening power; and it is interesting to note that the
mature judgment of Charles Bulfinch led him to reverse
the opinion pronounced against theatrical representations
in his letters from France, and inclined him to be foremost
in establishing them in Boston. A petition to open a
theatre, signed by many influential persons, was presented
to the legislature in June, 1790, but the attempt was un-

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BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

successful. During the next year an effort was made to
repeal the law of prohibition. This, after a heated debate,
the legislature still refused to do.
A test case soon arose, for the attempt was made, in
1792, with the aid of some comedians from London, to
start a theatre in a building — a stable, it is said — fitted
up for the purpose in Broad Alley, the present Hawley
Street, then a muddy passageway leading to the old Trinity
Church on Summer Street. But the performances were at
once interrupted by the authorities and unceremoniously
ended, at the instigation, as was supposed at the time, of
the indignant Governor Hancock.
Legal opposition appears to have ceased, however, after
this date. The law continued to remain on the statute
book, but it had ceased to represent the real feeling of the
people, and was treated practically as a dead letter. It was
believed that a well-conducted theatre would meet with
general approbation and encouragement, and accordingly
in July, 1793, a conveyance was made of land lying at the
corner of Federal and Franklin streets to the " trustees of
the Boston Theatre," of whom Mr. Bulfinch was one; and
the building erected from his designs upon this site was
first opened to the public on February 3, 1794, the tragedy
of Gustavus Vasa being the first piece performed, with
Charles Stuart Powell, manager. The prologue was written
by Robert Treat Paine.
In recognition of the gift from the architect of the plans
for the building, a gold medal, of much beauty of workmanship, was presented to Mr. Bulfinch by the owners, which,
bearing appropriate inscriptions, shows us also the design of
the front, having " a basement and principal story, with a
projecting centre faced with four Corinthian columns with
entablature and pediment. The order is continued across

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the whole front, the intervals being occupied by arched
windows. The basement is quite plain, with an arched
entrance in the centre, flanked by a single square opening
on each side. The fagade has simplicity and repose, not
without a certain festal character expressive of the purpose
of the building." 1
Mr. Ashton E. Willard's account of Mr. Bulfinch's
buildings contains an interesting description of this first
theatre in Boston, the " Federal Street," and also gives
some curious facts regarding the theatre customs of that
day.
" To undertake the building at all," says Mr. Willard,
" was a venturesome project in the state of public opinion
in those days. . . . It is a little singular that the first
theatre to be built in Boston should have had more of the
individual character of a theatre in external aspect than
any now standing in the city. It has come to be the habit
in Boston, as in other cities, to make the theatre, so far as
visible exterior is concerned, simply a narrow strip of fagade
crowded in among shop-fronts. Bulfinch's theatre was a
detached building. The design of it was graceful and
appropriate, though not novel."
The present central
building of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is
similar to the theatre in character, and nearly of the same
proportions. It won high encomiums from the " Centinel"
at the time, and " a poem was delivered by the manager on
the night of the opening, which shows that architecture
was not the only art at that day pervaded by the classic
influence: —
" ' And now thou dome by Freedom's patrons rear'd,
With Beauty blazon'd and by Taste rever'd ;
Apollo consecrates thy walls profane,
Hence be thou sacred to the Muse's reign ! ' "
1

Mr. C. A. Cummings.

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BULFINCH,

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Mr. Willard notes, as curiously significant of the state of
feeling then prevailing, that for a while no performance
was given on the evening of the week-day religious meeting. The suspension took place at the voluntary wish of the
management, though apparently a suggestion had been
made also by the church in Federal Street looking towards
such an accommodation.
It appears that this decision had already been reversed
before the destruction of the theatre by fire in February,
1798, four years after its opening. When it was rebuilt,
Mr. Bulfinch, who had charge of the restoration, adopted a
much plainer design for the exterior, a greater proportion
of the whole expense being allotted to the interior.
Among the family papers has been found the following
draft of a letter, evidently written by Mr. Bulfinch within
a few months after the opening of the original building,
which is of interest here. It is in the architect's handwriting, and is inscribed —
Statement of % with M r . J. Taylor
Invoice ^ Galen
D r . via New York
Commiss 5 P C
£
r
st
C . 1 Remittance
150
f the Mary
350
"500 Stlg
BOSTON, June 11, 1794.

— I have now the pleasure of forwarding to
you a bill of Exchange, drawn by Stephen Higginson Esq.
upon Messrs. F. M. & D. Smit of Rotterdam, and payable in
London. I have been anxious to remit this amount to you
before, but all opportunities from this place have been preDEAR SIR,

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vented by an embargo of nearly 3 months, which has interrupted the regular course of business. At foot I shall place
a statement of your account with the Proprietors of the
Theatre, and hope this remittance will cover all charges.
The Trustees of the Theatre direct me to make their
acknowledgements to you for your attention and kindness in
procuring so elegant a set of embellishments for their house.
The price has much exceeded their expectations, but they
pay it with chearfulness, as they are confident articles of
equal elegance could not be procured on better terms.
They have determined to allow you a commission of 5 P C
on the purchase and interest as far as you have been obliged
to pay it, or to advance. If these charges should exceed
the sum now sent, please to make out a statement and charge
the balance to my account, and it shall be paid immediately.
I have the satisfaction to be able to inform you that the
Theatre meets the wishes and expectation of the public and
has even drawn some marks of approbation from foreigners
who have seen it. At my first leisure I shall give you a
description of it, and of other extensive works carrying on
here.
Mr. Powell is just closing his season, he has met with
astonishing success, and his company has given satisfaction
considering the short time he had to collect them in England; we however hope for a better, next winter.
Mr.
Powell promises that no exertions of his shall be wanting.
I am &c.
The building of the theatre was in fact but a part of
the large undertaking by which Franklin Street was to be
extended and improved. We are told by Drake that previous to the year 1792 all the lower part of this street was
a quagmire, and that no greater change has taken place in

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Boston than the conversion of this swamp into solid and
useful ground.
Mr. Barrell, whose estate was on Summer Street, first
drained the slough for a garden, in which he had built a
fish-pond.
Where the theatre was built had previously
stood a distillery. The Boston Directory for 1789 shows
an open tract, no streets being yet laid out in this area.
Here it was that Mr. Bulfinch, in company with two other
gentlemen, entered upon what was at that time an elaborate
undertaking, and one which the state of the country soon
rendered extremely hazardous.
The enterprise is best described in his own words, though
it should be borne in mind that the date given by him,
writing as he does from memory in after years, refers to
the culmination of the affair rather than to its beginning,
for the buildings of Franklin Place must have been begun
in 1793, and many of them finished within the same year: —
Thus tranquilly passed our time until 1796, when I was
induced to join W m Scollay and Chs Vaughan in the purchase of Mr. Barrell's extensive garden and pasture ground,
and projected a scheme for building sixteen houses in a
Crescent form.
This was to be effected by a subscription of shares on a
Tontine principle; one half of the project was offered to
the public, but only one half of the number of shares was
subscribed for, and the remainder continued at the risk of
the company.
[When one half of the Crescent was completed, Mr.
Vaughan had been seriously advised by his brother in
London against such an undertaking, and Mr. Bulfinch proceeds : — ]
I agreed to discharge him from all obligation and take

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his share of the concern upon myself. Mr. ScoUay too was
little able to make advances, still I was so sanguine respecting the success of the project, that I persevered in completing the whole range.
But this was done at heavy interest on loans and losses
on forced sales, till on the eve of an expected rupture with
England, just before the settlement of topics of dispute by
Mr. Jay's treaty, property of every kind was at so low an ebb
that no sales could be made and no further loans obtained
and I was obliged to become bankrupt and assign the property for creditors ; in the consequences of this project, my
father and brother G. Storer were involved as my endorsers.
With what remorse have I looked back on these events,
when blindly gratifying a taste for a favorite pursuit, I
involved for life myself and wife with our children — my
Father and Mother and Sisters, who all held the utmost
confidence in my measures and pride in my expected success.
They all bore the loss and mortification without repining.
My inexperience and that of my agents Messrs
and
in conducting business of this nature, together with
my earnest desire to discharge all demands as far as possible, led me to surrender all my property, even that
obtained by marriage, which was intended to be secured to
my wife and her heirs, but from a defect in the form of
settlement this property was included with the rest, and I
found myself reduced to my personal exertions for support.
I had some satisfaction in knowing that not one of my
creditors was materially injured, many were secured to the
full amount, and the deduction on the balance due to workmen did not exceed 10 P C on their entire bills. My fellow
townsmen evinced their continued regard by reinstating me
on the board of Selectmen, of which I now became Chair-

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man, and as no salary was connected to that office, they
appointed me Superintendent of Police, with a salary of six
hundred dollars.
Although this employment was irksome and little suited to
my taste or character, I undertook to discharge its duties,
and it enabled me, with my personal attention as Architect,
to support my family in respectable simplicity, which my
dear wife submitted to with cheerfulness.
Soon after my failure my younger sister was married to
Joseph Coolidge, son of Joseph Coolidge, Esq., merchant,
who purchased the mansion house in Bowdoin square, and
enlarged and repaired it for his son, and I had the gratification to see my good father and mother living for the
remainder of their lives under the roof of their own home,
tenderly attended to by their daughter and her worthy and
liberal husband.
The enterprise that proved so fatal to his fortunes had
been indeed a tempting one to an aspiring- young architect.
Mr. Willarcl writes of i t : " If the casual visitor in Boston
casts a momentary glance down Franklin Street as he
passes the point where it joins Washington Street, his
attention will not unlikely be arrested for a moment by the
large, regular sweep of marble buildings to be seen on the
right. He would certainly notice it in any other city than
Boston. Bulfinch designed this curve, and from 1793
until 1855 there stood here a long block of symmetrical
houses built by him, extending from Hawley to Devonshire
streets. He appears to have been singularly quick to catch
a new idea, singularly anxious to understand and apply his
art as the most advanced thinkers of his day understood
and applied it. When he was in London, the idea of
uniting a lot of house-fronts, and decorating them in such

rin
<S*+* * 7* y j%/> s/nt X/, ^j • yf 55 \** >/' /<* < /* /

FAC-SIMILE OF ORIGINAL DRAWING BY CHARLES BULFINCH OF ARCHWAY IN
FRANKLIN CRESCENT

rrnr

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a way as to give them the character of one large, imposing
building, was still in its infancy. The further idea of
introducing grace and grandeur into city streets, by deliberately planning them in large geometrical curves of uniform buildings, does not seem to have been once actually
applied. The most prominent and familiar of these curves,
Eegent's Quadrant, was not cut through the old streets
above Piccadilly until after 1812, when Nash had come to
the front. A London map of 1804 shows no crescents.
There was in existence, however, at the time of Bulfinch's
visit, a design of two semicircles facing each other, with a
park space in the centre, intended as a continuation of
Portland Place, one of the building projects of the Adam
brothers, and it does not seem unnatural to infer that the
American architect may have obtained his idea from this
design. The Adam brothers were among the most prominent architects of the day, and their projects must have
been well known. It was the Adam brothers who introduced into London the plan of combining dwellings in
large blocks, and giving the whole the character of one
building; at least, they are given the credit of introducing it."
Describing the Franklin crescent, he goes on to say : " The
houses were three stories in height. At the ends and in
the centre, slender pilasters rose from the level of the principal story to the roof. The central building was not like
the others in general character. It was carried a little
higher by a low attic crowned with a pediment; and the
basement story was pierced by three openings, admitting to
an open passageway beneath the buildings. The whole
height of the principal story in the centre, between the
columns, was occupied by a Venetian window. Over the
central arch, beneath this Venetian window, used to hang

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the sign ' Arch Street.' Arch Street is still there, though
all visible reason for its being called so has disappeared.
" Franklin Place was made beautiful in its best days by
trees and shrubbery. There was originally a long, semioval park space, which the old deeds provided should be
left open ' for the accommodation, convenience and beauty '
of the houses in the square."
An urn of Bath oolite stone, of a graceful classic design,
used to stand upon a pedestal in the centre of this oval. It
was imported from Italy by Mr. Bulfinch, and was placed
there as a memorial to Franklin, then recently deceased.
The original plan had been a symmetrical one, the street
having a corresponding curve on each side, but it was
found impracticable to secure the requisite amount of land
on the north side, which therefore formed a straight line.
The rooms over the arch were given to the Boston Library
and Massachusetts Historical Society.
I find a copy of the deed of gift to the former society,
which was recorded in the Suffolk deeds on February 2,
1796, " a t 40' minutes past twelve o'clock, noon," and
signed and sealed by Charles Bulfinch, with Hannah his
wife, wherein, " for the encouragement of literature, and in
consideration of the sum of five shillings," etc., he releases
and quitclaims the room and staircase to the Boston Library
Society and their successors forever.
For many years the dwellings of Franklin Place were
among the most desirable in the city, and occupied by
prominent families. In the last house before coming to
the theatre lived at one time the beautiful Emily Marshall,
whose fame for loveliness of character as well as of person
has come down to our own day.
Among the early recollections of my childhood is that of
taking the Dorchester omnibus, which waited for passengers

AlCD "XCDIDI • OID
mMMErwiswaiJtsErwrzma

Biioniiiirani

PLAN OF THE TONTINE BUILDINGS,

FRANKLIN

From, the Massachusetts Magazine, I7Q4

PLACE

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at the corner of Washington and Franklin streets, and
rumbling under the archway as we started on our journey
out of town through Arch and Summer streets.
To my grandfather's words respecting his failure and
loss of fortune, little need be added, and in truth at this
distance of time little further is known. It is difficult in
our age, of very different business and social standards, to
realize just what a reverse like this must have meant in the
Boston society of a hundred years ago. That it did not
imply any cause for loss of confidence on the part of his
fellow-townsmen he might well feel profoundly grateful,
but, combined with his second business misfortune of a few
years later, it produced upon his naturally serious temper a
deep and lasting impression. An illustration of this feeling is found in a small manual of family prayers, which he
was in the habit of using in his advanced life, and where a
number of sentences have been crossed through with a pen,
as if to be omitted. The expressions are those which seem
to recognize the consciousness of prosperity or success in
earthly undertakings, and to which he evidently felt that
he had no claim.
It is probable that he said little at any time on the
subject of these early trials, but his children knew that his
regret was mingled with sorrow that he was debarred, notwithstanding all his industry, from doing for them, as the
years went on, what his father had done for him, and giving
them those advantages in their opening career, never indeed
of the first importance to a vigorous character, but which
cannot lightly be disdained.
The pages of his wife's journal reveal something of the
course of events in their home life during these years. The
next entry after the death of the two boys records the

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absence of her husband " for the first time since our marriage, and my anxious heart sincerely hopes it may be the
last. T h e impatience I feel for his return from this short
journey which business only has occasioned, shows how
great my dependance is on him for all the happiness of my
life, a n d convinces me t h a t altho' Heaven has been pleas'd
to deprive me of my little infants, it has left me an object
of far greater importance to cheer the hours of sadness and
care which must at times interrupt t h e content of every
human being."
She already feels, at twenty-five, that she is one " who
has known the extremes of happiness a n d misfortune, and
who wishes to preserve her mind in such a state that it may
never be surpriz'd
by either. T h e regular life we lead,
t h e temperate, philosophic turn of my H u s b a n d , is fortunately calculated to calm those agitations which t h e death
of my children occasion'd. I t has however been truly
needful, or my spirits had sunk under the malady which
was b r o u g h t on by our calamity. My disorder is nervous,
b u t never till this last season of distress has it been my
companion. So new and so various are the sensations I
sometimes experience that it requires an exertion of mental
strength to oppose its power. I continue to hope that time
will lessen the complaint and restore me wholly to myself.
Good principles, a quiet conscience and religious life, are
the best remedy for an afflicted heart." After the death of
yet another infant, however, their mother was made happy
b y the birth of a son, in 1794, Charles, — the eldest of the
g r o u p of boys t h a t grew u p around her. T h e following
year she has to record the death of her beloved grandfather. Sheriff Greenleaf. " A t the age of 90 he resign'd
t h a t life which had been used in the service of others, having spent his youth in t h e performance of every social and

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BULFINCH,

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domestic virtue, and his old age in forming the minds of
his three orphan children; who while we respected him did
most affectionately, most tenderly love and sincerely lament
for him, — tho for him unjustly, as the bright reward of
the Christian is undoubtedly his own."
On July 12, 1795, she writes that many happy months
have succeeded each other, distinguished by prosperity and
domestic enjoyment. Her brother's marriage had enlarged
the family circle and added to its happiness. " Affluence
and content are ours, virtue and innocence the aim of our
lives, the object of our wishes. Four families consisting of
Brothers and Sisters, situated near each other and by affection still nearer, what more can we wish for except the continuance of our family harmony, and improvement in piety
and benevolence? The world has nothing more to give,
and we must own with humility these are above our deserts.
" Let me," she exclaims, " for my own advantage upon this
grateful retrospect copy the sublime instructions of my
favorite Blair."
Here follows a passage of some length, beginning, " As
men, then, bethink yourselves of human instability," which
is sorrowfully prophetic of coming changes to the young
wife and mother.
Under the date of September 1st, in
1796, Ave find her first entry after the disaster of Franklin
Place, recording the birth of Thomas : -—
" It has pleased the merciful Author of my being to lead
me safely through distress of mind and anguish of body to
the present period and to give to my hopes another son on
the 15th of July, and I in gratitude bend the knee and raise
unfeigned the eye of humility and thankfulness. Let me
not be too anxious how these tender objects of my affection
shall be cloath'd and fed, or repine that my infant should be
born in poverty and myself with my Husband and other

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little ones now eating the bread of dependance. Let me
rejoice that we have health, Friends, and a good conscience,
and when, if ever, my sweet children peruse these lines,
may they be assur'd that in virtue and integrity we may find
happiness, tho' the advantages of fortune with all other
darling, unsubstantial resources have vanish'd. . . . This
ensuing Season will bring before me new trials connected
with the different station in life to which our misfortunes
have reduced us, creditors hard and unfeeling refuse to my
Husband that settlement which again would leave him free
to exert his faculties for the support of his family. We
are consequently still dependant. Can I in adversity be
patient, unrepining, and economical, can I preserve that
equality of mind which alone gives dignity to such a fall ?
This, however, I must try to do, or lose what is above all
price — self esteem. 'Tis, my Beloved Sister, thy Friendship, thy encouraging, partial friendship, wdiich supports
me, and thy example as wife and mother which animates me
in the practise of these superior duties.
'" We are at this date in a small dwelling, the rent of
which is paid by our attentive and affectionate Brother
Ap thorp."
The friends who knew Hannah Bulfinch in her early
married life have left. their testimony to the noble manner
in which she bore herself under these changed conditions.
Her note-book, which received the frank and intimate confessions of her heart, shows that she was far from insensible
to them, but no repining at her losses or unaccustomed cares
seems to have been apparent in her outward life.
One of her sons has written of her, alluding to these
friends of her youth : —
" They say that 'while everything in the habits of the
woman of fortune inconsistent with her altered circumstances

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CHARLES* BULFINCH,

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was dropped instantly, and the business habits of a good
kousekeeper immediately adopted, she never laid aside, in
any scenes of joy or sorrow, the deportment of a lady, nor
the graceful, unembarrassed manner in which she could still
meet the friends of former days, delighting in their society
and ever cheerful and attractive in it. But in the narrow
circle of home, to which her increasing cares confined her
almost exclusively, she seemed to feel no want of other
society than that of her husband and her children."
When her means were restricted, her generous heart contrived new ways of serving others, and we are told that she
often alluded with " a bewitching playfulness " to her loss
of fortune, which showed that her spring of happiness was
not embittered by it.
The sweetness of disposition that was hers by nature,
cherished also by her religious principles, inclined her to
look on the brightest side of events as well as persons, and
made her a favorite and charming companion. " For her
chosen friends and for her children she manifested always
the very enthusiasm of affection."
" May 10th, 1797. We have accepted the friendly invitation of Mr. B
's Sister Storer, to join them in unitedly
supporting our families, living with them in their house.
This, as it saves house rent, is our duty to comply with, and
as in the society of such valuable friends we find our first
consolation, it is our pleasure also. Here, then, is another
change.
Read, my children, the wanderings of your
mother, who once thought herself plac'd by fortune far
above these vicissitudes. Learn by it how liable you are
to the same, even should your lot at first be prosperous;
acquire in season those virtues which may enable you to
bear them properly, and humbly confiding in God wait
cheerfully for what may be decreed you.

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" Oct. 7th, 1798. We still continue in the house of our
friends Anna and George Storer, whose unremitted kindness
has restor'd our cheerfulness, and eonvey'd a charm above all
price to our hearts. It arises from the enjoyment of social
intercourse, of sympathizing regard. We are united by
interest and by every tie that gratitude can form."
The aged grandmother, Madame Grizzell Apthorp, had
passed away, in her eighty-eighth year, just before the marriage of Elizabeth.
This marriage was an event which brought new life and
animation to the home in Bowdoin Square. Mr. Coolidge
was also a descendant, through the Boyer family, of Adino
Bulfinch. He was a man of a noble type and unbounded
hospitality and benevolence.
It was at this time that the large pasture opposite the
homestead was sold, and the portion fronting the square
became the property of Mr. Kirk Boott, whose fine residence
built thereon was afterwards raised and enlarged to form
the present Revere House. It is said that Mr. Boott paid
seven thousand dollars for this piece of land, and that
desirable land on Beacon Street could then be obtained at a
much lower price. But these were the golden days of the
square, and it was considered, we are told, " the very centre
and nucleus of aristocracy and fashion."

CHAPTER V
A R C H I T E C T AND CHAIRMAN OF

SELECTMEN

1798-1818
Out of love and hatred; out of earnings, and borrowings, and lendings, and
losses ; out of sickness and pain ; out of wooing and worshipping ; out of travelling, and voting, and watching, and caring; out of disgrace and contempt,
comes our tuition in the serene and beautiful laws.
R. W.

EMERSON.

T H E Massachusetts State
House, meantime, was approaching completion on
the sunny slope of Beacon
Hill. The plans for providing new quarters for the
state government had come
to maturity in 1795, when,
by a resolve of the General
Court on February 16, Edward H. Robbins, Thomas
Dawes, and Charles Bulfinch were appointed a committee to erect a State
House on a lot of ground
commonly called " the Governor's pasture," containing about two acres, adjoining Governor Hancock's
garden, then owned by his
heirs. If this lot could not be obtained, the committee were

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empowered to take a deed from the town of Boston of an
equal quantity of land at the northeasterly part of the common, " opposite the almshouse."
The Hancock lot was obtained, and on the 4th of July in
the same year the corner-stone of the building was laid by
Governor Samuel Adams, assisted by Paul Revere as Masonic Grand Master, with imposing ceremonies, the stone
having been drawn to the place by fifteen white horses, corresponding with the number of States then in the Union.
The building was completed within three years. In
January, 1798, the legislature assembled for the last time
in the Old State House, and then marched in a body to
take possession of their new quarters, Increase Sumner
being then governor.
On May 4, 1800, a resolve was passed approving the
final account of the committee.
The sum of eight thousand pounds had been appropriated
for the building at first, and additional sums given from
time to time, making the whole original cost something
over one hundred and thirty-three thousand dollars. Economy had forbidden the use of the costliest materials. The
gilded dome that now meets our eyes on the horizon from
so large a neighboring tract of country, and greets us as we
enter the harbor, was then merely painted yellow. The
columns in the Doric Hall, and those forming the colonnade
in front were trees growing near a lake in Maine, in Township No. 5, now Calais, on land owned by LieutenantGovernor Robbins, then Speaker of the House and a member of the commission.
But, though our native woods supplied the place of
granite or marble, the rise of the fair and classic structure
on this commanding height, above the Hancock house and
the other dwellings and gardens of Beacon Street, with the

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beautiful pasture of the Common below and the encircling
waters of the river in full view, was a sight that filled with
pride the Bostonians of that day, and visitors from all parts
of the young Commonwealth.
The " Columbian Centinel" compares the situation with
the most attractive scenes abroad, — the famous Bay of
Naples, or the Castle Hill of Edinburgh.
Mr. Cummings writes: " The site was not then, as now,
the crown of the hill; behind it rose, as we have said above,
the round grassy knoll bearing the monumental column
erected by Bulfmch five years before. The original design
of the State House was different in some respects from the
building which was erected, as that was different in some
respects from the building we see to-day. Considerations
of site and considerations of cost are understood to have
compelled certain modifications of the design, of which the
shortening of the wings was the most important. Concerning these modifications there is, however, no exact knowledge, as the original drawings have unfortunately not been
preserved. They did not seriously affect the integrity of
the design, whose noble and simple dignity so well becomes
the commanding site."
Regarding this design, we should remember that there
was not, at that time in this country any building worthy
to be a model for such an edifice, and it is doubtful if any
then existed that would have been suited to the wants of
an American legislature. Indeed, as a son of the architect
once wrote, " legislative halls are the product of American
institutions, and in this branch of architecture the artist had
at that time neither example nor warning."
As a strong desire has been felt to examine the original
plans of the building, a diligent search has been made for
them at various times, but without success.

THE STATE HOUSE, BOSTON

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The exterior front of the State House presents now, in
1895, substantially the same appearance that it did when
erected, one hundred years ago. The chief alteration seen
is in the windows of the first story, which were lengthened
at the time of certain interior changes, when the lower
rooms, with the exception of Doric Hall, were horizontally
divided, and additional light was required for the chambers
thus formed.
The building was originally described as measuring 173
feet in length by 61 in depth, but the large additions made
in 1853-54, from plans by Mr. Bryant, greatly increased
the depth, and included many changes in the older portion,
which, with the serious injury to the original proportions
named above, have resulted in the almost total alteration
of the interior. The entrance, or Doric Hall, the Senate
Chamber and Representatives' Hall, the Governor's Room
and Council Chamber, still remain little changed, but staircases, corridors, and all the rooms of the first story are entirely altered.
In recent years we have witnessed the still further enlargement of the State House by the great extension in the
rear, for which the Bryant annex was removed, and which,
begun in 1889, is hardly as yet completed.
As this work has progressed it has aroused the public
mind to the danger threatening the time-honored structure
of being completely overwhelmed and displaced, if not
entirely demolished, in the interests of the immense machinery of modern life.
It is as yet uncertain what its fate will be, — whether it
may not be found already undermined and ruined by the
work upon the additions; whether, if not yet too late, the
public sentiment that has called for its preservation be
heeded, and it be kept for future time as nearly as possible

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BULFINCH,

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in its original form, strengthened and rendered fire-proof, as
advised by a special commission of expert authorities in a
recent report to the legislature; or whether, on the other
hand, it be rebuilt on a larger scale, with some resemblance,
perhaps, to the old model, but at the cost of forever destroying a genuine relic of the first century of the Eepublic.
Its traditions are closely interwoven with our history,
and its walls are alive with associations of the famous men
of the past. Here has echoed the eloquence of John Hancock and of the older and the younger Adams; and here in
the lower hall Lafayette was received on August 26, 1824.
It is said, I know not with how much truth, that the stars
and stripes were here first given to the breeze.
Dr. Edward Everett Hale has reminded us of its associations with the names of Webster, Parsons, Story, and Sumner ; has told us that Wendell Phillips pleaded here before
committees when no constituency would elect him to sit as
member of the legislature ; and that here was Governor
Andrew's harbor of refuge during the War of the Rebellion,
and often the only place where he could lie down to sleep.
A history, he concludes, of the legislation of Massachusetts for the last hundred years, of which this building is a
monument, would be the most practical lesson in constitutional government known.
The Federal Street Theatre, having been destroyed by
fire only four years after it was built, was now, in 1798,
rebuilt from designs of Mr. Bulfinch, apparently on the
same ground-plan, but without the colonnaded portico,
with no pediment nor pilasters, and with simple roundtopped windows in place of the Venetian. The interior,
however, received careful attention and a larger share of
the expense. The architect won high praise for its general
arrangement and acoustic properties, with the admirable

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accommodations provided for the audience, while the decorations appeared to the critics of the time as being " of
unparalleled elegance." This building remained for many
years.
The twenty years now following embraced nearly all of
Mr. Bulfinch's architectural work in New England, and it
seems best, therefore, to enumerate here all his buildings of
that period which are known, giving the date of their erection wherever it is ascertained.
In 1801 we find that he furnished the design for a courthouse in Worcester, built of brick. This was afterwards
enlarged, and still later was superseded by a new one, but
the original was allowed to remain. Its chief ornament was
a cupola bearing a statue of Justice.
The next date known to us is that of the Church of the
Holy Cross, the first Catholic church in New England,
excepting possibly one in Maine, and to whose construction
Protestants as well as Catholics generously contributed,
through their regard for the eminent French bishop, John
Cheverus, the friend of James Otis and Josiah Quincy and
many leading men of the time, including also Charles
Bulfinch. It has been said that the latter presented to the
church not only the design for the building, but also the
land on which it was built, at the foot of Franklin Street,
below the Crescent, on the south side; but the more correct
statement probably is, that the Boston Theatre Corporation,
of which he was one, sold them the land at a low figure.
The building had no spire, but a low cupola, and was ornamented with the slender, high pilasters then in vogue. On
September 29, 1803, it was dedicated as a parish church,
and later became a cathedral, a group of religious houses
growing up near it, so that the whole became known as the
" Cathedral Buildings." The accommodations of the church

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BULFINCH,

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in later years were inadequate to the number of worshippers,
and about the year 1838 Dr. Channing's parishioners, on
their way down Franklin Street to their own church, grew
accustomed to the sight of large numbers of the Catholic
congregation kneeling out in the street, unable to find
entrance.
In grateful recognition of Mr. Bulfinch's gifts to the
church, a beautiful silver tea-urn was presented to him,
valued at one hundred and sixty-five dollars, a large sum
for that time, which bears the following inscription : —
TO CHARLES BULFINCH
ESQ*
PRESENTED BY THE CATHOLICS
OF BOSTON"

JANY 1, 1806.

Above the lines the initials C. B. are fancifully engraved.
The church and its dependencies were long since removed
to make way for business houses, which in their turn were
destroyed in the great fire of November, 1872, laying waste
so wide an area in this part of Boston. Substantial granite
blocks now cover the site where once stood the Cathedral
Buildings, the old Federal Street Theatre, and the shady
homes of Franklin Place.
Of his next recorded work Mr. Willard mves the following particulars: —
" While this [the Church of the Holy Cross] was building,
Bulfinch began the erection of another church, similar in
design, which is still standing. This is the church, originally called the 'New North,' at the foot of Hanover
Street, near the East Boston ferry. It was dedicated May
2, 1804, by a Congregational society, which was an offshoot
of the Old North society.
" Long ago the original proprietors left it, and it has been

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since consecrated as a Catholic church. The c Centinel'
printed a short item about this church the Saturday after
it was opened, which gives an idea of the favorable judgment pronounced upon it at the time. This item is graced
by a poetical quotation which the writer found somewhere,
and evidently felt to be apropos, and I quote it, poetry and
all: ' On Wednesday afternoon the Rev. Dr. Eliot's new
and elegant meeting-house at the north part of this town
was consecrated to the service of God. . . . The building
reflects honor upon the professional talents of the architect,
Charles Bulfinch, Esq. The exterior is in bold and commanding style; the front is decorated with stone pilasters
of a composed order; a series of Attic pilasters over them,
a tower and a cupola, terminated with a handsome vane
about 100 feet from the foundation. The inside is a perfect square of 72 feet; two ranges of Dorick columns under
the galleries, and Corinthian over them, support the ceiling,
which rises in an arch of moderate elevation in the centre.
" * The modest Doric forms the solid base,
The gay Corinthian holds the higher place ;
Thus all below is strength and all above is grace.'
66

The whole interior is remarkably adapted for sight and
sound, and is one of the most correct pieces of church architecture in our country.'
" The church at the foot of Hanover Street is, I think, the
only church known with certainty to have been designed
by Bulfinch now standing in Boston."
The modernizing of the First Church in Charlestown, in
1804, is attributed to Mr. Bulfinch in Frothingham's " History of Charlestown " and HunneweU's " Century of Town
Life."
The State Prison at Charlestown was built by him at this
time, in 1804-5, the original building being of granite,

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CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

200 feet long by 40 wide, and four stories high. Other
buildings were added later, and a new wing has just been
completed, giving greatly increased accommodations.
This, too, was the date when Park Street, at the time
called Park Place, was laid out and built, also from Mr.
Bulfinch's plans, the old workhouse and pound having
been moved away. Park Street Church, however, does
not owe its origin to him. It was built later, in 1810, on
the site of the old granary, from the design of Peter Bonner, an English architect.
In 1805 Mr. Bulfinch designed a brick court-house and
town-house combined, for the town of Newburyport. This,
Mr. Willard tells us, " escaped the great fire of 1811, famous
in the annals of the town, for it stood away from the business centre, in a commanding position, upon that fine street
of old mansions which runs along the summit of the hill.
But it met with a worse fate in 1853, when it was changed
over into the taste of the day. The figure of Justice which
used to stand upon it was then removed, and the entire
exterior of the house was modernized and finished with
mastic cement. The change was so thorough that no one
could now discover any traces of Bulfinch's handiwork
about it. The demand for an alteration of the interior may
have been an imperative one, but it was a pity to destroy
without cause an exterior which dated from Newburyport's
golden age at the beginning of the century."
A friend whose early home was in Newburyport tells me
that the children, when they heard the bell ring on the
Harris Street Church for the opening of the court, used to
repeat the following rhyme : —
" Run, boys, run !
The court's begun !
Stand 'fore the justice
And tell what you 've done."

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The children then believed that the figure of Justice would
tip her scales.
I am told that the figure is still preserved, a valued relic,
at " Indian Hill Farm."
Another work of great interest was undertaken the same
year. Faneuil Hall, built from the plans of the artist
Smibert, had been rebuilt after the fire of 1761, but not
enlarged. This was the task now entrusted to Charles Buifinch, who greatly extended its dimensions by doubling the
width and adding a third story, thus giving space for those
popular assemblies, the mass meetings of citizens, which we
have learned to associate with that venerable structure.
Mr. Willard calls attention to the fact that Mr. Bulfinch
was careful, in his alterations, to. preserve as far as possible
the old effect. For exatnple, where pilasters were used, in
the old building, of the Tuscan order below and Doric
above, he carries out the sequence by placing the Ionic
order in his third story, so that there may be no change of
character. The present audience room is thought to be
completely his own design, as the alterations and change of
scale would have made an entire rearrangement necessary.
I find a draft, in my grandfather's handwriting, of what
seems to be a report or address on the completion of this
work. After giving the earlier history of Peter Faneuil's
gift he continues : —
" Although the hall was sufficient for a number of years
for the transaction of the ordinary business of the town, yet
on every interesting occasion, when large numbers of the
inhabitants were assembled, it became necessary to adjourn
to some larger building, and, the Old South Church being
most capacious and most conveniently situated of any, the
proprietors of that house were ready to allow the town the
use of it, while the questions to be considered were of great

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political importance; but upon the increased population of
the town, and the frequent occurrence of questions of a
local nature which, however, interested and called together
a great number of the citizens, the proprietors of the places
of public worship became unwilling to admit such large
numbers to the free use of their buildings.
" In 1805 the Selectmen offered to the town a plan for the
enlargement of the hall, which was accepted, and they were
directed to carry it into effect. The work has proceeded
with uncommon dispatch and without any unfavorable accident, and in twelve months has been completed, we believe,
to very general satisfaction.
" The great hall is 76 feet square and 28 feet high, with
galleries on three sides, upon Dorick columns. The ceiling
is supported by two ranges of Ionick columns, the walls
enriched with pilasters and the windows with architraves,
&c. Platforms under and in the galleries rise amphitheatrically to accommodate spectators, and the whole appears
well calculated for sight and sound. The noble painting of
Washington by Stuart . . . is placed at the east end, over
the Selectmen's seat. Above the great hall is another, 76
feet long and 30 feet wide, devoted to the exercise of the
different military corps of the town, with a number of
apartments on each side for depositing their arms, where
those of the several companies are arranged and kept in
perfect order. This military hall is lighted by large semicircular windows at the ends, and lutherns through the roof
at the sides.
" The lower story is appropriated, according to the original intention, as a market, and the cellars are let for various
purposes of business. The income of the stalls and cellars
will produce a permanent and handsome interest upon the
money expended in the enlargement.

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" The building also contains convenient offices for the
Selectmen, Board of Health, Assessors, and Town Treasurer.
" On the outside it has been the aim of the agents to conform to the original style of the building, that with the
additions it should appear a uniform and consistent pile."
It may be interesting to insert here a note received by
Charles Bulfinch in later years, which conveys its own
explanation : —
BOSTON, Oct. 26,

1839.

Esq. — Sir,— I have received and
examined with much interest the plans of Faneuil Hall, and
the statement accompanying them, which you have sent to
this office for preservation in the city archives. Every
memorial of former benefactors of the public is highly
valuable, and there have been few who have been at once
so liberal and so fortunate as Peter Faneuil, whose name
must, through all history, be associated with the most important political revolution which has yet taken place in the
world.
I beg leave to return you the thanks of the City Government for your donation, and to assure you of the interest
which will not fail to be felt in it by many generations of
your and my successors.
Very respectfully, your obedfc servfc,
SAM L A. ELIOT, Mayor.
CHAKLES BULFINCH,

If the result of the alterations made in Faneuil Hall has
been sometimes criticised as bare and monotonous, at least
there is about it an archaic simplicity of effect which is in
harmony with its traditions.
The lofty spire of the old Christ Church, famous in the
annals of the North End, having been blown down in 1804,

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doing great havoc among the house-roofs beneath it, we
find that in 1807 it was rebuilt from Mr. Bulfinch's designs,
rising to within sixteen feet of the height of the original
(one hundred and ninety-one feet), and adhering to the old
model in its style.
Alluding to this delicacy of feeling when called upon for
restorations, Mr. Willard says : " Bulfinch has fairly earned,
by his respectful treatment of old historical monuments, a
similar treatment of his own buildings."
Next, 1809, — the gaps in our record filled with professional work of which no distinct trace remains to us, — came
the new church in Federal Street, built for Dr. Channing's
society, and, as here the architect made a new departure and
introduced the Gothic style for the first time, a lively interest was excited in the work. It was called the first building
of pure Saxon-Gothic architecture in Boston. The spire,
however, has not been considered a success.
The year 1810 saw the erection of a long row of private
dwelling-houses on " the Common," or what is now Tremont
Street. These extended between West and Mason streets,
where a few of them are still standing, although much
altered in appearance by their adaptation to business purposes. With their fine view of the broad green spaces of
the Common opposite and its lofty trees, these houses were
favorite residences in their day, and, probably from the
columns supporting the balcony along the front, the block
received the name of Colonnade Row.
The court-house for the county of Suffolk was also built
in 1810, of hammered granite, on the lot in School Street
from which the Latin School-house had been removed, and
where the City Hall now stands. It was the traditional site
of the house of Isaac Johnson, the early settler of Boston.
Long familiar to many as " the old Suffolk Court-house," it

^•^

Sr^:
DORIC HALL, STATE HOUSE, BOSTON

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is even more intimately connected with the history of the
city government than with the county, having been for
many years, and during all the latter part of its existence,
the Boston City Hall. The county was provided with new
quarters in 1836; and in 1862, when the present City Hall
was contemplated, the old building was destroyed to make
room for it, as no location so desirable could be found for
the increased accommodations which the growth of the city
required.
From 1812 to 1814 Mr. Bulfinch built another courthouse for the county of Middlesex, which is standing in
East Cambridge to-day. It was enlarged in 1848 by Mr.
Ammi B. Young, architect of the Custom House in Boston,
and has received serious alterations, I am told, since that
date. Although the whole design has the character of his
work, it is now impossible to determine with accuracy what
belongs to the original plan.
At the intersection of Bedford and Summer streets, in
Boston, was a triangular piece of ground to which the
name of Church Green had been very early applied. Here
stood the meeting-house of the New South society, and here
in 1814, when a new structure was desired under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Thacher, Mr. Bulfinch built what
seems to have been universally considered the most beautiful of all his churches.1
Departing from the usual custom, he made the groundplan octagonal, and a portico, with four Doric columns,
1
In Shurtleff's Topographical and Historical Description of Boston occurs this
sentence, following an account of the earliest grant of land to the New South
society : —
" To this religious society the town afterwards gave an additional piece of
land, with a very cautious condition (after the prudent manner of Mr. Bulfinch,
the noted Selectman) ; and upon these lots stood the octagonal stone building
which in the year 1868 was removed for the accommodation of business."

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ornamented the front. The building was of hammered
Chelmsford granite, and it is said to have owed part of its
reputation to its fine masonry. A lofty and graceful spire
crowned the work, rising to one hundred and ninety feet
from the foundation. Every part of the church, within
and without, was in harmony with the beauty and finish of
the design as a whole. The mahogany pulpit has been
described as of remarkable elegance. Soon after the completion of the church a description of it appeared, from
which we quote : " Inside of the house the ceiling is supported by four Ionic columns, connected above their entablature by four arches of moderate elevation ; in the angles
pendentives or fans rise to form a circular flat ceiling,
decorated with a centre flower; between the arches and the
walls are groins springing from the cornice, supported by
Ionic pilasters between the windows. The galleries rest
upon small columns, and are finished in front with balustrades."
There could have been no more lovely situation for a
church in the town, judging from the old descriptions.
The ground was high and level, and commanded in early
times an open view over the beautiful harbor. Summer
Street' was adorned with lofty shade-trees. The church
remained for many years an object of pride to the parish,
and was considered by all who saw it one of the chief architectural ornaments of the city. On the occasion of the
fiftieth anniversary of its dedication, the pastor said in
reviewing that earlier period: " Comparatively speaking,
there was theti no more beautiful, no more costly, no more
appropriately designed and appointed structure within the
limits of the town or of the Commonwealth. Is there one
which, on the whole, surpasses it to-day ? "
The New South Church was taken down in 1868.

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My father has stated that in its internal structure especial
attention was paid to facility of hearing and speaking, on
account of the delicate health of the pastor, Rev. Samuel C.
Thacher. With this view, a flat ceiling was introduced,
instead of the dome, which the form of the building would
have rendered suitable.
University Hall, at Harvard College, was built in 1814,
of hammered stone. It occupies a prominent place in the
middle of the College Yard, standing at the intersection of
the two avenues leading from the main gateways. It contained originally the College Chapel and public tables, or
commons. Many will recall the queer little high gallery of
the old chapel, which I remember seeing used on occasions
when the newer Appleton Chapel was closed for repairs. I
recollect especially an intensely warm summer afternoon
when our beloved Dr. Andrew Peabody preached one of his
noble baccalaureate sermons to the surging crowd of graduates and their friends, the fair young girls in light dresses,
that filled the old Chapel to its utmost capacity. The interior of University Hall has been much altered, although
the end rooms remain as they were; the President's office
is still there; and the original stone staircases may be seen,
supported by the masonry of the walls. The Chapel has
been divided into two stories, and cut up into several rooms.
One of these is now used for Faculty meetings, and the
plan is under consideration of restoring the Chapel to its
old proportions, in order to provide a more spacious hall
for this purpose.
University Hall was originally built with an open colonnade or piazza along its western front.
In 1816, during the pastorate of the Rev. Nathaniel
Thayer at the First Church in Lancaster, Massachusetts,
Mr. Bulfinch built a new brick church for that society,

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which is still standing, and is, I believe, considered to be the
best of his church edifices remaining. Kesembling the old
Cathedral and the New North in having a cupola without a
spire, in this instance made elaborate by a circle of fluted
Ionic columns and festooned drapery, it differs from them
both in the addition of an arcaded portico. The interior is
characterized by much lightness and grace, with an open
balustrade for the gallery front, often a feature of his
interiors.
This church contains also a pulpit which is much admired
and considered a great curiosity, being the only one of the
kind that is known to be existing, except a copy made from
it for the church in Eliot Square, Roxbury. It is reached
only by a staircase ascending outside the auditorium, and
the preacher enters the pulpit through a doorway in the
wall, as if stepping out upon a balcony. The staircase is
now enclosed in a modern vestry.
A year or two later than this, in 1817-18, a brick building, for a combined chapel and library, was built for Andover Theological Seminary; and this brings us to the date
of laying the corner-stone of the Massachusetts General
Hospital, which, with the Somerville Asylum, must be left
for another chapter.
Besides the architectural works enumerated here as belonging to these years, a number of others are known to
have been by Charles Bulfinch, and most of them are included in his own list, given in the appendix. He built the
Boylston Market, taken down not long since; the County
Jail at Cambridge; an almshouse at Salem; enlarged Concert Hall, giving it a new interior; and built the following
banks in Boston : the United States, Massachusetts, Boston,
Mechanics', Union, with a bank building at Salem. Several
insurance offices were built by him in Boston, the Suffolk,

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New England, and Marine, with the interior of the Mutual;
also a grammar school of stone, and two large brick schoolhouses in Boston; a meeting-house of wood at Pittsfield,
now, as I understand, despoiled of its steeple and forming
a part of the Maplewood Hotel; wooden meeting-houses at
Taunton and Weymouth, the former still standing; with a
number of private residences, and probably other works now
unchronicled.
Among the private dwellings Mr. Bulfinch built was a
detached mansion on Mount Vernon Street, just above
Louisburg Square, which may still be seen, and which
shows the same style of ornamentation he used upon the
residences in the old Franklin Crescent.
Perhaps the finest of his private residences in Boston
was the large mansion of the elder Mr. Joseph Coolidge,
which once stood on Bowdoin Street and must have been
an elegant example of his style. He is said to have been
famous for his staircases, and the one here was particularly
handsome. Mr. Bowditch, in his reminiscences, mentions
this mansion and its grounds, saying that they altogether
formed one of the most beautiful residences which existed
in the town.
The mansion designed for Mr. Joseph Barrell, at Charlestown, will be hereafter described.
The position which Charles Bulfinch now filled of chairman of the Board of Selectmen was similar in many respects to that occupied by the mayor of the city. He was
charged with the first responsibility regarding the order,
cleanliness, and economy of the town administration; with
its health and safety; and also with the privilege of representing the town on occasions of state, and receiving its
honored guests.

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It is true that the executive power was divided among
several boards, each claiming independence of the other,
each possessing a qualified control in respect of expenditures, and with their respective authorities somewhat loosely
defined. It is easy to believe, as Mr. Quincy says, that, in
an administration thus constituted, petty jealousies, rivalry,
and collisions were occasionally to be expected.
Of this period of Mr. Bulfinch's life, covering, in all
his relations to the administration of town affairs, between
twenty and thirty years, his son Thomas wrote: —
" It would require a long detail to enumerate the works
of public improvement by which the crooked were made
straight, and the rough places smooth, under his influence,
during this long period of the history of our city. In the
course of these improvements he necessarily was often
brought into collision with individuals whose interests were
to be made to yield to the public exigency. In all instances
these collisions were dealt with in such a mild and reasonable spirit as to allay to a great degree the irritation which
arose, and in many cases to convert into warm friends those
who at first met him in the most hostile spirit.
" H e was always incredulous, it is said, of tales of scandal,
or, if forced to admit the facts, ingenious in explaining them
away, or reconciling them with the innocence, or at least
the ^ood intentions, of the accused."
Another son, Greenleaf, tells us, regarding his father's
connection with the improvements in the town : —
" I t is hard to conceive, in the present narrow and
crowded appearance of the thoroughfares of Boston, that
the work of widening them has been going on since the
beginning of the present century, but many can remember
the time when they were much more incommoded by projecting corners of houses, and other obstructions, than at

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present. . . . I have heard that on one occasion, when the
removal of some protruding building had been ordered,
and a ladder raised to begin the work, the owner appeared
above, armed with a musket, and threatened to shoot the
first who should dare to climb. His object was to frighten
off the workmen ; but Mr. Bulfinch, who probably knew
that the man was not as valiant as he appeared, mounted
the ladder himself, and thus dispelled the terror."
The incident that Mr. Quincy relates of this period, in his
" Municipal History of Boston," may be familiar through
repetition, but ought not to be omitted: —
" No farther attempt to change the town organization
occurred until 1815, when Charles Bulfinch, who had been
chairman of the Board of Selectmen and Superintendent
of Police ever since the year 1800, and two other efficient
members of that board, were not reelected. The circumstance was a subject of very general surprise and regret.
Every elected member of the Board of Selectmen immediately resigned, and on a second trial Mr. Bulfinch and the
other members of the board of the preceding year were
reinstated by decided majorities.
" F e w men," adds Mr. Quincy in a biographical note,
" deserve to be held by the citizens of Boston in more
grateful remembrance than Charles Bulfinch. . . . During
the many years he presided over the town government, he
improved its finances, executed the laws with firmness, and
was distinguished for gentleness and urbanity of manners,
integrity and purity of character."
A new order of things was not, however, far off. The
difficulty of conducting municipal affairs under the form of
town government, with so large a population, became more
and more evident, and four years after Mr. Bulfinch left
the Board of Selectmen we find the first city government
organized, with Mr. John Phillips for mayor.

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The list of Selectmen, as given in the Boston Directory
for 1800, is as follows: Charles Bulfinch, David Tilden,
Russell Sturgis, Joseph Howard, Ebenezer Hancock, William Porter, William Sherburne, John Tileston, Ebenezer
Oliver. The chamber for their meetings was in Faneuil
Hall.
Among my grandfather's papers we have found a copy
of the "By-laws and Orders of the Town of Boston," in
1801, together with sundry rules and regulations of the
Board of Health, and certain laws of the Commonwealth
relating to Town affairs. It is a small pamphlet, in gray
paper covers, and was printed by Manning & Loring,
No. 2 Cornhill. The first page contains an advertisement
signed by Charles Bulfinch, Superintendent of Police, explaining that this collection is printed by order of the town,
and is to be distributed for general information, in order
that no one may plead ignorance in future. As it is the
duty of the subscriber to see these laws properly executed,
he calls upon the grand jurors of the county, the town
officers and constables, and upon the inhabitants at large,
to give information of the breach of any and every one of
them. He engages that " no exertion shall be wanting on
his part, to maintain that good order and government, so
essential to the well-being, the safety and happiness of the
inhabitants of this metropolis."
With the tenor of many of these regulations we are
already familiar through the various reprints of early town
documents in New England. They take us back, as may
be imagined, to quite a different scene and state of affairs
from the Boston of to-day.
It was then considered sufficient, for instance, wThen
drains were opened in the streets, to mark the locality after
dark by a lantern lighted " until midnight."

FAC-SIMILE OF A MAP OF BOSTON IN THE YEAR 1800

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Oystermen were required, when they opened their wares
in any of the streets, lanes, or alleys, to put the shells into
their bag, wheelbarrow, or other vehicle, and carry them off
to places specially appointed by the Selectmen for piling
oyster-shells.
Wood being the only fuel used, we find it ordered that
it shall not be left in the streets after dark; and there are
also laws to prevent fraud in the sale of wood and bark,
with acts regulating the size of charcoal baskets, which
" should be well heaped and also sealed by the sealer of the
town or district."
Whoever should be found guilty of kicking football or
throwing stones or snow-balls in the streets should forfeit
and pay the sum of fifty cents for each offence.
The same penalty was attached to gambling in the
streets, or market-places, or on the wharves; but the one
who fired a gun, except in self-defence, was obliged to pay
the sum of one dollar; and squibs, serpents, or other fireworks required a license, or else entailed a fine of four dollars.
We find the following relating to driving on the Lord's
day: —
" And whereas great dangers and disturbances arise from
chariots, chaises and other carriages on the Lord's day, as
the inhabitants are going to, or returning from, the several
houses of public worship in this town, and also while they
are assembled in them for public worship, being driven with
great rapidity;
" Therefore it is ordered, That no chariot, chaise or other
carriage, shall at such times be driven at a greater rate than
a walk, or moderate foot pace, on penalty of Two Dollars
for each offence, to be paid by the person driving, or if he
be a servant, and unable to pay the same, by the master or
mistress of such servant.

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" And no horse, mare or gelding, shall hereafter be rode,
drove, or led into the Common, or to any pond or any part
of the sea, or to any other usual public place for washing
or watering on the Lord's day; on pain that the rider,
driver or leader thereof shall forfeit and pay the sum of
Two Dollars for every offence."
In addition to the above, we read that it was further
enacted —
" That no owner or driver of any hackney carriage belonging to the town of Boston, shall drive said hackney
carriage into or from said town on the Lord's day, without
first having obtained a certificate of permission from some
Justice of the Peace within said town for himself and each
and every passenger by him so carried, on the pain and
penalty of forfeiting his license for setting up, keeping and
driving said hackney carriage, for the term of three years
next after committing such offence."
The laws to secure the town from damage by fire were,
of course, exceedingly strict: public buildings were required
to be built of stone or brick, with roofs of incombustible
material, and likewise all distilleries and livery stables; while
dwelling-houses were to have one of the largest sides, or
else the two ends, of brick or stone.
Chimney-sweepers were to be licensed and to wear
badges. Their wages were to be fixed from time to time
by the Selectmen, and no inhabitant could pay a higher
rate, or employ any person, excepting his own servant, to
sweep his chimney, other than those who were licensed.
" Lighted segars " were forbidden upon the streets, and
people were prohibited from leaving their pastures or orchards lying open where there might be a well uncovered.
The act for regulating lamps had been passed in 1773,
and was made perpetual in 1797, as stated here. It begins
as follows: —

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" Whereas the enlightening of streets, lanes, alleys and
passage ways in large and populous towns, by lamps hung
up in the night time, is not only ornamental, but very advantageous to all such persons as have occasion to pass in
and through the same about their lawful business, and tend
greatly for the safety and preservation of the inhabitants,
by the discovery and prevention of fires, burglaries, robberies, thefts and other lesser breaches of the Peace: Be it
therefore enacted by the Governor, Council and House
of Representatives," etc.
The orders following relate to the hiring of persons to
set up and care for the lamps: —
" And that whereas many of the inhabitants of the said
town of Boston have, by a generous subscription, raised a
sum of money sufficient for purchasing such a number of
lamps as will be necessary for illuminating the streets, &c.
in that metropolis; and as the destroying or breaking the
same will not only be injurious to the encouragers of so
laudable a design, but to the public in general: Be it
therefore further enacted."
Here follow injunctions against breaking or extinguishing lamps, doing damage to posts, etc.: —
" Every person so offending therein to be tried by any
of his Majesty's Courts of General Sessions of the Peace,
and to pay the sum of Twenty Pounds, for each act of wilful destruction, and if accidentally liable, so much as in the
opinion of the Selectmen should be necessary for repairs."
All the pumps in the town were to be inspected four
times a year by the police, and kept in good condition for
extinguishing a fire.
A number of persons were to be licensed as funeral
porters, the Selectmen fixing their rate of wages; and no
person whatsoever beside should presume to act as a funeral

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porter, or be employed by any inhabitant, nor should such
inhabitant pay more than the appointed rate. The penalty
attached to such violations of the law was four dollars.
The tolling of bells we find also provided for, — not more
than two strokes in a minute, on penalty of a two-dollar
fine.
Among the rules of the Board of Health we notice that
" no fresh fish shall be sold or kept in any stall, fish-box or
other house within the town, except such stall, fish-box or
other house stands over the salt water."
There was then quite a herd of cattle oh the Common,
owned by different proprietors, with " two or more Bulls "
permitted by the town to go at large there all summer.
These alarming occupants must have seriously impaired the
enjoyment of a part of the population in strolling over the
grassy acres.
An act for employing and providing for the poor, passed
in 1735 and confirmed in 1789, begins as follows : —
" Whereas the town of Boston is grown considerably populous, and the idle and poor much increased among them,
and the laws now in force relating to them not so suitable
to the circumstances of the said town, which are different
from those of the other towns in the province, Therefore,"
etc., etc.
The Overseers of the Poor are here appointed, with
workhouse maintenance and inspection, etc., and we read:
" Be it further enacted, That where persons bring up their
children in such gross ignorance, that they do not know,
or are not able to distinguish the alphabet or twenty-four
letters at the age of six years, in such case the Overseers of
the Poor are hereby impowered and directed to put or bind
out into good families, such children, for a decent and
Christian education, as when parents are indigent and rated

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nothing to the public taxes ; unless the children are judged
incapable, through some inevitable infirmity."
A kind human feeling speaks in the law to prohibit forestalling and engrossing of provisions, with which we close
our extracts from these old records : —
" It is hereby ordered, That no huckster or other person
whatsoever dwelling or residing within this town, shall, by
himself or others, buy, contract or bargain for any sort of
grain, meal, butter, fowls, mutton, veal, pork, eggs, or any
other sort of provision, while it is bringing from the
entrance of the town, by any avenue, to the market place,
unless for his or her own family use or consumption, before
two of the clock in the afternoon, on penalty of forfeiting
and paying Five Dollars for every such offence. . . .
" And to the intent to discourage, as far as may be, the
injurious practice, too frequent among butchers and others,
of forestalling the market, by buying up in the country and
on the road to town, poultry and other provisions, in order
to sell and utter them again at advanced prices:
" It is hereby further ordered, That every person offending herein, and convicted of the same, shall never hereafter
be permitted to hire or hold any stand in the market place
in this town.
" And all persons having the least regard to justice and
to the poor inhabitants of this town, are requested to give
information against every such offender to the Selectmen,
that he or she may be brought to condign punishment, and
for which offence the Selectmen are hereby directed vigorously to prosecute every offender, at the court or courts
proper to try the same."
I find the following statement in my grandfather's handwriting concerning the changes and improvements made in
Boston during his administration of its affairs, and in the

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years immediately succeeding.
near 1840 : —

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It was probably written

C. Bulfinch was a junior member of the board of Selectmen from 1789 to 1793; he was Chairman from 1797 to
1818, 21 years, during which time he was Superintendant
of Police, salary $600, till the two last years, when it was
raised to $1,000.
By his exertions a lawr of the State was obtained, giving
power to the Selectmen to widen streets and regulate pavements, another to establish the Municipal Court. — In
consequence of these points
Congress Street was opened at entrance on State Street.
The West end of Court street widened, leadg to Bowdoin
Square.
The lower part of State street and Merchants Row and
Back street widened.
Hanover strfeet and Beacon street, by Gov. Hancock's, —
and High street, do.
Exchange street widened throughout.
New Cornhill opened, leading from Tremont street to
Dock Square.
Part of Avon street widened after a fire.
Charles street laid out and filled over the marsh.
West mall formed and planted.
The Neck lands laid out in streets and squares.
The Mill pond laid out in streets.
South Boston laid into streets.
All streets regulated with sidewalks, wherever new paved.
Faneuil Hall building enlarged to four times its original
size.
Almshouse in Leverett street built.
Stone Court house, now City Hall, built.

SENATE CHAMBER, STATE HOUSE, BOSTON

ARCHITECT

AND CHAIRMAN

OF SELECTMEN

137

Derne street and Belknap street opened, and part of
Batterymarch street.
All these improvements were made by the Town and paid
for, so that when C. B. was invited to Washington, to
rebuild the Capitol, the debt of the Town was only Fourteen thousand dollars.1 Population in 1818, 40,000.
Besides these public improvements, others were made
during the same period by the State and companies of individuals : —
The State house built, from plans of C. B.
West Boston Bridge.
Canal Bridge, so called, from Leverett Street.
Front Street and South Boston bridge.
Boylston market.
Broad street and India wharf.
Central wharf.
The General Hospital from plans by C. B.
Franklin place, Colonnade row, Park street.
The increase of the population and of the wealth of the
Citizens has enabled the City authorities to make improvements on a more extended scale, viz.:
The Quincy market and streets adjacent, new court
house, Jail in Leverett street, almshouse and other buildings
at South Boston.
Tremont street continued over the flats to Roxbury.
Several streets widened.
1

The Auditor's Monthly Report for January 1, 1895, gives the following
figures regarding the debt of the city of Boston at the present time : —
City debt
County debt
Cochituate water debt
Total
being the gross debt, December 31, 1894.
The population in 1890 was 448,477.

$37,210,937.58
3,682,000.00
17,761,273.98
$58,654,211.56

138

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

Portions of Washington, Portland and Friend streets, Elm
street and others.
These undertakings are important improvements and add
to the convenience and beauty of the City, but they have
occasioned a debt of One million, six hundred Thousand
dollars ; the interest of which is more than the whole annual
tax of 1818.
Since the Incorporation of the City the following important improvements have been made by private companies :
The Western Avenue to Brooklyne.
Commercial street with the noble wharfs projecting from
it.
Tremont and several other large Hotels.
The South Cove land, — 3 Railroad depots, Louisbourg
and Pemberton squares.

CHAPTER

VI

MADAM B U L F I N C H S L E T T E R S
1798-1808
Then I saw in my dream, they went very lovingly on together, and had
sweet discourse of all things that had happened to them in their pilgrimage ;
and thus Christian began : " My honoured and well-beloved brother Faithful,
I am glad that I have overtaken you, and that God has so tempered our spirits
that we can walk as companions in this so pleasant a path."
The Pilgrim's Progress.

W E return now to consider Mr. Bulfinch's domestic life during the years
marked by so many changes
in the outward appearance
and development of the
town.
It is not easy to trace
the different homes of the
family through the changes
brought about by their
varying fortunes, and perhaps impossible to determine them with exactness.
The Boston Directory,
published then at irregular
intervals, has been of much
assistance in confirming and filling out the family traditions,
and some help has been found in the occasional contribu-

140

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

tions of old residents to the " Boston Transcript," when the
ever-interesting subject of early families and old mansions
has led them to give their recollections to the public.
These recollections, however, may be sometimes misleading, though they contain so much of value. Writers may
seem to contradict each other's statements when they are
only describing different periods, for the list of residents in
a particular locality, which might be accurate for one date,
would often need to be altered for a date even slightly
earlier or later. Comparing and sifting the different traditions, we can learn at least a few particulars as to Charles
Bulfinch's places of abode.
At the time of his wife's last entry in her note-book,
the household had already made two changes since the
Marlborough or Washington Street days. The first, immediately after their loss of fortune, was to the " small
dwelling," thought to be on Middlecott Street; and the
second was to the friendly home of George and Anna
Storer, where the two families combined to live under one
roof, lessening in this way their expenses, and grateful for
each other's sympathy and society in their narrowed prospects. This house seems to have been on Southac's Court,
the early name for Howard Street, and may have been the
quaint old wooden building with many gables that is
described as standing there, on the corner of Court Street,
and has been associated with the Bulfinch name.
The
Storers had no children of their own, and the little ones in
their brother's family must have been heartily welcomed by
such a delightful friend and companion of childhood as
their dear " Uncle Storer," whose praises have been told to
this day, with many delightful anecdotes, by those who were
fortunate enough to know him in their early years.
Referring again to the journal, we find the following
entries: —

MADAM

BULFINCH'S

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141

" January 5th, 1799.
On this day was born another
son, who was permitted to remain with us but eight weeks
when a severe illness of the same kind which was fatal to
his little brothers seiz'd him, and on the 3rd day of March
remov'd him to that state where sorrows cannot come and
where the weary are at rest. As we advance in life all
pleasures unconnected with our families are insipid. These
are in proportion more valuable, our children are dearer,
their loss sinks deeper on the mind, yet I will still submit
as well as I can to the dispensations of providence. The
former wounds are opened; 5 will assuage their smart by
the healing aids of reason and religion. I am now rich in
three fine children. How many are without even one!
For the last two years retir'd from the gay world, we have
liv'd to ourselves and our dearest connections. Calm,
serene days of social and domestic employment have not
been interrupted till this event. . . . Few people even in
prosperity have enjoy'd more real happiness than wTe in our
little circle. We therefore must not repine. . . .
" While attending my poor infant, who lay dangerously
sick, on the first day of March, at the chill hour of daybreak, when he had fallen into a peaceful slumber, my
pencil almost involuntarily traced the following lines: —
Ah cold, ungentle, early Spring,
Blast not my little tender flower ;
Thy genial influence hither bring
And banish winter's unpropitious power.
Chilled by the rigors of this sterner reign,
Assume thy smiles, my blossom blooms again.

Alas! Spring regarded not my invocation, for
Cold was the morn, my infant boy
Still languish'd in his mother's arms,
Sorrow usurp'd the place of joy
And fill'd my fond heart with its sad alarms.

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BULFINCH,

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In vain I call'd the genial breath of Spring,
Death aim'd its baneful shaft, and left its keenest sting.

" August 10th, 1799. Left the hospitable mansion of
our dear Brother and Sister Storer to occupy a small neat
house in their neighborhood, Providence so far favouring
the industry of my Husband as to enable us to support our
family separately."
This removal is thought to have been to Middlecott
Street again, but their tarry here was of short duration, for
her husband's brightening prospects enabled him very soon
to establish his family more permanently. Bulfinch Street
was laid out soon after the building of the State House,
and received its name perhaps partly in honor of the architect as well as from its marking the old boundary of his
family estate. Bulfinch Place connected it then, as it does
to-day, with Middlecott, the present Bowdoin Street, and
here on Bulfinch Place Mr. Bulfinch built the house which
for a number of years was the family home. It is described
as a large brick house, painted white, with a very handsome
spiral staircase and a good-sized garden in the rear. It is
believed to have been the one afterwards owned by the
Waterston family, and enlarged into the apartment house
now called by that name. Although part of the garden
was taken for the extension of the building, one of the old
mulberry trees that used to be there still remains. This
house was their home from 1800 to 1815, and following
Mr. Bulfinch's name in the Directory appear the words,
" Superintendant of police."
Allusion is made to their new home in the following
entry: —
" J a n . 23, 1800. . . . At last we find ourselves established in a comfortable house, with a moderate income, in
which state we hope to remain for several years, as the

MADAM

BULFINCH'S

LETTERS

143

house is agreed for, and we have every reason to expect a
resting place at least for that time.
" My dear Sister and her Husband [have] settled in the
eastern country, after having suffer'd from loss of children
and fortune more than myself."
A seventh son was born this year, who was named for
her husband's good and faithful friend, George Storer.
The following note to Mr. Bulfinch from President
Jefferson, introducing a young Southern friend, belongs to
this time : —
WASHINGTON, July 1, 1802.

SIR, — The bearer hereof, Mr. Mills, a native of South
Carolina, has passed some years at this place as a student in
architecture. He is now setting out on a journey through
the states to see what is worth seeing in that line in each
state. He will visit Boston with the same view, and
knowing your taste for the art, I take the liberty of recommending him to your notice, and of asking for him
whatever information on the subject may be useful to his
views while in Boston.
Accept assurances of my esteem and respect.
TH.

JEFFERSON.

The year 1802 was marked by the death of the architect's father, Dr. Thomas Bulfinch, who had for some two
years past been in feeble health and withdrawn from the
active life of his profession. Tradition says that he was
found dead, as peaceful as if asleep, in the same large oldfashioned armchair where Madam Grizzell Apthorp, his
wife's mother, had also breathed her last.
An interesting sermon in manuscript remains, preached
on the death of Dr. Bulfinch, from the text, " The beloved
physician," evidently by Dr. Freeman, at the King's Chapel,

144

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

although the name of the writer is not attached. Recognizing the universal wish to be beloved, the writer considers
the chief causes from which affection springs, with especial
reference to the character of the good physician. He
describes the noble and wise traits of the ideal physician,
who is broad in culture, gentle in manner, and " enters the
chamber of the sick like the angel of health, with a smile of
benignity on his countenance," these several features being
taken, as he says, from the friend who has gone, and he
dwells particularly upon the sweetness and mildness of his
temper. " In conversing with him we were under no
apprehension of being hurt with severe remarks or harsh
speeches." This trait is not confined to polished circles,
and may exist in a forest as well as in a city; "when,
however, it is graced with that courtesy which is the effect
of a liberal education and frequent intercourse with refined
society, it becomes still more lovely."
Dr. Bulfinch's widow continued until her death, thirteen
years later, an inmate of her youngest daughter's family at
the old homestead, where she evidently received not only
the honor due as a matter of course to her age and position, but a remarkable degree of attention from Mr.
Coolidge and his household.
Her daughter Elizabeth
admired and reverenced her mother's strong qualities of
mind and heart, and was her devoted companion. As a
young girl, Charles had called her " a charming scribe for
mamma," and now, when advancing years impaired the
latter's eyesight, she became her amanuensis again, and
often preserved for herself and her brother and sister
copies of their mother's letters.
We owe much to this affectionate habit, for it is in this
way that we can now enter, as it were, the door of the
mansion in Bowdoin Square, and become acquainted in

MADAM

BULFINCITS

LETTERS

145

some degree with the life of the family, also catching a
glimpse of Charles Bulfinch's occupations and contemporary events in the town.
A small water-color portrait of Madam Bulfinch gives us
an idea of her appearance at this time. She has & petite
erect figure, and wears a high, white cap with mourning
band. Her countenance is seen in profile. It bears a mild
expression, but there is much character in the delicately cut
features, and a certain charm in the slightly retrousse nose.
The first letter we have from her belongs to the year
1803, when she opened a correspondence with her brother,
Dr. East Apthorp, and some of the other relations in
England. Dr. Apthorp, well known in the early history
of the Episcopal Church in New England, had retired
from his charge as the first rector of Christ Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, probably — being a man of peace —
on account of the belligerent attitude of the Puritan clergy
around him, and had taken up his abode in England, where
he filled the offices of vicar of Croydon and rector of St.
Mary-le-bone and St. Pancras in London, with other
rectories attached. He became prebend of Finsbury, and
in later life retired wholly to Cambridge, where he had
formerly lived as student and fellow of Jesus College.
Here he was now passing his old age, cheered by the
attentions of his wife and daughters and his own " happy
and gladsome cast of piety," but suffering from the same
affliction as his sister, — a partial loss of sight. An early
letter from him is preserved, in which he addresses her as
his " dear Sukey," and without doubt letters had from time
to time been exchanged by the two.
The little English orphans will also be remembered,
whom John Apthorp had left behind when he returned to
his native land. They occasionally appear in the family

146

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

chronicles, at first as writing childish letters to their dear
papa, and later as sending across the Atlantic a wedding
gift to their half sister Hannah, — an illustrated Bible,
in four volumes. It is to these nieces, known as Mrs.
Wheelright and Mrs. Sarah Apthorp, that Madam Bulfinch
addresses part of her correspondence, which also includes
a few letters to Dr. Apthorp's daughters and one to her
brother Thomas. Very few of these have dates, but we
can conjecture the time with some accuracy from the
allusions they contain.
TO DR. APTHORP.
[1803.]

— It is long, very long since I have
receiv'd a line from you. Your last gave me an account
of the death of our dear Sister Bayard, which I answer'd
by the first opportunity. Some time after, I had to mourn
the death of a much nearer and dearer relation in the
Husband and friend; but as he had long suffer'd much
sickness and debility, and his moral conduct and religious
principles were such as to lead us to hope he is happy,
myself and children have endeavor'd to support the loss
with calm resignation to the will of Heaven. I desir'd my
Son to give you an early account of his sickness and death,
since which I have heard nothing from you. I think, had
you receiv'd that letter, I should have had comfort and
consolation from your pen. I am myself drawing fast
towards the close of life, which I look forward to with
anxious fear, not without a hope of a blessed immortalityMy health is as good as I could expect, considering the
constitutional weakness I have been always subject to. My
situation is as it was when I wrote you last. I am in the
mansion house with my youngest daughter. I look from
M Y DEAR BROTHER,

MADAM

BULFINCH'S

LETTERS

147

the window upon the houses of my other two children; they
call to see me every day, and when the weather is very fine
and my limbs will permit, I visit them in return. My Son,
tho' he has been unfortunate, is much respected; he is
president of the Selectmen, for which he receives a small
salary. That, with his employments in the architectural
line, enables him to support a very excellent wife and five
children, tho' with economy, yet in a very pretty style.
My daughter Storer is living genteely. She has an affectionate husband, they are perfectly happy together; they
have no children of their own, but have at present with
them a widow Sister of Mr. Storer's that has one child.
I hear three of your Children are happily married. I
hope they have children and you see them frequently.
Great part of the pleasure of my life is deriv'd from three
little creatures we have at home. The eldest of them, a
girl about six, is particularly pleasing; when the school
hours are over, she reads, she sews, she knits, she chats
with her Grandmama, and often asks questions which I
find myself unable to answer. She is fair, has fine blue
eyes, a pretty mouth and a lovely dimple in her right
cheek. Now, my dear Brother, I have brought you home
among us by giving you an account of my own immediate
concerns. Indeed, I have no others, for, except going to
see my children and occasionally to church, I never leave
home, therefore know not anything that is passing abroad.
As a people we are bless'd with health, peace and plenty.
Make my most affectionate regards to Mrs. Apthorp, and
your young folks; if any of them can find leisure and inclination to indulge me with a few lines respecting yourself
and family situation, I shall be much gratified. I wish
also to have some account of my Brother Thomas and his
family, Major B. and his family, people that I once knew

148

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

and dearly loved, but of whom I hear nothing more now
than if they were of another world. Christmas draws near.
I wish you all the tranquil pleasures which that season
generally brings with it, also a happy New Year, the time I
suppose when the children and grandchildren assemble
around you. I should admire to make one of the interesting party.
I have nothing more to add, but repeat my good wishes
to yourself and Mrs. A. I am, with esteem and friendship,
your and her Affectionate Sister.
Let me know particularly how your sight is now.
TO MR. WHEELWRIGHT.

— I should be exceedingly obliged if you
will forward the enclos'd to my Brother, Dr. Apthorp, as I
have written him several times, but not receiving an answer,
rather suppose my letters have not reached him.
My best love to Mrs. W. and her young family. If
either of them could find leisure to give me an account of
her own health and their improvements (even their names
and ages) it would be highly interesting and gratifying to
your Affectionate Aunt.
M Y DEAR S I R ,

TO MRS. WHEELWRIGHT.

[1804.]

— I take the earliest opportunity to
thank you for your charming letter, in which you so kindly
introduce me to every branch of your family, and rejoice
with you that your health is such that you can, not only
superintend their education, but attend them in their first
entrance into life, as in my opinion the mother is the most
suitable person, and the mutual affection and confidence
that subsists between Mother and Child must be such as to
M Y DEAR N I E C E ,

MADAM

BULFINCH'S

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149

render them always happy in the company of each other.
I have the pleasure to inform you your Sisters are well and
happy. Their Education were so good and their minds so
well form'd that they have been enabled to bear every
change of life with a dignity and cheerfulness that makes
them much respected and beloved. Sister H. is remarkably
pleasant. She has good health and is very active, bringing
up a fine family of children, five in number. The eldest is
a girl of fifteen years old and begins .to be very useful to
her mother. Frances has spent the winter with her sister.
She is of a mild, retir'd disposition, but enjoys life notwithstanding her disappointments. She has two children. The
youngest, a very sweet little girl, is with her. However,
they are able to give you a better account of themselves
than I can do.
I hear your good Gentleman is in the Military line. I
hope he has not been call'd into action, as I suppose long
before this your hopes or fears have been realiz'd. We
are quiet and happy, and talk of war as a thing at a distance, therefore without any apprehensions for ourselves,
but interested for our friends concern'd. Our papers are
fill'd with Buonaparte's intentions and exploits. Whether
he will or will not invade England is still with us a doubtful
point.
He has a Brother upon the Continent that has
married a very fine young woman at the Southward, far
distant from us. I hope they will remain there, as they
affect French manners which we, in our part of the world,
are very little accustom'd to. Whether he has come as an
inhabitant, or only to reconnoitre the country, we know not.
Perhaps it may depend upon the success of his Brother.
My health is tolerable, perhaps as good as I ought to
expect it to be at my time of life. My next birthday will
bring round my seventieth year.

150

CHARLES

BVLFINCH,

ARCHITECT

TO DR, APTHORP.

[1804.]

— Another letter from my Sister,
you will say, and perhaps be surpriz'd at receiving it so
soon, but I was so truly gratify'd by the pleasing information yours contain'd, of your being all well and happy, that
I determin'd to acknowledge it by the very earliest opportunity. The correspondence I have so lately renew'd I am
determin'd shall not be dropp'd on my side, while I am
able to dictate, as I have two daughters, either of whom
are ready to write for me. You have a number able, and
I will suppose quite willing to oblige me in return. My
life, tho' as comfortable as I could expect it to be, admits
of but little variety. You cannot imagine how delighted I
am with accounts of the few friends I have at a distance.
I have nothing new to inform you of. The whole conversation here is about Buonaparte and the invasion of England, which we flatter ourselves tho' he may attempt, he
will never be able to accomplish.
M Y DEAR BROTHER,

I hope your situation renders you secure even from any
fears upon the subject. We remain in the enjoyment of
health, peace and plenty, and the Town of Boston is so
grown you would scarce know it for your native place;
almost every spot of land is cover'd with brick buildings,
and the paved streets and hackney coaches make us very
noisy. The old mansion house in State Street is converted
into a Bank, the outside handsomely ornamented. A large
and elegant State house is built near the Common, both the
building and situation are the admiration of strangers.
The old TowTn house, neatly fitted up and divided into
Shops and Stores, where [are] all the varieties of Manufactures from different parts of the world, to draw the attention of the Young and the gay. We have a spacious Alms

Susan Apthorp Bulfinch {mother of Charles Bulfinch)

MADAM

BULFINCH'S

LETTERS

151

house, built at New Boston, which you will recollect by the
name of Barton's point, the old Alms house taken down,
and a number of handsome houses placed upon the land.
The Common still remains free, and we hope always will,
as we really begin to be crowded. The three Churches
remain as they were; several new Meeting houses are just
completed at the North End. On the Spot where [stood]
old Dr. Eliott's store, his son, a very worthy Man, supplies
his place. I have given you a description of things here.
Our families are as when I wrote last. Your letter gives
me a most charming idea of yours; every one that has
the pleasure of knowing them with whom wTe have been
acquainted, give us most pleasing accounts of the economy
and government of it. Our old friend Mr. H. Lloyd of
respectable Memory, once said, in describing it to me, the
happy chearfulness that reign'd throughout made him feel
when visiting you as if he was in Paradise. Your good
Lady must not charge me with flattery. I only repeat
what I have heard others say. I hope she enjoys health,
and that her little daughter will be spar'd to be long a
comfort to her. The delicate little painting of Menelaus
and Paris we were much pleas'd with.
My eldest granddaughter Susan B. has made some
attempts, under her mother's inspection. If she is not too
diffident, I shall prevail on her to give me some trifle to
enclose. Her Cousins must consider it as the production
of a Child. She is untaught, but I wish to return something to show how much I admire the performance and
attention of my Niece.
From my Sister's pen I cannot expect to be favor'd, as
she must have many Avocations, but when either of my
Nieces have leisure to let me know how you all are, they
will gratify me by a few lines. My sincerest love, &c. &c.

152

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

TO MRS. WHEELWRIGHT.

[1804.]

— It gives me pleasure by your letters and every other account, to find how very pleasing
your situation in life is. The kind attentions of a good
Husband and the dutiful affection of such Children to a
person of your domestic turn must be a source of the
greatest happiness and comfort. Your precaution in leaving a letter prepar'd lest a vessel should sail before your
return from your excursion is a trait of Character so congenial with my own that I cannot but admire it. I am
now writing the 10th of October, tho' uncertain when an
opportunity may offer, as my time of life and state of
health does not admit any delay, and it has always been a
rule with me never to burden to-morrow with more than its
necessary business.
Our little folks are in the country, about seven miles
from town, and as the weather in general has been cool
and pleasant, I have often visited them. We go over the
Neck, and return by W. B. bridge, which makes the whole
ride twelve miles. The variety of the country is beautiful,
the roads are good, and the exercise I believe has in a great
measure contributed to keep me as well as I am. My
daughter S., who has very delicate health, has pass'd two
months in M. in Connecticut, about 120 miles from B. To
me it appears as a great distance, but as there are regular
stages, and we have it in our power to exchange letters
twice a week, and hope her health may be benefitted, I
reconcile myself to the separation. Our summer has been
healthy and fruitful, you may judge how much so when I
assure you the common market price of very fine peaches
has been nine pence the 1 peck; all other fruits and variety
of vegetables, each excellent of their kind, have been sold
M Y DEAR N I E C E ,

MADAM

BULFINCH'S

LETTERS

153

equally low. The poorest people among us get their full
proportion of each. This is the season of plenty, and the
Markets tempt us to be profuse in our entertainments.
Indeed I may say, peace and plenty still remain in our
borders.
We have melancholy accounts of storms in different parts
of the Continent, and just now we have a tremendous
one here. It commenc'd yesterday morning, and now, at
12 o'clk, it seems to be abating. Steeples of churches are
blown off to a considerable distance, large trees torn up by
the roots, of which we have a specimen in our own garden.
We have one at least nine inches in diameter, and suppos'd
fifty feet in length, lying prostrate, and one fine large
weeping willow, not finding room eno' to spread itself on
the ground, has fallen against the house, but done no other
damage than breaking a few windows. (The trunk of this
tree measures at least five feet diameter.) I have reach'd
my seventieth year and do not recollect any storm equal
to the present. I mention, my dear Niece, these little
domestic occurrences, as it seems to bring us together. . . .
TO DR. APTHORP.
[Nov. 1804.]
M Y DEAR BROTHER, — I was much gratified by the
pleasing accounts of your health and situation, contain'd
in your last letter, and of the agreeable plan of a garden
then in Contemplation, and I hope by this time executed.
I suppose gardens with you are pleasure grounds, laid out
for walking. I wish you may long enjoy the Air and
exercise it will afford you.
For want of a better subject, and as you seem'd pleas'd
with my description of Boston, I will endeavor to give
you some idea of the additions to it. As our dear little

154

CHARLES

BULFIJSTCH,

ARCHITECT

Children have pass'd the summer in the country, I have
had frequent opportunities of noticing the improvements
making in different directions; so many houses have been
built upon the Neck, and the Middle well paved, it has
now more the appearance of town than country. The
remaining lands are judiciously laid out for handsome
streets and house lots, which are sold upon condition the
purchasers build within three years from the time of sale.
Dorchester point and heights are annexed to the Town by
a late act of the legislature, a bridge uniting them is nearly
completed. It is to be called South Boston, and will afford
many delightful situations, commanding an extensive prospect, and will also be an accommodation to men of business.
You undoubtedly know from the North we have a bridge
leading to Charlestown, which is a well settled town. A
State prison, or penitentiary house, is now erecting there,
of large hammer'd Stone. It is divided into solitary cells,
lighted by small apertures in the wall, each cell just large
eno' to contain a Bed, a small table and chair. I have
been in one of them, and suppose a few hours in the day a
person might read in them. The door is of Iron, and
fastens upon the outside with a strong bolt. The convicts
are to be conducted by their keeper to the work shop
nearly opposite the prison, where they are to be fully
employed through the day and return to the cell at night.
What a melancholy reflection that human Nature should
require such restraints, but it is a fact that one of the
Labourers employ'd upon the building was convicted of
an attempt to forge a lottery-ticket that had drawn the
highest prize. Forging, with us, is not a capital crime,
therefore it is probable he will be the first person confin'd
within its dreary walls, there leisurely to reflect upon his
own folly.

MADAM

BULFINCH'S

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155

At West B. the improvements have been very rapid.
From the point where the old pest-house stood to Mr.
Inman's farm a very handsome bridge has been built,
which brings the Colleges within four miles of us. There
are many new buildings in Cambridge. They are erecting
a new College/ the Students are so numerous as to make it
necessary. There are more than two hundred in number.
The government of the College is very respectable, but it
has lately met with a great loss in the death of President
Willard, who was exactly calculated to fill that important
place, a man of great learning and piety, and of such
sweetness of temper as to conciliate the affections of the
Young persons under his care. In the Library room are
fourteen thousand volumes, well chosen and handsomely
bound; a Librarian constantly attends to show them to
strangers. The philosophical room and museum are well
supplied. It will give you pleasure to know the Church 2 is
in good repair and open; upon the Sunday a very worthy
young Gentleman officiates as a reader. He is not yet in
orders. The congregation is not large, but they are respectable people.
The ninth of October completed my seventieth year. In
so long a life there is much of sin, much of folly, to be
lamented. I wish I could look forward to the last hour
with the serenity that you seem to do; tho' I have not
attain'd that yet, I do hope that Mercy will finally triumph
over justice, and that we may be permitted to meet hereafter in the regions of Bliss and Immortality. As the
effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,
I wish to be remembered in yours. . . .
1

Stoughton Hall.

2

Christ Church.

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BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

TO HER NIECES.
M Y DEAR YOUNG L A D I E S , — I suppose that you are so
perfectly united, that a few lines address'd to both will
be quite as agreeable as separate letters. I am to thank
you, my dear Sarah Ann, for your beautiful Sketch of the
outside of your Uncle's house, and the minute and very
acceptable description of the Interior. It makes me more
acquainted with the situation than any account I have ever
received. I should like, under your guidance, to walk from
room to room, and to sit down for a short time in the one
appropriated to writing and drawing, there to admire our
young cousin's productions. I contemplate the view of the
house and gardens with much pleasure, and feel oblig'd to
your Mama for the kind thought, and extremely so to yourself for your ready acquiescence. . . .
You, my dear Henrietta, will accept my thanks for the
beautiful shell. Your cousin Susan intends copying it.
She is so abash'd when she hears the compliments paid to
her rose-bud, and does not seem, since she has seen your
productions, dispos'd to favour me with any more of hers.
I have still so great a partiality for young people that I wish
to be acquainted with every one of your family circle.
Girls with us are very scarce. Among all my Grandchildren
I have but two, and I find myself dispos'd to love them
almost too well.
TO DR. APTHORP.

. . . I was prevail'd on, the last
winter, to be present at an ordination, the first thing of
the kind I had ever seen. Mr. B. [Buckminster] was the
person ordain'd for the ministry, a young Gentleman that,
like yourself, seem'd born for that profession and will,
MY DEAR B R O T H E R , —

MADAM

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without doubt, prove an ornament to it. His time of life
under twenty, and a most pleasing countenance, interested
every one in his favour. The exercises of the day were
conducted with great solemnity, the sermon preach'd by
his Father, who is venerated for his piety and admir'd for
his talents. I should have observ'd, it was at the church
in Brattle Square, of which the celebrated Dr. Cooper was
minister when you was here. It has been rebuilt since that
time and accommodates a very respectable and numerous
congregation. We were invited to pass the Afternoon at
Deacon Storer's, who is connected with my family by the
marriage of his Son with my daughter. The good old
Gentleman highly enjoyed the day, and the company of the
two Mr. Buckminsters, who pass'd an hour with us in the
evening, greatly added to the pleasure of the party.
TO DR. APTHORP.

[Spring, 1806.]
M Y EVER DEAR B R O T H E R , — Having just heard the
Galen is to sail immediately, I cannot forbear acknowledging your very good letter. . . . Your extract from Bishop
Patrick I have frequently read, and hope to make it my
own, but I think it must be an exalted degree of Piety that
will enable us to overcome the fear of Death and our apprehensions of what the future state of existence may be.
When I last [wrote] you I little expected to have introduc'd the young Clergyman to your notice. His early and
close application to study has so much impair'd (I hope not
destroy'd) his health as to demand immediate attention.
His case does not require medical aid so much as total
relaxation from parochial duties. He has a large congregation who have kindly allow'd him a year's absence, in hopes
that the voyage, and journeys he may be enabled to take,

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BULFINCH,

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will restore his health. He bears a most excellent Character
and is celebrated as a young man of the first talents for his
profession. I have not much personal acquaintance with
him, but as he call'd upon me and earnestly requested a
letter to my Eeverend Brother, I thought I could not refuse him an introduction to your amiable and charming
family. If he should be long enough in Cambridge, and
it is consistent with your feelings to admit him to one of
those delightful family meetings you describe, it will be
the utmost I can expect or desire. I hope any civilities
you may kindly show him will not give trouble to my good
Sister or any of your family. I would just hint to the
younger Ladies to take care of their hearts, as it is much
the fashion to be in love with him here. You know in
this Country we have a great partiality for the Gentlemen
of the Clergy, and particularly for one so young and so
interesting. . . .
I have had a very sick winter and been unable to go to
Church or visit my Children for four months past, but as
the Spring is coming on I think the genial warmth of the
Sun will again invigorate my old limbs, and permit me to
enjoy the many comforts I have still remaining.
. . . My Son is much engag'd in public business but
contrives to see me every day. He usually calls about one
o'clk with my Son, Mr. Storer, and when my third Son, Mr.
C. is at home, we settle the affairs of the Nation, and feel
ourselves quite politicians; however at least we are chearful
together, and it is the principal variety I have.
TO MR. THOMAS APTHORP.

[Summer or autumn, 1806.]
M Y DEAR BROTHER, — The readiness with which I acknowledge the receipt of your unexpected, tho' highly

MADAM

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valued favour of the 1st March, which was handed me late
in June, will doubtless convince you of the pleasure it
afforded me. The style is expressive of good health, and
as much happiness as we any of us have a right to expect
in our present state of existence. My situation and domestic affairs you seem to be acquainted with through our
Brother, Dr. Apthorp. . . .
There have been what is generally call'd very great improvements in the town, but to me who love quiet, the
numbers of avenues to the town and the streets within it,
have made it so noisy, and particularly the west end of it,
that it has lost its greatest charm. The buildings are continu'd so far that you must ride many miles before you can
arrive at the country in any direction. We still have the
Common and Mall, near which is a very superb State house
and several elegant brick dwelling houses, so situated as to
have a commanding view of that delightful spot, where the
variety of trees, grass and distant viewT of the water, each
contributes to the beauty of the whole, and the dear little
Children walking in the Mall and cows feeding on the
grass, animate and give an interest to the observer. You
mention Major B.'s family. When you favour me again
with a continuation of our Correspondence I should like to
have an account of both his and Mr. L.'s families. I wish
to know who are taken and who are left. I still remember
them with grateful Affection. We read your letter in the
dining parlour and felt particularly acquainted with the
Ponsonby family, from having a tinted engraving of the
dwelling of those Ladies who wisely preferred the society
of each other in their romantic spot, to the more brilliant
prospects that no doubt were offer'd them. We read their
history the last Summer, but did not then suspect how
nearly we were connected. The pleasing idea you gave us

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of your amiable companion makes us feel an interest in all
her connections.
Now, my dear Brother, I will attempt to give you some
account, but by no means a description, of the most stupendous sight we poor mortals are allow'd to see, a total eclipse
of the Sun, which took place the 16th of June, more apparent to us, the inhabitants of Boston, than those of any
other part of the Globe. It wras progressing an hour,
during which we watch'd it with Smoak'd glasses. Total
darkness, three minutes and a half, when many stars were
perfectly brilliant, particularly in the West. It was truly
sublime and magnificent, notwithstanding the chill, which
equall'd that of night. Myself and children assembled
in the yard, as we wish'd to observe it in every stage of
its progress, which wre could with common window glass,
smoak'd in different degrees. My little Grandchildren
were at their Aunt Storer's, of whom they are very fond,
each accommodated with a glass, their countenances quite
philosophic, their minds fully engag'd, and their noses partaking of the smoak in contact with them. When the
darkness was evident, but not total, the effect upon Animal
nature was wonderful. The pigeons precipitately flew to
their homes, the little birds, of which we have many nests
in our trees, ceas'd to sing, and the more domestic animals
compos'd themselves for the night, and when the Glorious
Luminary again broke forth, with his refulgent brightness,
they each in their several ways hail'd the return of day
with animated joy. Indeed, it was so stupendous a sight,
it was worth living seventy years to see, and now if I was
as good as old Simeon I should be apt to say, " Lord, now
lettest Thou Thy Servant depart in peace." I must refer
you to a paper in the Ninth vol. of the Spectator, giving an
account of a similar occurrence (90 years past), but instead

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161

of those fears there mention'd, our sentiments were reverence, wonder and delight. It is impossible to begin upon
any other subject; therefore I must conclude with wishing,
whenever you and your Amiable Wife are summon'd from
your charming residence on Sion's Hill, you may be receiv'd
into the Heavenly Jerusalem, where we hope to see greater
things than these.
By a young gentleman of B. we had a calculation of the
Eclipse here, publish'd in a pamphlet previous to its appearance, and it was critically exact, even to a moment of time.
I shall be happy to forward it to you, if in my power.
Whenever you or my dear Sister can favour me with a few
lines, they will be gratefully receiv'd by your affectionate
friend.
TO MRS. EAST APTHORP.

Oct. 5th, 1807.
M Y DEAR SISTER, — I had mucli pleasure by receiving
your kind letter by Mr. Buckminster. I feel gratified by
your cordial reception and repeated attentions to him. He
expresses himself highly delighted, and assures me three of
the pleasantest days of his life were pass'd at Cambridge.
Of my Brother he speaks with enthusiasm, even his erect
figure and expressive countenance greatly interested him,
and much more the chearf ul piety of his heart and the valuable acquirements of his mind. He address'd himself to
me, saying " he is as upright as yourself, Madam." I feel
pleas'd with any resemblance, and wish in every respect I
were more similar to him. If, without giving you trouble,
a profile of that countenance, with one of your own, could
be enclos'd me in a letter, I should highly value the favour,
but would by no means request anything which could be
productive of inconvenience to yourself or either of the
Young Ladies, to one of whom I must undoubtedly be

162

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BULFINCH,

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oblig'd for it. I mean only a white shade, taken by candle
light on the wall. Perhaps I ought to say with us they are
done with ease. My eldest daughter has a taste for painting and drawing and has oblig'd many of our friends in
this way. She has reduc'd profiles of her Father, whose
features were belov'd, but whom we never could prevail on
to sit for a picture while living. I seldom take the liberty
of introducing Strangers to my friends at a distance, fearing it will give them trouble, but in this instance I cannot
regret it. The Young Gentlemen are in raptures. (Mr.
Thacher I know only by name.)
TO MISS APTHORP.

I thank you, my dear Niece, for so obligingly continuing
your Mama's letter. Her animated description of the splendid day made me a partaker in the gay scenes. It must
have been doubly pleasing to my young friends that their
arrival at the seat of Science and Literature was at a time
of such general hilarity, in addition to the tranquil enjoyments of your family circle. With both the public and
private scenes Mr. B. expresses the utmost delight, but
more particularly dwells on the Sacred Music, which elevates the mind as it delights the sense. . . .
The enclos'd butterfly I send, not as an elegant painting,
but to show the size and brilliancy. It is an exact copy
from nature.
TO DR. APTHORP.

[1807-8.]

— . . . Our President has thought
fit to lay an embargo upon all vessels outward bound. All
who are dispos'd to come in with good cargoes and return
in ballast we suppose may be well receiv'd, tho' it is generally
allow'd we are so well supplied with all foreign articles that
M Y DEAR BROTHER,

MADAM BVLFINCH'S

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163

we cannot feel any inconvenience from this measure for
many years, tho' upon this subject, like all political ones,
opinions vary and parties are strong on both sides. . . .

S. B.
TO DR. AND MRS. APTHORP.
[1808.]
M Y DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER, — Excuse my addressing you both upon one sheet, as my Nephew C. W. A. has
called to inform me he shall depart immediately for New
York to take passage in the packet for England; pressing
business obliges him to leave his family for some time, and
our embargo prevents sailing from hence. . . . I hope it
will not be long before a free communication will be again
allow'd between G. B. and U. S. In the course of the
next year the period for choosing a President of the Union
will return. Whether Mr. J., who now declines being consider'd a Candidate, will change his mind, (not improbable)
or a new one be elected to the important office, we cannot
decide, but our hopes are in favour of one not actuated by
the same partialities and prejudices. If the moderation of
your Government should continue and our rulers duly appreciate the blessings of peace, all may yet be well. We trust
an over ruling Providence that looks through the affairs.of
men will still continue that blessing to us.

j
i

4-

CHAPTER
H O M E L I F E AKD

VII
ANXIETIES

1808-1815
The W a y to Heaven is set with Briars and Thorns ; and they, who arrive
at the Kingdom, travel over craggy Rocks and comfortless Deserts.
THOMAS A KEMPIS.

IT is near this time that we begin, through the recollections of Charles Bulfinch's children of their early home, to
catch some glimpses of what passed there from a still closer
point of view.
In this way we learn of the faithful servant woman,
quite a character in her way, " Ma'am Pollard," and her
daughter and assistant, Eliza; of the great cat, named Slug,
that the boys petted and teased; and of the four silver cups
from which all the family drank at table. In later life the
older children could easily recall the Sunday visits to their

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165

grandmother in Bowdoin Square, when they were expected,
very much to their dread and confusion, to repeat a hymn
to her.
But there were also more cheerful recollections, of stopping to call on the old lady after school and getting a piece
of cake; of playing, too, in the large old garden, where stood
the famous great pear-tree, the finest the neighborhood
could boast, and reminding one more of some huge maple.
Here, too, were lilies of the valley, and roses, of which the
grandmother writes, with many other flowers, and borders
of the fragrant box.
One of the older sons, my Uncle Francis, has told of
going with his father in a carriage, accompanied by Bishop
Cheverus, on the occasion of a school visitation, and also
of his spending some time, when a lad, in writing ballots for
the voters to use on election day.
Another of the stories takes us back into the midst
of the family of schoolboys, and shows us the naughty
Thomas resisting his mother's entreaties, commands, and
finally coercion, until his sister Susan has to come to the
rescue, and the united strength of both is required to master the culprit. We can easily picture to ourselves the
sturdy boy, rosy-cheeked and black-eyed, the very image of
defiance; but to those who remember the dignified presence,
the sweet urbanity, of the author of the " Age of Fable," it
seems very amusing.
One of the children — and it was very likely Thomas, too
— composed these lines, on the model of " Draw the Sword,
Scotland," that light up the scene for us, and sound as if
boys could be clamorous even in those dignified days: —
" Come in to dinner, dinner, dinner,
Up from the kitchen has pass'd the roast meat.
Eliza is calling, calling, calling,

166

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

Who heeds not her call will have nothing to eat.
The potatoes are peeling, peeling, peeling,
The potatoes are peeling, and nearly are done.
The cat is a squealing, squealing, squealing,
For somebody 's trodden her long tail upon.
Come in to dinner, dinner, dinner,
Eat as ye 've eaten in days lang syne.
Bring up the pudding, the pudding, the pudding;
The meat we have ate, and it was very fine."

Several of the boys went to Exeter Academy. Thomas,
and most probably George, were fitted for college there.
The anecdotes of their youth are all too few. No doubt,
if the elder sister had lived to tell her stories of those days
to another generation of children, we should have known
much more.
For the fullest account of the family life we are indebted
to the grandmother's letters, to which we turn again.
TO FRANCES APTHORP.
[July, 1809.]

M Y DEAR NIECE, — I believe I am to acknowledge the
receipt of two letters from you, but as it is long since.I
have undertaken to write myself, and dictating has become
almost as inconvenient to me, you will excuse my not noticing them separately. It is a great pleasure to me to hear
from you, and occasionally be inform'd of the situation of
my dear Brother's family. I must request of you to continue your kind attention, and to favour me with frequent
accounts of your family circle with you, and of your connections at a distance.
Last Sunday, I was present at the baptism of a little
stranger, my daughter B.'s tenth son. It is a charming
infant, about three weeks old, and that day received the
name of Stephen Greenleaf, for her venerable Grandfather,
to whose pious and unwearied cares she is indebted for such

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principles and education as have qualified her for any rank
in society, and will, we feel assur'd, be conducive to her
future as well as present happiness. That the dear Infant
may with the name inherit the virtues of his ancestor, is my
dearest wish. The mention of this good old Gentleman,
who lived to the age of ninety, reminds me of a visit I had
last week from Miss H., now in her ninety-fifth year. She
inquired very particularly about your family, and her niece
Miss F. Hutchinson, by which title she still calls her.
She express'd a great wish to receive a letter from her.
Tell your good Father she had walked from School street,
appear'd in perfect health, and spoke of him with great
respect and affection. This will be handed you by Mr. T.
A., who sails for Ireland and means to visit England before
his return to A., and it will probably be long before you
receive it, but as it is the only opportunity for writing that
offers at present, I think best to avail myself of it. To
your venerable Father, your excellent Mother, your Brother,
Sisters and their dear little children, I will thank you to
.offer the suitable remembrances, as thro' you, my dear
Niece, I wish to be consider'd as writing to each of them.
I expect my little children to come in directly for a part of
Grandmama's treat. I should admire to have your Nieces
and Nephews to partake a few strawberries with them. I
am the universal Grandmama of all my young acquaintances, and delight to contribute to their pleasures, con vine'd
that though life abounds with sources of enjoyment, the
season for improving them is transient, and should not be
ungratefully neglected. In kind regards to absent friends
I always wish to include Mrs. W. and her family. Mr.
W.'s widow sister is a near neighbour of ours. She is an
amiable woman, and by her exertions has supported her
family very respectably.

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BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

I hope my Brother T.'s little darling is still living, as I
think he must be a great pleasure to his parents. To them
I would offer my most affectionate remembrances, and if he
had a leisure moment to write me it would give me pleasure
to hear from him.
There are two new houses for public worship erecting in
Boston, one superintended by my Son. He has given the
proprietors a Gothic plan, wishing to introduce something
new among us. It is generally approv'd, and particularly
appropriate to the Saintly devotion of the preacher for
whose congregation it is designed. The other will be very
large and stands at the head of the Mall, where your Father
may recollect the old Granary was placed. It is intended
for a new society, and we hope will be well fill'd.
With many thanks, my dear Niece, for your acceptable
letters, and every wish for your happiness, I am with great
esteem yours affectionately.
[Spring, 1810.]

— . . . Our Gentlemen who make politicks their subject, look serious, and at
times impart their gloom to me, but I do not suffer it to
remain, as I am fully con vine'd that all events are controuPd
by Infinite wisdom and mercy, and look through every
cloud to the dawn and splendour of a brighter day. The
subject of politicks has been amply discussed by our best
writers. Mr. Ames, a member of Congress, whose early
death was deeply lamented, has feelingly warn'd his Country of the evils that might be apprehended. His works
since his death are collected and publish'd in one volume
octavo, and a slight sketch of his character, as just as it is
elegant, makes the book interesting to his friends, as well
as calculated to be useful to mere indifferent readers. A
late pamphlet by Walsh speaks so justly, we think, of your
M Y DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER,

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169

country that I could wish you to hear it read, and if possible to procure one I shall do myself the pleasure to send
you by this opportunity a sermon preach'd last Thursday
(our Annual Fast day) by Mr. Channing, the truly pious
and excellent young Minister I mention'd in my last, who
as Goldsmith expresses it " like a lofty Mountain stands on
Earth, but whose aspiring Mind is elevated to Heaven."
He is settled at the Gothic Church (in the dissenting
line) that was begun when I wrote you last. We were so
very kindly requested to be present at the Dedication of it,
and had so excellent a pew reserv'd for our accommodation,
that even I was induc'd to venture, tho' the Season was
winter, and I am usually stationary during that time. We
get many new publications here. As I have much leisure I
devote my morning to serious reading, beginning with the
scriptures, always most interesting ; the latter part of the
day my daughters are usually with me and we entertain
ourselves with the most approv'd new and popular productions. I often wish yourselves and my dear Nieces were
with us. We have read Coelebs with pleasure; the characters of the Stanley family are admirable, and many of the
remarks do great credit to the mind and pen of Mrs. Moore.
It has not been altogether a popular work here. The mixture of religious discussions and family narrative seldom
accord to form an agreeable work, but the motives of the
writer always prejudice us in favour of her compositions.
We have a periodical review publish'd here called the
Anthology, sometimes severe, but not equal to the Edinburg, which we occasionally read. We have two newspapers, printed every week-day. They are in opposition to
each other, and as both parties aim more at victory than
conviction, they are usually filFd with abuses of our rulers
and of each other. . . .

170

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

My little girl that I have often mentioned to you is
twelve years old; she has a delicate constitution and complexion, is educating under able masters, and making very
good improvement.
In addition to the useful branches of reading, writing,
grammar, geography and Arithmetic she takes lessons in
Music and is sufficiently compleat in dancing. If her life
is spared, I think she will be a great comfort to my later
years.
An old respected friend of ours has lately died, whom
your good Father may remember, Dr. Lloyd. He had
attained his eighty-second year, and was a much esteem'd
practising physician till within six months of his death.
His daughter, Mrs. Borland, a widow Lady and with five
Children, lived with him and paid him, till the last, every
attention that duty and affection could dictate. The unremitted cares and attentions of his Grand children was his
favorite subject, and they are now consol'd by the recollection. Miss H. has arrived at Ninety four. The last time
we saw her she desir'd to be very particularly remember'd
to your family, and her Niece Miss H. Farewell, my dear
friends.
TO DR. APTHORP.

[1810.]

. . . I should not have address'd you again so immediately, but to introduce to your friendly notice Mr. Francis
Parkman, an amiable Young Gentleman of most respectable Connections, in very affluent circumstances, which
enables them to be extensively useful, their own worthiness
of Character and benevolent dispositions aiding the means
which have been so liberally imparted to them. They are
our near Neighbours, and upon his calling to take leave I
thought I could not refuse him a few lines of introduction

SSfe

,

4 t-jji.j

$£
L^-*

SOUTH FRONT McLEAN ASYLUM, SOMERVILLE

HOME

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171

to you. . . . He is very young and intends passing two or
three years abroad before he enters on the duties of his
profession. He has been a student in D. for some years
past. The Episcopal churches do not increase with us, tho'
I have the pleasure to say myself and all my connections
are in that line.
The Trinity, the Chapel and Christ church are still open
and have sensible men at their head. About a year since
a very worthy man was settled as Colleague with Mr. Freeman at the Chapel. . . .
Since writing the above I learn that Mr. P. has a companion, Mr. H., a respectable young Gentleman of the same
pursuits, but not personally known to me.
TO DR. APTHORP.

[October, 1810.]

— I am to thank you
for your kind and particularly acceptable letters, by Mr. A.
I had been impatiently waiting for some account from
yourselves, as we had heard of my dear Brother's fall, and
illness in consequence, without the relief of knowing that
he had, in any degree, recover'd from it. For this blessing
I join with your dear Children in grateful acknowledgements to that Power that has so long continu'd to us his
valued life. My own health is tolerable considering I have
just completed my seventy-sixth year. I pass my time
much as I have formerly acquainted you. The Morning
of each day I devote to serious reading, and the afternoons
to lighter subjects, which do not always prove so entertaining. We have lately read those works you mention, except
Clark's Travels, which have not yet reach'd this country.
I shall probably be among the first to see them whenever
they arrive, as my love for reading, which is my princiM Y DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER,

172

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

pal amusement, induces my Children and friends to procure every work for me that is much approv'd. Mr.
Parkman, whom I took the liberty to introduce to you,
has wrote his Mother so pleasing an account of your kind
reception of him, and the serene chearfulness that appears
in your family, it has renew'd the wish I have so often
express'd that we could occasionally meet. He speaks of
the evening pass'd with you as the most agreeable one
since he left home.
The number of buildings have so increas'd with us as
to have nearly fill'd all the vacant land that you, my dear
Brother, no doubt remember. They are now actually
engag'd in levelling Beacon hill, which, as it was a natural
beauty in the town, and afforded a very commanding view
of the adjacent country, we, whose partiality for things
formerly admir'd are still strong, cannot but regret. The
advocates for continual changes say that our new and
elegant State house, situated near the hill, enables every
one who wishes it to enjoy the same prospect. My Son is
now employing his Architectural powers in planning and
superintending a new Court house. It is built upon the
same land the old one occupied. You may recollect it was
in Queen Street. It is to be built of hewn stone and will
be very ornamental to that part of the town. He has
seven children ; the eldest Son is in a hardware store, the
second enter'd college this year. He is intended for one
of the learned professions; he is a very fine boy, and I
hope will be eminent in whatever he may undertake. I
wish you, my dear Sister, in your next letter, frankly to
say whether the introduction of those Gentlemen by whom
I have written, has been any inconvenience to you. I will
not by any means repeat a thing which can be likely to
give you the slightest trouble. To yourselves &c. my
affections &c.

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TO DR. APTHORP.
July 13th, 1811.

— It is impossible for me to
express the pleasure it gives me to receive a letter from
you. Your last was particularly grateful, because it gave
me so full an account of the situation of yourself and your
amiable family. Your improv'd state of health and perfect
composure of mind are real and substantial blessings, which
I join with your family in rejoicing you receive. Your
number of Grandchildren exceed mine. I have ten in all,
healthy, promising, fine children. I have many comforts,
which I am sensible of and I hope grateful for. The
greatest pleasure I have is in reading. Mr. C. has a pretty
library, and is continually adding to it. I generally get
the cutting of the new books and the first reading; have
lately read MacKnight upon the Apostolical Epistles with
great pleasure and satisfaction. He comes the nearest to
my ideas of the Character and Mission of our Saviour of
any one whose books I have read. Some deny his preexistence, some his Divinity, and others his free agency.
M. seems to me pretty clearly to unite and prove them all.
I have entertain'd myself with the old poems of Dante.
Tho' partly visionary, I have been pleas'd with them. His
Inferno is full of fable and horror. I was most delighted
with the Purgatorio, some lines of which I thought very
beautiful. I have also been amus'd by reading the Saracen, translated from the French. There are some most
excellent characters in i t ; those of the Saracen himself and
the Archbishop of Tours are admirably well drawn. We
have two quarterly reviews, one edited by Walsh, whose
political writings perhaps you have seen, the other the
Portfolio. They furnish us with new topics of conversation. We get the Edinburgh Review and almost every
new publication.
M Y EVER DEAR BROTHER,

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My eyes hold out pretty well, tho' I have used them very
much. I still see to read and work, with glasses, nearly as
well as ever. The anniversary of American Independence
has been lately celebrated with great splendour by both
parties, for unhappily we are much divided, long processions and military escorts displaying the extent of both.
You know I generally give you some little account of
town affairs. Old Beacon hill is taking down to fill up the
Mill pond; as every foot of ground has become so valuable
the owners of the Hill, who are the heirs of Gov. Hancock,
did not incline to lose the opportunity of making it useful,
and have preferred interest to elegance, not a very new
thing. I believe I mention'd to you we are building a new
Court house. It is of white stone, and will be very handsome when completed, planned and superintended by my
Son. The house I have now resided in for fifty years has
lately been put in complete repair; it has all the Gardens
and lands it ever had, which is now, I assure you, rather
an extraordinary thing. I walk in it, and contemplate the
moss-rose and other flowers with the utmost delight, my
extreme love for them not having abated in the least degree.
We have lately been watching a bird's nest that was
upon a tree near one of the chambers, and admir'd the
daily progress of its little inhabitants. Our children derive
much pleasure from such things, and the care of their live
stock employs their leisure hours between schools. Believe
me, my dear Brother, tho' so great a distance separates us,
I am in my mind much with you; I enjoy your domestic
circle, and even your excursion in your Bath chair. To
Mrs. A. and every branch of your affectionate and interesting family I desire to be most particularly mention'd with
regard. To yourself may every blessing you so well know

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how to value and enjoy be long continu'd is the ardent
wish of your affectionate Sister, S. Bulfinch.
Our non-intercourse prevents having many opportunities
of conveying letters.
This must lay till one offers, which I hope will be soon,
as I am told Mrs. Powell, who was Miss Goldthwait, afterwards widow of old Dr. Gardner, who, I think you will
remember, intends soon to visit her friends in England. I
assure you I take every opportunity that offers, and I hope
you will be good eno' to do the same.
TO MISS APTHORP.

[Autumn, 1811.]

— I have many thanks to offer you for
your last letter, which was particularly acceptable, tho' a
letter from England I ever esteem among my chief pleasures. We have pass'd the Summer months at a most delightful Country seat about four miles from Boston. It is
belonging to Mr. John Apthorp, and was taken by my Son
C. for an accommodation to my daughter's health while
some neat repairs were made to our house. I sincerely
wish you could have seen and admir'd it with me, for to
see and admire were synonymous terms. The house itself
is commodious and spacious (not elegant) but the distant
view of small towns and the delightful one of Fresh pond,
on the bank of which the house and farm are situated, were
constant subjects of delightful contemplation. The lofty
forest trees, just sufficiently shading the water view, the
piazza that allow'd us to walk and enjoy it without fear of
colds, and the morning scene always brought to my recollection " These are thy glorious works, Parent of good."
Our amusements within were reading the " Scottish Chiefs,"
Clarkson's Portraiture of Quakerism, a work we were all
M Y DEAR N I E C E ,

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delighted with, and wish'd all sects could unite in acting as
they profess, and every new work that was well recommended.
To Mr. W. and family I wish to be kindly remember'd.
I hear they have one Son just fitted for the Church. It is
a noble profession, and I hope he will be useful and happy
in it.
TO DR. APTHORP.
[Near Jan. 1, 1812.]
M Y EVER DEAR BROTHER, — . . . I am at a loss how to
address you, as my course of life affords but little variety.
We have for some months past been visited by a Comet,
which has been an object of great curiosity to the children.
I have myself seen them formerly, and recollect one that
appear'd to me more luminous. Perhaps its superior brilliancy might not be real, but only owing to the astonishment such objects excite in young minds. This that wre
have lately seen, was consider'd by the learned to occupy a
greater space in the Heavens than the one I refer to. It
has occasion'd our professors and others to write upon the
subject, but after all that can be said, it appears to me they
must rather excite our admiration of the wonderful works
of the Almighty than be comprehended and explain'd by
the small share of knowledge we at present possess. I t
was visible every evening for some months, and might be
constantly admir'd by merely going to the window to observe it. I was never allow'd to omit it, as my little Grandson frequently came down from his chamber, saying " Oh,
Grandmama, it never was so bright before ! " Indeed, I
believe they all made a point of viewing it the last thing
before they lay down for the night.
Our political system is pretty much as it has been. We
have two strong parties, great talk of preparations for War,

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but as those things frequently end in proclamations and
words, the lovers of peace and old England sincerely hope
this will be of that kind. We have at present great share
of health, peace and plenty, even of English goods. The
stores and shops are full and the prices not much rais'd.
We have many calamities by fire, a late one has been very
interesting. The Theatre at Richmond in Virginia was,
the last wTeek, burnt to the ground. It was suppos'd to
have taken fire by raising a light behind the scenes. More
than two hundred persons perish'd, many of them burnt,
and others in their eagerness to get,out trampled upon and
otherwise injur'd, by leaping from windows. It is very
distant from us, but the melancholy sensations it occasion'd
seem from all accounts to be general through the States.
. . . The Bishop of Lincoln's new work is very highly
spoken of, but we have not yet been able to procure it. As
soon as we can I shall give it an attentive perusal, but
agree with you the less severity Christians show to each
other for different opinions the more they prove their
knowledge of the spirit of their holy religion.1 . . .
1

The reference in the above letter to the Bishop of Lincoln's new work was
called out by the following letter to Mrs. Bulfinch from Dr. Apthorp, dated
Cambridge, January 29, 1811: —
" I am now reading a refutation of Calvinism, just published by the Bishop
of Lincoln, the Patron of my family. . . .
" T h e Bishop's Book gives very prudent advice, but I think it rather too
severe against Methodism, which, if quite suppressed, would extinguish our
English Religion, which is in a manner crucified between two thieves, fanaticism and formality. In my opinion, there is but one principle which can preserve Religion. I mean a true conversion of the heart to God, as prescribed in
more than an hundred texts in Scripture. I doubt not but you have well considered this, my dear Sister; it is now my chief object, as I am just entering
on the 79th year of my age, in pretty good health, with just sight enough for
common life, but not able to read. My Children read to me Bp. Patrick's,
Bishop Taylor's and Dr. Horneck's devotions and writings, in which I find
great comfort. I have settled everything, I hope, for both worlds; my dear

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Archdeacon Paley's works have lately been republish'd
here and we have read them with pleasure. . . .
Major B. and family I often speak of when Miss Sheaffe
dines with us, which is frequently the case. She delights
to go back to those old friends and former scenes. She is
another old lady who is gratified to come and pass a day
with us when it suits herself, and tho' I think you never
knew her, she was quite an intimate at Major B.'s and my
Brother Thomas's. Farewell.
TO MISS APTHOKP.

— I am always much delighted with
your descriptive letters. The last gave me an account of
the reception of a new Chancellor. It must have been particularly interesting to you from his being one of the Royal
family, which we suppos'd added greatly to the splendour
of the scene. His affability and politeness made those
attentions to him pleasure that else must have been mere
tribute of respect to his exalted station. We have no public
breakfasts with us but our Commencements &c. Our Commencement here bears a strong resemblance to the entertainment you describe. The Gentlemen who graduate generally
M Y DEAR NIECE,

Children are satisfied with the care I have taken of them, and I hope to die
out of debt and in good humour with every one, as I am apt to say. As I
cannot often write I will continue to fill up this sheet of paper with such things
as may express my love to you and all my American friends and relations. I
am glad to hear so pleasing an account of your Son and of the esteem in which
he is held by his fellow-citizens. I think he has chosen a good profession, in a
new and flourishing Country. In this place we enjoy much magnificence in
Architecture: a noble College is building in the next field to my own house, so
as to make an interesting object; the decorations Ionic columns, the pattern of
wThich was brought from Athens. Two large buildings are finished, but the
whole will be of surprizing extent. I have this and other pleasing recollections of your son, who was so good as to buy me some fine Bibles at Paris.
Give my particular respects and best wishes for him and other branches of
your own family, whom I have not the happiness of knowing personally."

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invite as many or more than can be accommodated in one
house. The last year one of my Daughters dined with a
company of four hundred persons. The guests were invited
by two Gentlemen who united in giving the entertainment,
which was compleat in every thing that could give elegance
or variety to the table and accommodation to the company.
The exercises are from nine till three or four o'clock, after
which the companies assemble to dine, either in houses
hired for the purpose or in the open air, if so it may be
call'd, the tables being set on the grass, an awning above
to exclude the air and sun, and carpets beyond, in the
direction from which the wind might be expected to blow.
After the dinner, the entertainment often concludes with
dancing. You ask if we have Balloons in America. We
have seen them exhibited in a large open space which we
call the Common, a beautiful piece of ground of forty-five
acres, on one side of which is our Mall, a neat and elegant
walk, opposite which are blocks of superb brick buildings
whose situation is truly delightful, overlooking the Common and Mall, to the distant view of Roxbury and Brookline, separated from the Common by Charles River. Our
Balloons here are small, but they have often rais'd in my
mind a wish to see my distant friends, but that word
Atlantic always puts a stop to my wishes. I agree with
you they are calculated more to amuse than benefit the
world. Dr. Jeffries, you know, ascended in one from some
part of France, but the success did not equal his expectations, for it is a subject he never inclines to speak upon.
He is now a respectable practising physician here. I have
express'd my regards for your family and some others to
my dear Br., but I must request you to offer my affectionate regards to Mrs. W. and Miss A. Their kind
letters and remembrances of their Sisters here are as grati-

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fying to me as to those to whom they are addressed. Miss
A.'s truly exemplary Character is mention'd with great
respect by all who know her.
TO DR. APTHORP.

[1812.]

— War being declar'd and all
intercourse between our countries at least interrupted, I
did not expect to have had an opportunity of acknowledging the receipt of your obliging and much valued letter,
but Mr. Parkman, Brother to the young Gentleman I once
introduc'd to you, is going to Philadelphia to sail in the
first Cartel from thence. He is a worthy young man and
of a respectable family. He has no particular pursuits,
but travelling for improvement and amusement before he
engages in business. If he should visit Cambridge it will
be in his power to deliver this to you. Mr. F. Parkman
brought with him a late publication giving a description of
Cambridge, a historical account of the different Colleges,
ornamented with elegant engravings of them and the other
public buildings. With a readiness to oblige that characterizes that family, he call'd upon me immediately upon his
return, inform'd me of many agreeable particulars relating
to yourself and your estimable family, and to make me still
more acquainted writh your situation, offer'd the book for
my inspection. I not only admir'd the views, but read the
account with great interest, knowing you had so long been
an inhabitant of that place. . . .
My Son and family are all well. He continues Chairman of the board of Selectmen, has lately been engag'd
in superintending the building of a public school, three
stories high, to accommodate scholars in three different
branches of education.
MY

DEAR

BROTHER,

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TO MISS APTHOKP.
[1812.]

M Y DEAR N I E C E , — I am much oblig'd to you for the
indulgence you allow me of receiving your entertaining
letters without exacting regular replies, but as we now have
few opportunities of writing I will not avail myself of it at
this time. It would have been happy for us if your good
Father's prayers for peace between our two Countries had
been granted, but we have a war and a peace party and the
former has prevail'd. While those of the Northern States
are labouring for peace, those of the Southern make them
ready for battle. We know that the war has begun, but
how or when it will end can only be known to the Supreme
Being. Many lives must be lost, and many individuals
much distress'd.
We have had two political fast-days, and the Clergy have
exerted their talents in vain. They are almost unanimous
in favour of peace and reconciliation.
One of the most distinguish'd of our Ministers, Mr. B.,
and whom you may remember I introduc'd to your notice,
and whose voyage to England in pursuit of health we
hoped would have been successful, has exehang'd his useful labors on earth (we hope) for tranquillity and joy in
Heaven. He has left a great character, not only as a literary man, but as a pious and exemplary Minister. To his
church he is a great loss, and to American Literature still
greater, such talents and genius but seldom appearing to
enlighten admiring hearers with its charms. He was preparing a course of lectures upon Biblical criticism, that
good judges think would have done honour to the age.
How often it happens that such minds reach their perfection at an early date! He had not attain'd his twentyninth year.

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The day after his decease, his Father, the respectable
Minister of a church in P
, N. EL, departed this life,
and left a numerous family to mourn their Father and
Brother at the same time.
My health is so good that the last Friday I went to hear
a Sermon preach'd by the Rev. Mr. Eaton, the Episcopal
Clergyman, who is settled at the North Church. He gave
a very good discourse from St. Matthew. "Blessed are
the Merciful, for they shall obtain Mercy."
It was
preach'd to the directors and managers of the Boston
Female Asylum. The church was exceedingly crowded, as
it is a popular institution; there was a good Organ, a great
deal of Singing, and some chaunting by a female band.
Forty-four female orphans were present, (no others are
permitted to partake the benefits of the Asylum) dress'd in
blue cotton with white bonnets and kerchiefs, stockings
and mitts of their own knitting. At the close of the
Sermon, Mr. E. address'd them upon the grateful sense
they ought to have of the benefits they receive, and the
influence it should have upon their conduct. The Institution has been twelve years established, and one of the
Orphans first received into the Asylum has ask'd leave to
become a Subscriber, as Mr. E. express'd it, to devote the
earliest products of her industry to that institution that had
been so useful to herself. He ask'd if it was too much
to say " Many Daughters have done Virtuously, but thou
excellest them all." After Sermon, the Orphans rose, and
sang an original hymn, and were dismiss'd with the blessing. The Preacher with two other Clergymen then accompany'd the Managers to the Asylum, to see the children
kneel and with one voice repeat their evening prayers, as
if in a public assembly. This is their constant custom, and
is very impressive, as they do it with such propriety.

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My little girl, whom I have frequently mention'd to you,
has been amusing herself with making purses. She sends
two of them, one of which she desires may be presented to
the young lady who sent me the pretty little diary. The
other, to your little girl. If a convenient opportunity offers
by this vessel, I shall improve it, if not, shall keep them for
another. They are too trifling to put you to any trouble
or expense to get them.
TO MISS APTHORP.

— . . . The present situation of our
country is a subject for a political pen. I can but lament
it and feel for both parties, which I do equally. I have
sometimes wish'd for defeat rather than success to the
Americans, in hopes that would sooner put an end to the
contest, but our hopes and fears are continually striving
for preeminence and keep us in an uncertain state. My
age and infirmities are so increasing upon me, I know not
when I shall again write you, but my pleasure in receiving a
letter has not at all abated.
. . . We have pass'd through a severe winter. The cold
began at Christmas and has continu'd pretty uniformly to
the present time. The 24th December the thermometer
at Middlebury, Vt., was at twelve below zero. The 25th,
in Cambridge, the thermometer stood at 5 below zero, and
continu'd to descend some time after sunrise. At Kennebeck, 180 miles east from Boston, it was at 30 below zero.
Such a continuance of cold has not been for twenty-two
years, and but two days in that period to be compared with
them. I have been chiefly employ'd in endeavoring to
keep myself warm. Your moderate climate would be more
congenial to my feelings. But we have a brilliant light of
the Sun, and I admit it with pleasure. To me it is an
exhilarating object. Again farewell.
M Y DEAR N I E C E ,

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TO MISS APTHORP.

[1813 or 1814.]
MY DEAR N I E C E , — I did not expect so soon to have had
an opportunity of writing you. Mr. G. A. called upon me
to say he is going immediately to Lisbon, and hoped before
his return to this country he should see England. If so,
he should certainly visit Cambridge. He can give you a
particular account of us all. We are nearly circumstanc'd
as when I wrote last. My health is feeble, but yesterday,
the weather being very fine, I ventured to ride as far as C ,
about 3^ miles from B., to visit my Grandson Joseph, who
had just enter'd College. He boards in the house your
dear and venerable Father, my much esteem'd Brother,
built at C. It reminded me of old times, when I used to
visit him and my Sister for some days together. It is a
very good and elegant house, delightfully situated, commanding an extensive view of the River and the surrounding country, well cultivated as far as the eye can reach. It
is now in the possession of Dr. Jennison, whose family is
small and enables him to take two young Gentlemen, that
could not be accommodated in the College. This University is in great repute. The new class, eighty-six in number,
were many of them oblig'd to board in private families
(Joseph is the eldest Son of my daughter C ) .
They built a new College the last year and are now
erecting a very superb stone building, which is the beginning of a plan for laying out the grounds on a grand scale,
that it is presum'd will take many years to complete. It is
design'd for a center College and contains the Chapel and
philosophical and other public rooms, for the use of the
government and the students.
Cambridge is a charming village; the Colleges are most
respectable in their appearance; nearly opposite them is the

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little Church, which my Brother was the means of having
erected. I think it will be a pleasure to him to know it is
kept open. A Gentleman named Cranston reads the service
every Sunday, and occasionally Dr. Gardiner or Mr. Eaton,
rector of Christ Church, administers the sacraments.
Cambridge has been the residence of Gentlemen who
have built country-seats, and would, I think, please you to
ride through it and remark the many beautiful objects that
present themselves on every side.
We were agreeably surpris'd a short time since (for Intelligence now, tho' welcome, is unexpected) by a visit from
Mr. Parkman to read a part of a letter from his Son, saying he had spent two days in Cambridge in England, and
that my connections there were as well as usual. Such
information gave me pleasure, and whenever I can be so
favour'd as to receive a letter from you containing more
particular accounts of your own family and the numerous
absent friends for whom I am much interested, I shall be
gratified. We hear one of your Sisters is soon to leave
you. I shall want to know all the particulars, name of the
Gentleman, and if they are to remain near you. To them
and every branch of your family offer my best wishes.
Madam Bulfinch lived until February 15, 1815, her
season of failing health cheered by the visits of Dr. Freeman and Mr. Carey, the clergymen of King's Chapel, by
the companionship of her favorite books and flowers, and
by the unwearied attentions of her children.
We give some passages from her last letter : —
June 13th, 1814.

— I wrote you very
fully, by a late opportunity, and gave you an account of
M Y DEAR BROTHER AND SISTER,

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the sudden illness with which I was attack'd. It has, however, pleas'd the God of Mercy to continue to me the
perfect use of my intellects. I have since that time been
gradually recovering my strength, and I am now by the
assistance of one of my Children able occasionally to go
into another chamber, tho' I still continue in a state of
great weakness. I hope you, my dear Brother, remain as
well as when I last heard from you. . . .
The public are at present rejoicing at the late success of
the allied armies in Europe. To-morrow is appointed as a
day of public religious festivity. There is to be an address
suited to the occasion, by Mr. C. at the Chapel. This will
be deliver'd by a young Gentleman, Mr. A., a connection of
this family. I shall request him to deliver a Sermon lately
published by our friend Mr. Carey. Should he not visit C.
it can be left at Mr. W.'s counting-room.
To my dear Brother and Sister, my correspondent
Frances, and every branch of your numerous and respectable family I wish to be affectionately and particularly
remember'd, and to every one of the little folks a kiss and
a blessing from Grandmama, the appellation by which I am
distinguished here. When you have an opportunity mention me affectionately to my Brother T. and wife and little
Son, of course.
Again farewell, my dear friends.
S. B.
A short time before his mother's death Charles Bulfinch
had met with a series of reverses, which he describes in this
passage: —
" I continued my town employment and the direction of
a succession of works in Architecture, of private houses and
several churches, and other public buildings, which gave us
a comfortable support, until I was again engaged in an

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undertaking that promised well. It was the filling up of
flatts, which I had retained, because considered as of no
value, and extending Charles Street to West Boston bridge.
I was encouraged to this undertaking by the proceedings
of the Company of Messrs. Otis, Mason & Joy, who had
formed in the same way a large tract of land from which
it was supposed they would realize great profits. I accordingly made great efforts to continue the project, and just
when I had completed a junction with the bridge and
offered a plan of lots for sale, the aspect of affairs in our
country was again clouded by the affair of the Frigate
Chesapeake, and that of the President with the British ship
Little Belt, and the declaration of war which soon followed.
This again produced another stagnation of business. The
Company of Otis & Co., men of large capital, were able to
wait for better times for sale of their lands, from which
they have since realized immense profit, but no sales could
be then made by me, and demands were pressing with
accumulating interest, so that I was obliged once more to
surrender all property, and was even more reduced than
before, and we were obliged to leave our neat and commodious home for a humbler and inferior one. Our income
was reduced by the effects of a lameness brought on by a
bad fall, which prevented that degree of personal activity
for which I had been distinguished, and also by other competitors in works of architecture.
" We continu'd to bear these changes of circumstances
with cheerful submission, my dear wife consenting to take
charge of two young ladies as boarders, to add to our
income."
To this period belong the following paragraphs from
Hannah Bulfinch's note-book. Since we quoted last from
its pages three more children had come to their home, —

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Francis Vaughan, born in 1803, John Apthorp in 1806,
and Stephen Greenleaf in 1809.
The hopes of the parents for another daughter were not
to be realized. Especially when Apthorp was born, who
became one of the most deeply loved of all the children,
had they wished for a girl instead. But the little Greenleaf 1 followed next, and continued to hold his place as the
youngest: —
" July, 1811. In a life of vicissitude we become habituated to change, and our feelings resign themselves calmly
to what is inevitable. This year has brought with it many
cares; our country disturbed in its politicks, unsettled in its
foreign arrangements, involves individuals in distress. We
have felt a large share of the public embarrassment, and my
Husband, disappointed in his reasonable hopes, has been
obliged to submit himself to his creditors, and to go into
confinement for a month. How gladly would he pay his
engagements if it were in his power! How unwilling
would he be to use another with this unchristian rigour!
But the trial is over, he returns to the bosom of his family,
and they once more enjoy serenity and content, soothed by
the kindness of friends and acquitted by our consciences of
intentional error; we resolve to live with great economy till
all debts are settled, and to receive all our luxuries from the
growing virtues of our children.
" March, 1812. The past months since the above have
been passed with great tranquillity, the peace and quiet
which generally follow a storm. We have suffered much
from our separation, but once again united we hope no
more to part in this world. We have had since then good
health, better spirits, which, with a rational mode of passing
our time, has ensured our content. To-morrow will renew
1

Whose christening his grandmother has described.

HOME

LIFE

AND

ANXIETIES

189

the season of Electing the town officers. If my Husband
should be left out, we then lose our usual mode of support,
but another mode will no doubt be obtained, and as we
have been thus far provided for we trust still to be so. I
desire to leave this event with all others to my heavenly
friend, and hope to bring my mind to submit in everything
to his will.
" J u n e , 1813. Our country involved in war with Great
Britain leaves us still an unhappy, divided people, many
taking part with the mother country, many turning their
hearts against her as the cause of all our ills. The loss
of union, the absence of peace, is deplorable, but never
should we record the judgments of our God without at the
same time remembering his mercies. No bloody scenes
have yet shocked our eyes. War is yet confined to our
western and southern states. They invited it. They now
more particularly suffer under its calamities. We in a
domestic sense enjoy many blessings, though an unfortunate fall has confined my Husband to the house these three
last months. The Spring has been pleasant, his health is
good, and we hope to see him about again as usual.
Friends have distinguished themselves by their kindness,
and our four eldest Children are now so well able to assist
themselves and their father, though not in a pecuniary way,
yet by dutiful conduct and kind attentions, that much
comfort is afforded to him and myself through their means.
Well principled and amiable young persons.
" October, 1815. Our country again enjoys the blessing
of peace; a prosperous summer has reviv'd the hopes of the
husbandman. Our own prospects are much the same.
The pressure of creditors has oblig'd us to remove into a
smaller house, but united among ourselves we enjoy a calm
and serene life, unembitter'd except by the idea that we are

190

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not able to pay our just debts. We must wait till it is our
happy lot to do this, and again feel independent of unfeelingcreditors. My Husband has a prospect of again using his
limbs freely, having been lame nearly three years."
This accident was the result of slipping on the ice when
ascending the steps of Faneuil Hall one winter morning, by
which he fractured the bones of his leg in such a manner
as to produce permanent lameness.
The tradition current in the family regarding Mr. Bulfinch's confinement for debt has been that he was obliged
to live during a certain period " within prison limits/' an
arrangement not uncommon at that time, when imprisonment, with varying degrees of strictness and hardship, was
the penalty paid for failure to meet business obligations,
whether it were one's fault or one's misfortune.
His wife's words, however, bear a different interpretation,
and certainly show that he was separated from her and from
his family during the interval. His accident, occurring two
years later, and preventing his engaging in active pursuits,
with the necessity of living again in a narrow way, made
fresh demands upon her fortitude and cheerfulness. But
she seems always to have carried in her breast that " Key
called Promise" which guided her safely through these
dark and perplexing days, and enabled her to sustain her
husband under his trials.
The house the family removed to now was No. 3 Tremont Street, and is remembered by a relative still living
as " a small house with a green front door, standing next
to the old Museum building."

CHAPTER

VIII

REMOVAL TO WASHINGTON

1815-1818
Who, if he rise to station of command,
Rises by open means; and there will stand
On honorable terms, or else retire,
And in himself possess his own desire.
WORDSWORTH.

now continues his narrative, which brings
us to the end of his own memoir: —
" At the close of the war a project was started for building two hospitals, one for insane subjects, and the other
with the title of the c General Hospital/ and by the influence of my brother Coolidge I was sent by the board of
agents to view the hospitals of New York, Philadelphia and
Baltimore, to observe their construction and to get a knowledge of the detail of their expenses and management.
This commission was accepted by me willingly, as a proof
of the continued confidence of the most respectable members of our community. I proceeded to execute it, and
made reports of my proceedings on my return that I believe
were quite satisfactory.
M R . BULFINCH

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CHARLES

BULFIJSTCH,

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" When at Baltimore, being so near Washington city, I
determined to visit it, and passed three days there. I was
much gratified by my view of the situation, and in seeing
Congress in session, and left the city without any expectation of visiting it again, but it was so ordered that this visit
led to the most important consequences. I was introduced
by one of our Senators, Mr. Lloyd, to Mr. Monroe, President elect; he received me kindly, expressed his approval
of the objects of my journey, and afterwards directed Col.
Lane, Commissioner of the Public Buildings, to conduct
me over the ruins of the Capitol. This was on January 7,
1817; on the following July, Mr. Monroe visited Boston,
as President of the United States ; a large Committee wTas
appointed by the Town to receive him, and I as Chairman
of the Selectmen and Committee read to him the address
of the Town before a large concourse of people assembled
in the floor of their Exchange Coffee house. My duty as
Chairman led me to be almost constantly in company with
the President during his visit of about a week, after which
I proceeded in my usual course, making drawings and
directing workmen at the Insane hospital in Charlestown.
" About November following, I received a letter from
William Lee, Esq., one of the Auditors at Washington, and
in the confidence of the President, stating the probability
of the removal of Mr. Latrobe^ the architect of the Capitol,
and proposing that I should apply for the place. I declined
making any application that might lead to Mr. Latrobe's
removal; but before the end of the year, disagreements
between him and the Commissioner became so serious that
he determined to resign, and his resignation was immediately accepted. On receiving information of this, in another letter from Mr. Lee, I made regular application
through J. Q. A., Secretary of State, and by return of Post

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193

received notice from him of my appointment, with a salary
of $2,500 and expenses paid of removal of family and furniture."
We have now given the concluding passages of my
grandfather's brief narrative. At the time when it was
written, the experiences of his later life were fresh in the
minds of his family, and he naturally felt that there was no
need for repeating what was already familiar.
The visit of President Monroe to Boston is still within
the memory of the very oldest of our citizens. He was the
unanimous choice of both political parties, and it was that
" era of good feeling " which was strengthened by the universal joy at the restoration of peace. The reception of
the President was as imposing as the resources of the town
then permitted. It is well described by some who stood
among the school children on the Common that bright day
in July, arranged in lines to form an avenue for the cavalcade to pass through. The children carried red and white
roses, and the splendid uniform of the Hussars as they rode
under the arching trees made a brilliant picture whose
colors have lasted for three quarters of a century.
Of the two hospitals, the McLean Asylum for the Insane,
at Somerville, — then Charlestown, — was opened for the
reception of patients in 1818. The trustees had purchased
the fine country-seat built by Mr. Joseph Barrell in 1792,
from designs of Mr. Bulfinch, who now made the additions
required by the needs of the hospital.
Two wings of brick were built, each 76 feet by 40, and,
from the nature of the ground, several feet lower than the
level of the mansion. They would naturally have formed
a right angle with the main building, but two rows of very
fine shade-trees would in that case have been sacrificed,
and the wings were therefore built symmetrically at a

194

CIIABLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

slightly larger angle, Mr. Bulfinch does not appear to be
responsible for the domes added some years later to obtain
more light at the intersection of these buildings with the
central one.
The accommodations of the Asylum were enlarged subsequently to its opening, at the desire and suggestion of its
first physician and superintendent, Dr. Rufus Wyman.
Few estates near Boston could then show so much beauty
of situation and architecture as this. The view from the
eminence where the Asylum stood was extensive and lovely,
and the grounds were made attractive by fine trees, and
by the garden with its fish-pond and with a summer-house
half buried in roses. The remains of ancient fortifications
were at that time still shown on the height.
The interibr of the mansion was in the most elegant
style. There may yet be seen specimens of Charles Bulfinch's characteristic work, and one of-his most beautiful
staircases, which it seems a pity should be destroyed when
the hospital is removed to the new location at Belmont,
made necessary by the changes in the once lovely hill, the
immense network of railroads that surrounds it, and the
din and smoke of the encroaching city.
The two divisions of this original and curious staircase
ascend by easy steps, with a slight curve, from opposite
ends of the elliptical entrance hall, thirty-two feet in
length, and meet upon a platform supported by four fluted
columns with an elliptical arch, beneath which one passes
from the vestibule to the drawing-room. A short flight of
four steps leads from this platform to a second one, and
from this again three short flights conduct the visitor to
different points of the gallery that runs around the hall at
the level of the second floor, the whole apparently relying
for support upon the above-mentioned columns.

STAIRCASE, McLEAN ASYLUM,

SOMERVILLE

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195

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The details of this hall, and also of the beautiful drawingroom, a perfect ellipse, with its panelled wainscotting, cornice, and " coved " ceiling and its two curious fireplaces,
are in the finest classical style.
The Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the architect's most important works, a fine building of Chelmsford
granite, was erected on what was known at the time as
" Prince's Pasture." The corner-stone was laid in 1818,

196

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

and it was completed in 1821. It has received the highest
encomiums, and at the time of its building was even called
" t h e finest public or private edifice in New England."
Mr. Willard observes that, if thus ranked above the State
House in excellence, it must have owed its dignity to its
fine masonry and the more classic character of its dome.
The General Hospital received the addition of -two wings
in 1844, and has otherwise been enlarged and extended.
Although Mr. Bulfinch carries his autobiography no
farther, there came with his removal to Washington a
series of letters which enable us to continue the history.
The official correspondence regarding his appointment as
architect of the Capitol has been preserved, with Mr. Lee's
letters, and those written by my grandfather himself to his
family until they joined him in their new home.
The first letter we give was written during his first visit
to the capital, when there was as yet no idea of removing
there.
TO MRS. H . BULFINCH.
W A S H I N G T O N , Feb y . 7, 1817.

M Y DEAR FRIEND, — Immediately after closing my last,
I left Baltimore for this city, and arrived here early in the
afternoon of the same day. The country which I traversed
was hilly and uninteresting, until I reached Bladensburg,
the field of battle at the attack of the British. Nothing
announces a metropolis until we approach an assemblage of
brick houses, forming a village, and immediately contiguous
to them two stone edifices of richly ornamented architecture. These are the wings of the Congress hall; they
were burnt, as far as they were combustible, and are now
undergoing repair. They have been chiseld in such a
manner that all external marks of fire are removed. From
this place, called Capitol hill, the ground suddenly falls,

I -5

•J I fr.\ *
^ iP

^

1T

i«\UW H

198

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

and expands into an extensive vale, beautifully surrounded
by high grounds and washed on one side by a majestic
river. The view is beautiful, and one is immediately
convinced that a great city must here grow up, and in
anticipation we think we see it before us ; — not exactly so
in reality; the public buildings are distant two miles or
more from each other, and a small village has grown
around each. These are connected by spacious streets,
lined with trees. The whole has an imposing air, especially while Congress is in session, from the number of
carriages traversing the grand avenue.
But a truce to description. I must tell you that I have
been fully gratified by my visit, have examined the public
buildings in company with their architects, and have been
favoured by them with the sight of their plans : their scale
is vast and will produce grandeur in the execution: the
public pride and purse will bear them out in the expense.
I have visited the President and Mr. Monroe, was received
with politeness and favour. Mr. Lloyd introduced me and
has been uniformly attentive. I have also attended Mrs.
Madison's drawing-room two evenings since, where I found
a great display of beauty and a collection of distinguished
persons from all parts of our country.
The Congress halls have had a share of my attention,
but no debate of consequence has occurred to call forth the
great speakers. You must excuse a short letter, when I
inform you the inconvenient circumstances under which I
write it. I am sitting in a bookseller's shop, which is half
full of customers, where I bought my paper, and asked the
favour of his desk for a few minutes: this I do because my
tavern is utterly destitute of pen, ink or paper.
To-morrow morning I advance homeward. The weather
has continued clear, though some days have been cold, and

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199

if I experience no greater inconvenience than what has yet
occurred, shall esteem myself particularly fortunate. Remember me to all.
FROM WILLIAM LEE, ESQ.
[Confidential.]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 1817.

— I have good reasons for thinking that
the President of the U. States will very soon after his return here displace Mr. Latrobe and the Commissioner
charged with the execution of public buildings. He
threatened to do it before his departure if they did not
proceed with more harmony than they had done and with
greater expedition with the Capitol. So far from this,
things have gone on worse, and nothing has been done.
I am sorry, for Latrobe, who is an amiable man, possesses
genius and has a large family, but in addition to the President's not being satisfied with him there is an unaccountable and I think unjust prejudice against him by many
members of the Government, Senate and Congress.
Should this change take place I shall be the first to
know it, and if you will permit me, I will mention you to
fill the place of architect to the government, and propose
that both offices, that of Architect and Commissioner,
should be blended together. The Salary will be increased
to four or five thousand dollars. The Capitol will occupy
you three or four years, after which you would be charged
with the construction of public offices and four houses for
the Secretaries of the departments, to which you might
add the direction of the houses of individuals. In short,
I think such a place would open a perspective to you well
worth your consideration.
The climate of this place, against which there are such
prejudices in New England, I think the best in the U.
M Y DEAR SIR,

200

CHARLES

BULFIJSTCH,

ARCHITECT

States, and not inferior, perhaps preferable from April until
December, to the boasted one of the South of France.
Society is on the best footing and very good. I think this
place offers an opening for one of your talents and acquirements to gain a solid reputation in the profession you have
courted, provided your situation is not such as would require great sacrifices to embrace it. If, on reflection, the
affair should be thought worth your attention, I will with
your permission mention you to the President.
I am my dear Sir
With high esteem
You r very humble serv*
WM Lee.
A draft of a letter inscribed to Wm. Lee, Esq.
to his letter of September 14 : —

Answer

Sept. 27, 1817.

The appointment which you propose has many attractions
and strong inducements to please a more ambitious man
than myself. It would be honourable, and furnish employment in the mode most agreeable to my taste and disposition, and in which I am sensible I could be of more use
than in any other.
The aspect and situation of Washington I admire, and
think that the climate and society do not deserve the prejudices entertained here against them; that its growth and
improvement will be rapid, and would be a source of pleasure to any one who can honourably discharge the duties
confided to him in bestowing to advantage the funds which
the government is disposed to appropriate so liberally.
But there are objections which you will permit me to
state, some of which you may be able to remove.
I have always endeavoured to avoid unpleasant competi-

REMOVAL

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201

tion with others, that by opposing their interest would
excite enmity and ill will. I should much regret to be an
instrument of depriving a man of undoubted talents of an
employment which places him at the head of his profession
and which is necessary to his family's support.
The situation of my own family demands particular
attention. It consists of a daughter and six sons; my two
eldest sons are of age, and have commenced business as
importing hardware merchants; the general stagnation of
business has prevented much profit hitherto; my third son
has just completed his college course, and means to study
a profession; the others are young and require attention to
the early branches of education. Various disappointments
in life have contracted our circle of acquaintance and made
us very dependent on our family for enjoyments. My own
views are confined to obtaining the simple comforts of life,
but we naturally look to the establishment of our children
for the reward of our cares, and would be sorry to take any
measure that would separate us from them; or by removing them withdraw them from their natural protectors. I
presume that business of the kind my sons are engaged in
is on a very small scale at Washington, but do not know
what encouragement it may meet in Alexandria or Georgetown. Should the prospect be favorable, one great objection of their mother would be removed. My college boy
might pursue his studies there as well as here, and perhaps
a greater career would be open to him: the younger lads
may have sufficient advantages of schools, as I presume
such are already established for the earlier branches of
education. We have every reason to be satisfied with
the character and conduct of our sons; two of them have
received a College education and are of respectable talents;
their mother's happiness is bound up in her children, and

202

CHARLES

BVLFINCH,

ARCHITECT

the inducements must be very strong that could lead her to
give up their society.
We have been accustomed for years to a circumscribed
mode of living, and a very moderate income has sufficed,
but both the scale of living and the rate of expense will
be much increased at Washington. I calculate that 3,500
dollars will not more than maintain my family of ten persons with decent comfort (including rent and necessary
carriage expenses) in a situation where we shall be compelled to mix with respectable society, and shall be particularly liable to the visits of strangers. Your own experience
will be the best guide in this respect.
Your letter has encouraged hopes which I think might
be realized; Mr. Adams (Secretary of State), Mr. Otis, Mr.
Lloyd, Col. Trumbull, are my friends, and I think would
give me their influence; and your good offices, from personal intimacy with the President, would be of material
service. I think, too, the appointment would be popular
in this section of the Union. You will then perhaps be
surprized that I do not give an immediate assent. But the
change proposed is so important, affecting so materially
every branch of my family, that it requires deliberation; if
our immediate decision is necessary I should be compelled
to decline the nomination, but should be obliged if you
would favor me with a reply, stating as many particulars as
you are acquainted with, whether a vacancy will actually
happen from motives entirely unconnected with m e ; and
wrhat are the prospects of business for a family situated as
mine, and what the probable expense of living. We will
seriously contemplate the change and advise with you on
the means to effect it.
At present I can hardly realize the possibility of the
offer; tho' Mr. Latrobe may have opponents, yet he and

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203

his family have many friends, who upon the suggestion of
the probability of loss of employment, would exert themselves in his favor, and pledge a greater attention to the
wishes of his employers. But whether the offer should be
officially made or not, I shall always bear in mind the
friendship and good opinion which induced your communication ; and believe me, one of the strongest inducements
of Mrs. Bulfinch and daughter and myself to accept, the
call would be the prospect of intercourse with your family.
FROM WILLIAM LEE.
WASHINGTON, Octr 1, 1817.

M Y DEAR SIR, — I have this moment been favored with
your letter of the 27th ult.
As I expected, the President on his return gave synlptoms of being about to discharge Latrobe, but the friends
of that gentleman interposed and a commission has been
appointed, composed of Gen. Mason, Mr. Graham and Col.
Bomford, to examine into the state of the Capitol and report thereon to the President, on his return. Either the
Commissioner of public buildings or Latrobe must go out.
. . . As he (the Commissioner) has more friends than the
Architect, he will, I think, be continued. I do not know
how it is, but so it is, Latrobe has many enemies; his great
fault is being poor. He is, in my opinion, an amiable,
estimable man, full of genius and at the head of his profession. Every carpenter and mason thinks he knows more
than Latrobe, and such men have got on so fast last year
with the President's house (a mere lathing and plastering
job) that they have the audacity to think they ought to
have the finishing of the Capitol, a thing they are totally
unfit for. That superb pile ought to be finished in a manner to do credit to the country and the age.

204

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

While the President was here, you were mentioned in
case Latrobe should be forced to retire, and I was happy to
find Col. Bomford and others thought such a selection
would be judicious. In the course of a few weeks we shall
know the result, and if I find a change is to take place and
that the salary will be raised to $4,000, I shall press your
nomination.
I came here with all our northern prejudices against
Washington, and I do assure you I am agreeably disappointed. The climate is delightful, not in my opinion
equalled by any in the U. States; the society is good and
such a family as yours may live here for $3,000 a year in
the best manner. You would, I think, find a better field
here for your sons in business than in Boston. Education
is on a good footing, and the regular rise of property
would furnish you with opportunity of making judicious
purchases. If once established here, all the public may
hereafter do would no doubt be confided to you, and you
would besides have a great share of all the private business
in your line.
If it should be decided that Latrobe must resign, I think
in justice to your family you ought to come here. Before
Mr. Lloyd leaves Boston, mention the subject to him. He
has more influence here and is more respected than any of
our members from the North. Mr. King and Trumbull
from New York would, I am sure, give you their support,
and their opinion would have great weight.
As is customary in such cases, you had better address a
letter to the President on the subject immediately, stating
that you have learnt (such) a change is to take place, in
which case you offer your services.
Refer him to Mr. Lloyd, Otis, King, Trumbull, Col.

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205

Bomford and myself, and I have but little doubt of your
success.
I am my dear Sir, with
high regard and esteem
yours truly
WM L E E .
Draft of a letter in reply to the above : —
BOSTON, Octr. 17,1817.
DEAR SIR, — My thoughts have been occupied on the
subject of your very friendly letter of the 1st inst. ever
since its receipt. I had once determined to write to Hon.
J. Q. Adams, to solicit his influence, but on further reflection, think best to wait the decision of the Commissioners;
whenever that is known I will confide in your judgment
and friendship to take suitable measures, either to propose
a nomination immediately or to give me some such authorized suggestion as would justify me in consulting my
friends and making arrangements, if they should advise my
application.
But, my dear Sir, I must avow to you that I could not
leave this place without making provision for the discharge
of some pressing demands, — and probably it wrould be
necessary to ask the advance of some months' salary, or an
allowance for the expense of removing a family. You are
acquainted with the disposition and practise of the government in these respects, and on your advice and assistance I
should depend.
FROM WILLIAM

LEE.

WASHINGTON, Octr. 23,1817.

— Your favor of the 17th has been
received. The President arrived here on the 19th and as I
expected his first attention was directed to the Capitol.
MY

DEAR SIR,

206

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

Yesterday the Commissioners met at his house and they
have determined to continue Latrobe in his employ. I am
convinced however, myself, that either Latrobe or Col. Lane
must go out. They never can get along together, and it
would give me great pleasure to see you, for the honor of
old New England, in one or the other situation.
I wish you would write a letter to the President, stating
to him that it is reported a change is to take place, offering
your services and referring to Mr. Lloyd, Otis, Trumbull,
and myself. These things are done every day, and my full
belief is you will be named before the rising of Congress.
When that body gets together, they will make a noise
about the little progress that has been made with the
Capitol.
The President, I understand, will recommend to Congress
to build four houses, for the heads of departments, and
some additional public offices.
Should you be named our architect or commissioner for
public buildings in the course of the winter, I will undertake to arrange affairs for you on the score of finance.
With great regard and esteem
I am my dear Sir
Yours truly
WM L E E .
Draft of letter in reply : —
TO WILLIAM LEE.

Nov. 15.

I was not surprized at the determination of the Commissioners to continue Mr. Latrobe in employment. I think
his talents entitle him to the place, and that he is the most
proper person to rebuild what he had once so well effected.
There were many difficulties attending my removal, which
perhaps would have been insurmountable, though I should

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207

think it my duty to make every exertion for the good of
my family.
I believe it is my destiny to remain here, and should be
much indebted if you would continue your good offices so
far as to think of me if any employment should occur in
this place to which I should be qualified. It is probable
that a bankrupt system will be adopted at the next meeting
of Congress. Should that be the case and the appointment
of officers under it be vested in the President, your nomination of me might be of material benefit. My pursuits have
been of a nature to be essentially affected by the aspect of
public affairs, — an enterprise which promised well was
completely frustrated and involved me in loss from the
depreciation of real property occasioned by the war. Still,
as the public has been benefitted by my efforts, I am sanguine enough to think that any moderately productive
employment conferred on me would meet the approbation
of all parties.
FROM HON. HARRISON GRAY OTIS.
WASHINGTON, Decr. 2, 1817.

DEAR SIR, — I received your favor last evening upon
my arrival here. This morning I called on the President
in the palace, and there being only one gentleman, Mr.
Burrell, with me, I took occasion in speaking of the state
of the building to observe that Mr. Latrobe had resigned,
and that I did not know whether his place could be supplied without looking to Boston.
He then asked if I alluded to Mr. Bulfinch. I answrered
affirmatively. He replied, " Sir, we are looking to him, but
Mr. Latrobe is a great loss, and it will require perhaps two
persons to supply his place, and we think also of a Mr.
Macomb; what is your opinion of Mr. B.'s qualifications?"

208

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

I then gave him a full statement of my acquaintance
with you and your family, your character, qualifications,
former prospect, and present circumstances, and my opinion
that you would accept the appointment if it could be made
an object. To this he was pleased to answer that he was
much gratified by the conversation, that it was very
seasonable, that he had already instructed the Commissioner (Mr. Lane) to write to you, and added, " We can
give him, Sir, 2,500 dollars per annum, and pay all the
expense of removing him and his family."
He also said he had received your letter. I am thus led
to suppose that the business may be considered as done,
and that it will depend upon yourself entirely whether to
come hither or not, and should think you would not hesitate.
There must inevitably be some incidental advantages
attending the appointment, and it appears to promise a
respectable establishment for yourself and interesting
family, suited to their merits, which it would give me real
pleasure to see realized.
I am D r Sir, respecty
Yr friend and obed. ser.
H. G. OTIS.
COL. SAMUEL LANE TO COL. NEHEMIAH FREEMAN.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3,

1817.

D R . SIR, — The President has referred to me a letter
from Mr. Charles Bulfinch of your town, offering to undertake the duties of architect at the Capitol. The high character which I had previously received of Mr. Bulfinch's
professional qualifications did not leave room to hesitate in
conferring on him the appointment. Will you therefore
have the goodness to make use of an early opportunity of
announcing this to that gentleman; and at the same time

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apprize him that the Salary attached to the office is but
$2,500 per annum, payable quarterly, that the appointment
is entirely at the disposal of the Commissioner of Public
Buildings, and that of consequence the architect must be
responsible to him.
If, after this explanation, Mr. Bulfinch should be willing
to accept the place, please to request that he will inform me
so immediately, and mention the time when he may be
expected to arrive here, which I hope will be as early as
circumstance will admit.
You may add that I will defray the expense of conveying
himself, family and furniture to this place.
With great respect, Dr. Sir,
Your obt. svt.
SAM L LAIP;,

Comm. Public Buildings.
FROM WILLIAM LEE.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 4,1817.

— Col. Lane has written to you, and I
understand from the President has been authorized to offer
you $2,500 per annum and your expenses on here. This is
not enough, but I find it is as much as they can do under
existing circumstances. . . .
Besides this salary, $500 at least must be allowed you
for a draftsman, and you would be at liberty to exercise
your talents for individuals, which at 5 per cent, on their
expenditures in erecting their houses, the usual commission,
would amount to something in the course of the year.
This is my view of the affair. You must now draw your
own conclusions. You will see that the President has
recommended to Congress to build houses for the heads of
departments, which will naturally fall under your direction
M Y DEAR SIR,

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and be an additional reason for th6 augmentation of your
salary. . . .
I am very truly yours,
W M . LEE.
FROM HON. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, 4 Dec. 1817.

SIR, — I have received your Letter of the 26th ult. and
am happy to have it in my power to inform you that the
office of Architect of the public buildings at this place is
offered to your acceptance, with a Salary of 2,500 dollars a
year, and the expenses of your removal with your family to
this City to be paid. It is the wish of the President and of
Col. Lane, the Commissioner of Public Buildings, that you
should come on as soon as it may suit your convenience.
I am, with great respect, Sir, your very humble and
obedient Servant,
J O H N QUINCY ADAMS.
TO COL. SAMUEL LANE.
BOSTON, Dec'. 12,1817.

S I R , — Major Freeman has communicated to me the contents of your letter of the 3rd inst., announcing my appointment as Architect of the Capitol, of which I had been
previously informed by an official letter from John Quincy
Adams, Esq. I feel sensibly the honour done me and
consider it my duty to accept the invitation.
The occupation of my time and attention to close a
variety of concerns in business will prevent my reaching
Washington before the first week in January, when, unless
prevented by some unforeseen circumstance, I hope to pay
you my respects in person.
I should be obliged if you could place at my disposal the

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sum of Three hundred dollars to be accounted for in
expenses of removal.
With great respect, your obed. serv.
TO HON. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

SIR, — I have been favoured with your official communication of the 4th inst., informing me that the President of
the United States has been pleased to offer me the situation
of Architect of the public buildings.
I feel sensibly grateful for this mark of confidence and
consider it my Duty to accept the call, although the salary
does not equal what I had been led to expect. I find so
many claims to attention to close a variety of objects of
business, both of a public and private nature, that it will
not be in my power to reach Washington before the first
week in January, when I hope to have the honour of handing to you the papers relating to the Columbia's voyage to
the N. W. Coast of America.
Letter of appointment from the Commissioner, January
8,1818: —
To CHARLES BULFINCH, Esquire.
Sir,— Having entire confidence in your professional
talents and integrity, I have appointed you Architect of the
Capitol of the United States, to discharge all the duties and
to receive the emoluments attached to this appointment.
Your Salary to commence the 11th day of December last
past.
Given under my hand at the City of Washington, the
8th day of January, 1818.
SAMUEL LANE,

Commiss. Public Buildings.

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CHARLES

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Immediately on receiving his appointment, Mr. Bulfinch
went on to Washington, travelling with dispatch, and accompanied by his son George, then a youth in college.
He writes as follows to his wife after their arrival: —
WEDNESDAY 7th Jany. [1818].

We have been admitted to-day to an interview with the
President: after passing up a noble stairway through a
suite of elegant rooms, we found him seated alone in a most
splendid apartment, covered with a rich blue paper, with
broad gold borders, and gold flowers at suitable intervals.
My reception was honourable and perfectly satisfactory, it
was even cordial; the President expressed himself gratified
at my acceptance of the office, and hoped advantage would
arise from it to myself as well as to the government. He
entered fully on the subject of the public buildings, and
without mentioning the particular causes of offence with
the late architect, clearly evinced that he was not satisfied
with his conduct or plans, while he gave him credit for professional skill. The President said that immediately on a
vacancy occurring, his attention had been turned to me, and
that the offer would have been made if I had not applied ;
he promised me his support, and invited me to frequent
calls and personal application to him. I introduced George,
who was graciously received, and we took our leave, well
pleased with our reception.
Thursday.
Having lost some time yesterday in attempting to see Mr. Adams at his public office, we determined to
call early to-day at his house, not far from our lodgings,
for the purpose of handing to him the papers on the N. W.
concern; we were admitted to his family room and I
delivered and explained the papers. George also handed
to him his testimonials of character, which we left with him

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to examine. After these essential calls I proceeded to take
possession of my office, a room in the Capitol about 20 by
25 feet, and 20 high, built wholly of brick and stone, and
arched with the same; covered with plain stucco, even the
walls, ceiling and floor, which bear marks of smoke and
the ravages of fire. This room is my own, and is accommodated with tables, desks for drawing, paper of all sizes,
and instruments and implements for work. A fire is made
in this room every morning, and from 10 to 3 are considered the office hours. I have been introduced to the
head workmen in each branch and have visited the workshops with them — these are sheds adjacent to the great
building; I find about 120 men now employed, principally
in cutting stone, and forming and polishing the great
marble columns: a number of sculptors are busy, some
carving capitals, others making allegorical bas-reliefs to be
placed in various parts, and some at work on a colossal
figure of Liberty — 1 2 feet high, to stand in the Eepresentatives' room, raised over the Speaker's chair — these
things show you the scale on which we are proceeding.
All my time on Wednesday, not occupied by the call on
the President, was spent in exploring this building, in company with the principal surveyor, whose room adjoins mine.
He is an intelligent, middle-aged man who has already
made on me a favourable impression. Without such a
guide it would be impossible for a stranger to tread the
mazes of this labyrinth ; since this inspection of things as
they are, I have received from Col. Lane a great number of
drawings, exhibiting the work already done, and other parts
proposed, but not decided on.
At the first view of these drawings, my courage almost
failed me — they are beautifully executed, and the design
is in the boldest stile — after longer study I feel better

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CHARLES

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satisfied and more confidence in meeting public expectation.
There are certainly faults enough in Latrobe's
designs to justify the opposition to him. His stile is calculated for display in the greater parts, but I think his
staircases in general are crowded, and not easy of access,
and the passages intricate and dark. Indeed, the whole
interior, except the two great rooms, has a sombre appearance. I feel the responsibility resting on me, and should
have no resolution to proceed if the work was not so far
commenced as to make it necessary to follow the plans
already prepared for the wings; as to the centre building,
a general conformity to the other parts must be maintained.
I shall not have credit for invention, but must be content
to follow in a prescribed p a t h : as my employers have
experienced so much uneasiness of late, they are disposed
to view me and my efforts with complacency.
I wras gratified on Friday wdth your long letter, dated
Monday, 29th. We had become impatient and had been
twice to the post office. On reading it, we felt ourselves
reinstated in your dear circle. My foregoing statements
will give the best answer to your inquiries respecting feelings and prospects; I shall keep you informed of everything that may occur, and am disposed to look on the
favourable side. Charles must not be impatient; it will
take some time to make acquaintance with persons on
whose information I can rely; my thoughts have as yet
been wholly occupied by my own duties; I find the distances between persons and places as inconvenient as ever;
our mornings commence late, our dining hour the same,
seldom before four, [so] that the day appears short and no
great progress can be made: he may rely, however^ on my
attention, for his good and that of each of you is very
near my heart, and no gratification could equal that of

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once more assembling our dear circle. Sunday.
We have
this day attended service in the Congress hall; it was
respectably filled with many of the members, and a number
of the inhabitants of the vicinity, among whom were many
genteel and well dressed females. The service was the
Episcopal form of afternoon prayer, singing without any
instrumental music, and for want of books, two lines at a
time of the psalm read off by the chaplain, to guide the
congregation : an excellent sermon on the " foolishness of
preaching " closed the duties of the day, which were conducted with great propriety and serious effect.
After
service I was recognized by several gentlemen from your
quarter, and we paid a visit, at their lodgings, to some
others.
Monday.
I have visited with the superintendent all
parts of the President's house. This building does not
form any part of my concern or impose any duties upon
me; but I thought it best to become acquainted with it. I
found it spacious and noble, well arranged both for parade
and family convenience ; the finishing and furnishings rich
but not heavy; the walls generally of plain grounds, blue
or green, with as much of gilding as to give to each apartment the air of a palace. After viewing the kitchens,
out grounds and intended improvements, I walked to
the Patent office to arrange some business for Mr. Jackson
of the Waltham factory. Here I was introduced to Dr.
Thornton, head of the office, a very singular character: the
Dr. gave the original design for the building of the Capitol,
and is very decided in finding fault with Latrobe for the
• changes he has introduced in i t ; on returning to my office,
your letter and one from Uncle Storer were handed to me.
Your expressions relating to my escape from our perilous
situation in the stage recall my own feelings on that occa-

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CHARLES

BULEINCH,

ARCHITECT

sion. Let us be grateful, but I am sometimes tempted to
think that if Mr. Dana's accident had happened to me it
would have been a complete justification of my return to
the bosom of domestic quiet and happy mediocrity. Tell
Uncle S. that I thank him for his kind letter and will
answer it soon: hope to receive a rich treat from all of you
by Mr. Otis. Last evening being very mild and pleasant,
we undertook a walk of near 2 miles to Mr. Lee's; found
them en famille, and passed a couple of hours with them
pleasantly and walked home. I shall not, however, attempt
such expeditions very often; every circumstance of weather
and moonlight combined to favour us, and I bore the exertion well. This morning, the ground is covered with a
thin coat of snow, and the air is clear and sharp. I am
surprized to find how uniform is the weather in so great
an extent of country; the remarkable cold of the Sunday
before I left you was equally felt here, and I find you have
since been favoured with the same genial air which we
thought we had gained in a southern climate.
You will find that I have endeavoured to carry you with
me in my daily progress hitherto, but you must not expect
so great variety in future. The Committee of Congress
begin to ask for estimates &c. which will occupy my time
in a more systematic manner. One thing I wish to impress
on you, that you must now remember that I am a publie
man, and that on no account will it be proper for anything
I may say to be put into the public papers. You will, I
know, be cautious — verbum sat — and I have room only
for one word more.
Ever yours,
C. BULFINCH.

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Feby 1, 1818.

M Y DEAR FRIEND, — I thank you for deciding to send
yours of the 1st inst. (ult. ?) by post; Mr. Phillips has not
yet appeared among us, detained I presume by the attractions of the cities which he must pass through.
I read your letter with great interest; Susan's cough, I
hope it is gone, or she must hasten to this fine climate.
Your suggestions on the future destiny of our sons show
that they are a principal subject of thought with you as
they are with me; on this head I intend to write them, and
give them all the information yet collected. Thomas' postscript really surprized me. The acceptance of the plan for
the hospital was quite beyond my expectation. I confess
however that it gratifies me, but more on my children's
account than my own. They will feel pleasure that my
last act for Boston is accepted under circumstances which
preclude the possibility of personal influence.
Sunday morning.
Mr. Phillips has just handed me the
valuable packet intrusted to him; we have read your letters
and in the course of the day shall re-peruse them more than
once; I was greatly affected at the mention of the dangerous
situation of Bradford : his charming disposition and fine
talents, together with his intimacy with Thomas, and the
degree of acquaintance I had formed with him at the
school, all conspired to make me feel for him as a relation,
and enter truly into the feelings of his father.
We have now been here a month, and it is time to give
you some more distinct ideas of the advantages and inconveniences of the place. Of the climate, I have said much
in commendation already, and the persons who are residents
here speak of it with unqualified praise; — the views and
prospects are fine even now and must be very delightful in
summer, and will improve with the growth of the place and
improved cultivation.

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BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

Society is on a pleasant and independent footing: there
is full opportunity to engage in a constant succession of
parties, particularly in winter; but the doing so is left to
every one's choice. The markets are well supplied and are
conveniently distributed about the city, and provisions of
the common kind are not unreasonably high. Of the inconveniences. Among the principal we must state the distance between friends and the different places of resort.
The walking is good in good weather, but rain or thawing
weather makes it intolerably muddy, and it will be long before any continued pavement will be laid in so extended and
straggling a place. Hackney carriages are often necessary
and are to be had readily, but they are expensive, especially
for evening use, when they are allowed double prices.
There are a number of places of public worship, of various
denominations, but all agreeing in circulating the most Trinitarian and Calvinistic opinions. The places of worship are
small, and no parish is large enough to give a living to tempt
any man of superior talents to fix with them, indeed they
are all obliged to follow some other calling to enable them
to gain a support: most of them keep private schools, but
several are writers in the public offices during the week.
Schools are distributed over the place, but not free of expense as among u s ; they are at various prices. One of
the best is near our lodgings, at 9 dollars a quarter.
The place of worship which we generally attend is the
Congress hall service, by the Chaplain ; this is the nearest
to us and the society, those whom we most frequently meet
with, during the week. We have attended once at the new
church, near the President's house, a very beautiful little
building, — this church is frequented by the genteelest
society of the place. It is furnished with a small organ,
the only one here, but the preacher is so violent in express-

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219

ing his condemnation of all of different tenets from his
own, that our townsman, J n Mason Esq. requested one of
the wardens to endeavour to controul his zeal, or at least
the harshness of his expressions.
You know the feelings with which I left Boston. There
was much of regret at quitting old friends and old scenes,
and as much of apprehension as of hope respecting our
future prospects. I must continue to say that a respectable
employment with competent income, among old friends,
would be more gratifying than a change at my time of life
and with so numerous a family; but as circumstances have
so decidedly led to this change we must accommodate ourselves to it, and I ought to acknowledge that my duties are
not so burthensome as I feared, and that if my family can
be placed around me there would be every reason to look
forward with pleasant anticipations. I have made inquiry
respecting houses and am told that it will be easy to get
one after the session of Congress but not before: there are,
however, two now finishing, near the Capitol; either of
them would suit us, and I am to see the owner to know his
terms and when they can be ready. The rent of a moderately sized house is 300 dollars.
The procuring of servants I fear will be one of the most
troublesome circumstances attending our residence here :
there are no white female domestics to be had, and very
difficult to hire free blacks. The usual way here is to purchase the time of a female, say, 5 or 6 years, and they are
very useful and faithful, knowing that they will be free
at a certain period, but on this head I must make further
inquiries, and inform you.
Furniture of the common kind may be bought here as
cheap as with you, which will prevent the necessity of your
buying any, especially as the freight and risk of injury are

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CHARLES

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ARCHITECT

to be considered. But on this and some other heads I
shall get more particular information.
I have been wholly engaged in preparing" estimates for
finishing the two wings of the Capitol, and I have handed
them to the Commissioner, amount, 180,000 dollars, exclusive of furniture. This business has so occupied me that I
must offer it in excuse for delaying to give you the above
particulars before. I have commenced a letter to Charles
and Thomas respecting business, but cannot complete it by
this post. Shall send it to-morrow or next day.
Tuesday.
The wreather yesterday was as cold as it usually is with you in the coldest season, with very high wind.
The wind is lulled, but the cold continues: if it moderates
at noon I intend to call on the President, and to introduce
Mr. Phillips. He is situated in very pleasant and genteel
lodgings, not far from us.
Adieu.
Prices of articles of provision at Washington : —
Beef, roasting, select pieces, Per lb. 1 2 | cts.
Mutton, 12J cts.
Pork, roasting pieces, 12 to 15 cts.
Veal,
do
do
do
Lamb, hindquarter, 75 cts., forequarter $1.00.
Turkeys, 1 dollar each, of 5 to 6 lbs.
Geese, 75 cts. to 1 dollar — small geese.
Fowls, 75 cts. to 1 dollar pair.
Vegetables, turnips and carrots, 1 dollar, potatoes 75 cts.
bushel.
Flour, 10 dollars per barrel. — superfine.
Indian meal, 1\ dollars per bushel.
Butter, 38 to 50 cts.
Eggs, 30
do

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, BOSTON
T h e wing-s w e r e extended and the p e d i m e n t c h a n g e d after M r . Bulfinch's time

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Milk, 121 cts. per quart.
Firewood of dry oak, 6 dollars in summer, 8 in winter.
Sea-coal, 10 to 14 dollars, according to season.
Hyson tea, 1 | dollars.
Souchong, 1
do
Coffee, 28 cts.
Loaf sugar, 25 to 30, good brown sugar, 1 dollar, 6 lbs.
Candles, mould, 25 cts., dipped, 20 cts., both by the box.
WASHINGTON, March 2nd, 1818.

H., — Yours of the 18th Feb. amused us
much, in observing the sanguine hopes which you entertain,
and in reading the various queries respecting houses, servants, and domestic concerns. I believe I must be methodical and answer them in course. The cooking is done here
by wood, in most families ; coal is only used by those who
have been acquainted with it in other places and think it
cheaper. Candles too are in general use, though I find
ornamental lamps are common, which shows that oil may be
had. I do not know the cost. . . .
I was much diverted with the report and your anticipation of my being appointed to the care of the President's house. There is no probability of such a thing. If
any provision is made for such a purpose it will be to some
inferior officer of the government, who can attend to this
for small compensation, in addition to his other duties.
But the proposal itself excites some sneers, as the idea of
the necessity of a high Chamberlain, and our great man
must be on his guard how he confers favours or emoluments
on me. One severe piece has appeared already in the
" Aurora " for my present appointment.
You remark upon there being a Theatre here, and think
it is a matter of regret in so young a state of society, — but
MY

DEAR

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CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

you mistake, — the place is new, but the society, especially
in winter, is such as has grown up in older- capitals, and
has been accustomed to all the refinements and elegancies,
and I fear to the extravagance and dissipation, of established
cities. I had written thus far when I was agreeably surprized by a visit from T. H. Perkins and John Sullivan
Esq. After talking of home I accompanied them on a tour
through the building to the marble columns and the statuary, objects which attract the notice of strangers. . . .
I presume that Mr. Phillips will be with you about the
time of your receiving this, or perhaps a few days later.
I took the liberty to ask his attention to a small box, containing specimens of our curious marble, which you will
distribute to friends according to directions enclosed in the
box. The box is small but heavy, and I fear it may have
led to some expense to him besides the trouble of attending
to it. I wish Thomas to inquire particularly and repay
what he may have spent upon it.
The bankrupt law was debated about a week, and then
rejected; the interiour and landed interest is opposed to any
exclusive advantages to commercial men, — indeed there is
a strong dislike to the encouragement of commerce generally, and a great spirit is excited for building up manufactures in opposition to it. I think that the day after you
receive this will be the March meeting. What a different
course of feelings does the return of the day excite from
those of last year's anniversary ! They are not, however,
without anxiety. The transplanting a family and forming
entirely new connections are causes for thought and care.
I hope my good sisters and their husbands do not think
my neglect of writing to them arises from want of affection,
because it is exactly the reverse. I never turn my thoughts
to that subject without feeling sensibly the loss we shall

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sustain of their society, and that it is hard to break up old
habits of intimacy. These circumstances are the most
unpleasant that attend our removal, and their tendency is
to bring on depression of spirits, which I must contend
against, since it seems to be the decree of Providence that
the separation must take place, and I will content myself
with the hope that an intercourse will be kept up by occasional visits when we have a home to which we can invite
such good friends. Yrs. ever.
MONDAY, March 16th, 1818.

H., — Your valuable letter of the 26th February was not received till three days after the regular period
of the mail ; we must submit to the fates, in this as in
other particulars, and not think ourselves exempted from
feeling the inconveniences of changing seasons.
I am glad to find that you are sometimes prevailed upon
to mix a little in society ; I know you enjoy a visit to Mrs.
Borland's, and especially as Mrs. Lloyd can give such correct ideas of this place. The Rev. Mr. Hawley is the
clergyman of St. John's church. I have had frequent
interviews with him on the subject of enlarging the church,
and feel quite acquainted; his character seems to accord
well with the account you have had of him. We have not
yet been at Mr. Taylor's. I introduced George to him at
the President's, or rather Mrs. Monroe's, drawing room last
Wednesday evening, and he welcomed him as a young
Columbian.
We were induced to go to the drawing room because we
were informed it would be the last of the season : we met
a good deal of splendour and gaiety, but I find it rather a
dull business, although the close of the evening was enlivened by some songs sung by a circle of ladies with their
M Y DEAR

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CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

beaux, accompanying a piano. You know I am not very
sentimental, but you will suppose I had some pleasant
feelings when the last song was sung, " See from Ocean
rising." I confess that it reminded me of home, although
the scene around differed very materially from that of the
humble parlour in Tremont St. I hope we shall soon have
another home and renew our domestic occupations and
enjoyments together. . . .
I find that the very warm weather, which we thought
peculiar to this situation, about a fortnight since, extended
over the whole country and has produced great damage by
the sudden breaking up of the ice in the rivers. I am sorry
to find that the bridge at Springfield has been carried away,
because I wished you should pursue your journey on that
route, both as it affords the. greatest variety of country and
avoids ferries. On this subject I shall give you a letter of
particular instructions. . . .
Tuesday morning.
Three letters are handed to me at
breakfast. One from T. Clark, presenting a vote of the
Town, expressing their thanks for my long and faithful
services, — the cheap reward of republics, for which, however, I am grateful; another letter from Andover, not to
ask for a plan, but only for an opinion respecting their new
Academy; and a third from Stephen Codman Esq. requesting attention to some business in one of the public offices.
Let Thomas tell him that I have received his letter and will
attend to the subject of it.
I find from Susan's letter that the N. American review
has taken some liberties with Mr. Wirt's P. Henry. We
have just borrowed the book, but have not yet commenced
reading it. I have looked into some of its pages, and think
it may be liable to censure from you cool-blooded Yankees.
Mr. W. is an ardent man, a great admirer of his hero, and

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perhaps gives more importance to his character than is
strictly due. The stile too is florid, and characteristic of
the author and our climate. We are reading Corinne; I
read the translation aloud, while George follows with his
eye the page of the original French : this book interests us
much from its own merits, and from the frequent reflection
that you have so lately gone through it. The original
French is remarkably pure and easy, and would please our
young students, Susan and Thomas.
I have been very much engaged the past week, and still
continue so, in giving drawings and directions to a young
man from Boston, Mr. Willard, who is making a model of
our great building. He works in my room. I hope this
will prove a satisfactory mode of conveying clear ideas of
the several plans for finishing the centre, and enable the
President of the Committees of Congress to select the one
that on all considerations shall promise best.
I presume you must by this time have seen or heard from
Mr. Fuller and Mr. Phillips, and know from them our particular situation; I hope too that the specimens of marble
reached you safely. My friends must be content with such
solid proofs of my remembrance. They have little value
in any other light. . . . Yours ever.
A letter on March 22d is chiefly devoted to plans for
the journey, and especially the important question whether
Ma'am Pollard and her daughter should be brought with
them. We learn later on that they were left behind. He
promises a particular letter on the route to be taken, the
houses to stop at, and the objects to be visited.
" At present I only say, it is my plan that you should
take one of FuUam's coaches and proceed by way of
Worcester and Springfield in three days to N. Haven,
thence by the steamboat to New York." . . .

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He also inquires his wife's plans about furniture, what
she intends to bring with her, and what he will have to
supply. On other matters he says : —
" I notice the extract which you send me from Mr.
Andrews' letter to Mr. Joy. My expectations on that
head are not very sanguine. Something may come of it,
but not so soon as to interfere with your journey. Affairs
of state move slowly, especially when involved with the
expenditure of money. You think that you observe marks
of contentment with my employ. Indeed I have met with
nothing to displease. You know I am willing to be occupied, and the nature of the employment is congenial to my
taste. My only drawback is from the apprehension either
of the loss of the society of my children (and some dear
friends) or that their course of business will be so broken
up as to lead to unsettled and wavering habits. . . . I
receive letters very frequently which I am obliged to
answer. Some contain applications for employment, some
wish encouragement and patronage for various projects."
Meantime the preparations for the great removal were
going on in Boston through a number of weeks, as we
can see by various bills of lading, charges for wharfage,
etc. On March 24 three cases of books were shipped to
Georgetown by the schooner Spruce; and later, by the
schooner Columbia in April and the brig Golden Grove in
May, the household furniture, including book-case and
book-desk, chairs, desks, beds and bedding, with boxes of
books and casts, was sent to its destination.
The " Colonial Express " train which left Boston this
morning is due in Washington to-night, but a journey
of five hundred miles was quite a different affair in the
early years of the century, especially when there were children in the party. The family started on the 23d of

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April, and reached Washington during the first week in
May. From their record of expenses we know that the
original plan was changed.
There were at that date
between thirty and forty stages advertised to run from
Boston to various points, and as many as four different
lines to New York. Their first stop was at Foxborough,
where they had dinner; and the next, Providence, where
they had supper and breakfast and passed the night.
Through a letter from Thomas, then a youth of twentytwo, we learn that the low spirits occasioned by their
departure were not overcome until they had ridden many
miles from Boston, when by degrees the glee of the children and the novelty of the scene had their effect upon
the party. We hear of the waterfalls they saw on their
road, and the rocky, precipitous summits, that reminded
the little Greenleaf of the hill ascended by the travellers in
Pilgrim's Progress, and recalled to Thomas in their barrenness and desolation Beattie's lines : —
" Tho' veins of gold in Chilian mountains glow,
And bleak and barren Scotia's hills arise ;
There Plague and Poison, War and Rapine grow, —
Here'peaceful are the vales and pure the skies,
And Freedom warms the soul and sparkles in the eyes."

Their route lay through Norwich and Plainfield to New
York, proceeding thence, after a halt, to Philadelphia and
Baltimore, with a rest in each place. We do not know the
date of their reaching Washington, nor where they stopped
on first arriving, but we can imagine the joy of being
united again.
Some of the prices, of board, etc., on the journey, were
evidently much lower than prices nowadays, but the length
of time consumed on the road made the progress of so
large a party an expensive one, and the whole amount,

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CHARLES BULFIJSTCH, ARCHITECT

including Mr. Bulfinch's own travelling expenses with
George and the removal of the furniture, is set down as
$589.30.
To defray this expense, the sum of three hundred dollars
had been received from Colonel Lane in December, and the
receipt of two hundred dollars additional is acknowledged
in April.
Before the end of May we find the family going to
housekeeping in a house on Capitol Hill, of which the plan
is sketched in a letter written during the summer by Mrs.
Bulfinch, which has fortunately been preserved, as it is the
only one from her hand for a number of years.
The simple ground-plan of the house which was now
their home shows a hall with front and back parlor, of
which the larger is but thirteen by fourteen feet. An
open passageway leads to the kitchen and woodhouse, and
on the side is a garden thirty or forty feet wide, while the
narrow yard in front is paved with brick and has a small
flower border within the fence. A stable and garden
ground for vegetables complete the ensemble of their new
possessions.
FROM MRS. HANNAH BULFINCH TO MRS. E. COOLIDGE.
July 15, 1818.

— As your brother undertook the pleasing
task of answering your former letter, I think I have a right
to claim the privilege of replying to this last. And here
let me acknowledge for him and myself the great pleasure
your animated description of the performances of the day
(4th July) annually celebrated as a political festival, gave to
us all. I should judge from your account as well as from
the newspapers that the ceremony of laying the cornerstone of a building (the General Hospital) erecting for
DEAR SISTER,

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purposes of humanity and benevolence must have awakened
feelings, though of a patriotic nature, yet of a higher kind
than is usually called forth by the roar of cannon and the
ringing of the bells. The part performed by Marshall
Prince was very honourable to him. Your representation
was so well calculated to bring us home again that we must
beg you to devote a portion of your valuable time to so
charitable a purpose. For although we find ourselves
established with most of our former conveniences about us,
and some things added which for several years have been
wanting—I mean such as good furniture and more help —
yet when we sit down at the close of the day and reflect
how far distant from us are those who are by nature so
nearly connected, and by sentiment and affection so endeared to us and each other, I am ready to say in the language of the poet Burns : —
" Ah, little did my mother think, when first she cradled me,
What land I was to travel in, or what death I should dee ! "

I would alter it, and say " or what folks I should see!"
Yet, my dear sister, I mean my complaint should apply
only to those I have been in some measure obliged to leave,
rather than against those with whom I have become acquainted. They are many of them well educated, all of
them friendly people. I am much pleased, among the rest,
with a respectable minister of the Navy Yard and his lady;
their name is Hunter; both of them sensible, elderly persons. Our own good man (Rev. Mr. McCormick) and his
pretty daughter I have mentioned before. Judge Cranch
and his very amiable wife have been a second time to visit
us of a morning. We are now talking of a ride to Alexandria for next wreek if the weather should be less oppressive
than during the past. How much I wish it were as easy

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for yourself, Mr. C , and dear cousins, to visit us ! We
could present to you many scenes of interest and beauty.
I would walk with you to a fine garden, owned by an
industrious man, very near to our own ground. He has
cultivated it admirably well, with all sorts of vegetables,
which we may purchase when we please. He has a spot
for flowers, where the double Hollyhock flourishes, and
within a small enclosure we find a collection of valuable
plants and many fine exotics.
We would introduce Elizabeth to as many as ten fine
girls, who would almost vie with her in bloom. Three of
them are daughters of a relation of Gen. Washington, their
name Belmain ; they are handsome and very sociable. I
should expect to charm Uncle by the spacious streets,
which will ensure to future generations ample room to
move and breathe. He would see an active spirit of
improvement; buildings of a useful sort going on in
various places, even interrupting our stillness in some
degree, as within our view there are four. I should find
it more difficult to interest J. and T. We see few young
men of the first rank as to education and manners, and
those are busily engaged in their studies. . . .
I ought to notice your account of a church at S. Boston,
and to add that it gave us pleasure to learn so desirable an
object is completed for that place. Of Mr. Palfrey we hear
favourably from all quarters, and congratulate the Society
of Brattle St. upon the acquisition. . . .
As I frequently turn my thoughts to former places and
objects, I am not a little curious to know who occupies our
pew at church, that sacred spot where rest, Oh ! dear to
memory, mother and children. I would hope that no very
untaught, unfeeling beings fill the venerated place. Who
resides in our mansion in Tremont street ? I connect with

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that no strong emotion of regard, yet I wish it well. The
small parlour was a cool one, and there was always room
enough for real friends. Ma'am P., I am glad to find, is
proceeding as well as we could expect. We hope she will
not be to you a more frequent visitor than convenient, as
you already have a sufficient number of her description. I
hear Miss P. is called Elizabeth. I always thought Ma'am
P.'s ambition would not easily stop in the great object of
raising Eliza to something above what she has ever enjoyed
herself. I had the satisfaction of doing for both more
than I anticipated; and often, when working at employments which, if she had been in the way, would have been
hers, I have consoled myself with thinking I was giving
her, by the sacrifice, a means of livelihood, honest and
respectable. Her mother has so handsome an interest on
her money, which she means shall accumulate, that after
leaving her many of our supplies, I made myself easy about
them, and hope she will not intrude on your generosity by
her accustomed manner of representing her affairs. I
retain a grateful recollection of her past services, and
Greenleaf is preparing a letter for her. I hope her health
is better for more relaxation, and shall always be glad to
hear of her welfare and of her children's.
I beg you, my dear sister, to say to Madam (Coolidge)
and your father C , that I frequently think of them and of
their past kindness. My front chamber is exactly large
enough to accommodate such respectable friends; it is the
whole front of the house, and has three windows. Should
they journey this way, how welcome would I make them to
the use of it! Say the same to Mr. C. and your dear self;
and let me look forward to a visit from each of our friends
in turn. Now I have mentioned the large chamber, I will
draw for your amusement our house, that is, its ground
plan, on the other page.

232

CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

For a description of our church and minister I refer you
to one contained in the N. American Review for March,
1818, in a review of Letters from the South, page 377. It
will give you a correct and but slightly heightened picture
of our place of worship. It may possibly serve to amuse
my dear young friends, to whom we all beg our affectionate
remembrances. Notwithstanding my very moderate encouragement to J. and T. respecting objects calculated to
please them, I do think we have some, independent of the
Capitol, which with all its faults is a wonderful work of art.
Farewell, my dear sister. I am loth to say farewell, even in
a letter. With love to little Sue from Aunt at Washington, I am your and her sincere friend, sister and aunt,
H. B.

CHAPTER

IX

A R C H I T E C T OF T H E CAPITOL
1818-1830
Still in thy right hand carry gentle peace,
To silence envious tongues ; be just, and fear n o t ;
Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy country's,
Thy God's, and truth's.
SHAKESPEARE.

the opening of the summer Mr. Bulfinch may be
considered to have fully entered upon his new life, and the
great work which had called him to the capital, the magnificent building of which General Washington himself had
laid the original corner-stone.
That was on September 18, 1793, when the north wing
was begun, and the subsequent history of the Capitol, so
far as it has been made known, is an interesting chapter of
our national records. The first volume of the "International Keview " (New York, 1874) contains an historical paper
WITH

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CHARLES

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of value, by James Q. Howard, M. A., on the " Architects
of the American Capitol/' of wThich building he writes: " I t
seems proper that we should place in more enduring form
the history of a structure which, in adaptation to the uses
and purposes for which it was built, and in architectural
beauty, grace, and grandeur, is not surpassed by any government building in the Old World or the New."
Here we find described the earliest crude ideas of the
building, — the first sketch by Thornton; the controversies
and disappointments of poor Hallet, the first architect, who
" h a d hoped to bind his name with the rising glory of
America;" the slow progress of the work under Hoban &
Hadfield, delayed by faithless stone-masons and continual
disputes; Latrobe taking charge in 1803, and having to
rebuild almost all that had been done before; the limited
resources of the government in contrast with the grandeur
of its ideas ; the brick, burnt on the spot from the abundance of clay; the use of freestone, from the Acquia Creek
quarries, in the place of a superior stone which it would cost
more to deliver; then later the beautiful Potomac marbles,
and the genius of Latrobe, showing itself in designs for
columns adapted from American products, the tobacco plant
and Indian corn; at last, after eight years of toil, the failure of appropriations with the coming on of war in 1812,
the British entering Washington in 1814 and burning the
just completed wings, making the Supreme Court room the
especial object of their hatred, chairs, desks, and other combustible materials being piled up there together, in order to
destroy every vestige of the hall associated with the Chief
Justice, John Marshall.
It did, indeed, seem as if, in Mr. Willard's words, the
fates had determined that there should never be a completed Capitol at Washington.

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Mr. Latrobe, recalled at the return of peace, began the
work of restoration, and the north and south wings were
again nearly finished at the time of his resignation. Mr.
Bulfinch has described the impression the buildings made
upon him when he first saw them, — the disconnected
wings, the ravages of fire still apparent. It was now his
task to enter into the labors of others and carry them forward to successful accomplishment.
Perhaps the peculiar difficulties of this stage of the undertaking could have been met by no one better than by himself, for they required in addition to artistic qualifications
those traits which were his by inheritance, and by the
discipline of his past life, moderation, and firmness of temper, and that power of dealing with men without exciting
rivalry which is only possible to one whose own ambitions
are subordinated to the general order.
The work of completing the wings was first taken up,
and then that of building the central portion, the area
which it now occupies being then covered by " a mass of
earth, rubbish, and old foundation. The old foundations
of the basement story were broadened, and the ground floor
strengthened with arches. The general plans of his predecessors were followed, except in the western projection of
the centre, which was constructed after a plan of his own.
Latrobe designed the Rotunda, but its execution was the
work of Bulfinch, after drawings by himself. . . .
" The artistic taste of Mr. Bulfinch was conspicuously
shown in his arrangement to remedy a mistake in the location of the building, it having been placed too far west, so
as to overhang the brow of Capitol Hill, instead of resting
upon its level summit. The western front thus exhibiting
a story lower than the eastern, he covered this exposed
basement with the beautiful semicircular glacis and sloping

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CHARLES

BULFINCH,

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terraces which render the western approach grand and striking in the highest degree."
The Capitol was completed, with the exception of a few
details easily executed from his plans, when Mr. Bulfinch
returned to New England in 1830. For twenty years it
remained as he left it, until, in 1851, the eminent architect,
Mr. Walter, was appointed to build the new wings. The
changes arising from this extension, together with the
grand dome, of Mr. Walter's design, which crowns the Capitol to-day, have resulted in a transformation of the building which my grandfather himself would doubtless be the
first to applaud.
Except for the above alterations, his work remains substantially as it was, and in fact it is still, what Mr. Willard
has called it, the nucleus and centre of the whole. His
letters suggest that some changes in the designs of Mr.
Latrobe were made by him besides those recorded, but
what they all were it must be impossible ever fully to know.
His own dome was higher than Mr. Latrobe's plan, and it
is noteworthy that the criticism made upon it at the time
was, not that it was too low, but that it was too high.
It is in the western portico, belonging to that portion
which is said by all who are acquainted with the subject to
have been more his own design than any other part of the
main building, that we find naturally the most resemblance
to Charles Bulfinch's early work in New England.
The first letter we give is the following one to his
brother-in-law. It is dated in pencil January, 1819, but
the allusions to the Constitutional Convention of 1820 show
that it belongs somewhat later: —

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TO J . COOLIDGE.

— I find by the Boston papers that
your duties as a member of the Convention are at an end;
the session must have been interesting, from the mass of
talent that composed the assembly, but I think that they
even exceeded our great men here in their abundant discussions. We have not yet received an arranged account of
the amendments adopted; hope to see them in the Weekly
Messenger in a few days. My young men, as well as myself, regret that the Convention thought it advisable to
change the election season, and alter the old established
usage; it is so interwoven in the mind of a native Bostonian
with many of the civil, religious and military institutions of
our fathers that we cannot help fearing that its effect may
be injurious.
Congress has done but little up to this time. It seems,
however, determined now to make great efforts at retrenchment, to curtail all the establishments, as much as they will
possibly bear. A bill for reducing the army has been under
discussion a fortnight and will soon pass the House, but it
is very doubtful how far the Senate will concur in it. Committees are raised to investigate the civil establishments, to
consider if any offices are superfluous or too highly paid,
and will aim at simplifying the mode of conducting
business — but I hardly think they will have time to sift
thoroughly the present system and to digest and adopt a
new one in the space of 6 weeks, all that remains of the
present session. In fact, it is curious for one brought up
in old Federal principles to observe the jealousy, almost
approaching to hostility, with which every measure of administration is viewed and commented upon, even now when
the majority are fast friends with the executive, and no
M Y GOOD FRIEND,

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CHAELES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

special cause for excitement exists, except the temporary
want of money. I can look back and easily conceive how
irksome must have been the situation of a member of Congress a few years since, when party animosities prevailed to
such a degree that they did not mix in the same company
and could not take lodgings in the same house. Jealousy
of rulers is probably inseparable from republican governments, but it is hard that when men, like our heads of
departments, have been raised by their talents to high stations, they should appear as the objects for the carping and
caviling of far inferior men. . . .
I had proceeded thus far when I took a stroll into the
Congress library, and had been there but a few minutes
before I was accosted by a gentleman, whom I immediately
recollected as Mr. Cogswell. An agreeable half hour soon
passed in inquiries and information respecting your son and
Mr. C.'s travels, and ended in inviting him to pass the
Sunday evening en famille, which he agreed to, and we
were gratified at seeing him and Col. Eustis, with Mr. Hall,
Mr. Bailey and Mr. Simpkins, a member from South Carolina. . . . Col. Eustis leaves us in a few days, and has
offered to convey a parcel to you. I shall make up one for
him. I send a calender of the present year. It contains a
variety of information that may be amusing to you ; among
other articles you will find in the almanack, at the end, a
statement of the thermometer for each day of the past year,
by which you will be able to judge of this climate. The
frontispiece gives a faint outline of the back view of the
Capitol. The newspaper contains a report respecting the
Representatives' Hall. Some members complain that they
can neither hear nor be heard. This, in most instances,
arises from their own defects of voice or hearing, for no
room of its vast size and height would accommodate them

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better. Its longest diameter is 95 feet, and its height 60.
The committee called on me, and I was obliged to appear
ready with my advice, and to act as they should direct, but
you will discern that the report discourages the alteration,
and this will be the decision.
I know that you get the papers at the Insurance office,
but thought it might amuse Betsey and Anna S. to look
over what we were doing, and peruse a paper immediately
from us. Another part of the packet is an envelope to Mr.
Hale ; he sends me his weekly paper, and I supply him with
such documents as are not usually inserted in the papers.
I will thank you to deliver them to him.
My good wife desires love to yours, and wishes me to say
that she has of late addressed her letters more frequently
to sister Storer than to her, because she thought they would
serve to enliven her retirement, and we feel as if our letters
to any one will be communicated to all our family friends.
I have lately written to P. 0 . Thacher, chiefly on the
subject of a church commencing here on liberal principles,
for which I must refer you to him. We look for assistance
from your quarter, and shall soon make our appeal to Boston generosity, and have no fear that it will be in vain.
I find that you are Chairman of the Hospital committee ;
do inform me how you get on ; how does the building
appear, and what improvement does it make to the neighborhood ?
Wednesday, Jan. 24. . . . Last evening the Committee
of the new church met, and requested me to write to Boston
for advice on the best mode of obtaining assistance. I shall
address a letter in a day or two to Rev. F. Parkman on the
subject. He knows our circumstances better than any
other of your Clergy. I wish you to give him your opinion,
after he has received my letter. With love to Sister and
family, I am yrs,
C. BULFINCH.

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CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

My grandfather here mentions a subject which seems to
have been one of his first interests in Washington, aside
from his professional duties, — the establishment of a Unitarian church. Coming directly from Dr. Freeman's ministrations at King's Chapel, he would naturally be earnest
to cooperate with those who had such a purpose at heart,
and from this time the affairs of the church and its ministry
are topics that constantly occur in the family letters. Dr.
Channing's famous sermon preached in Baltimore a few
months later, in May of the same year, at the ordination of
Jared Sparks, no doubt served to arouse the interest of the
people still more. The church building was erected on the
corner of Sixth and D streets, from plans furnished by Mr.
Bulfinch, and was in the general style of his New England
churches. Its first minister, Mr. Little, was a valued friend
of the family, and after his death the officiating clergymen,
often students just graduated from the Harvard Divinity
School, were sure to find a cordial welcome under their
roof.
An anecdote of this period has reached me, from a source
outside the family, that shows my grandfather's patience
and serenity of temper. Before the church of his own
faith was built, he was a regular attendant, with his household, upon the preaching of a clergyman who harbored no
liking for the new movement, and who took pains on one
especial Sunday to make Unitarians the object of his open
attack. Those were times when bigotry and rancor were
unhappily often found in the pulpit, and were regarded as
proofs of zeal in the cause of truth and piety. The Bulfinches occupied a front pew, where they sat through the
whole service, covertly watched by their neighbors, who
never doubted that it was the last time they would ever
darken the doors of that sanctuary, Mr. Bulfinch's opinions

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being so well understood as to make the matter a personal
one. To the surprise of all, however, the next Sunday
found the family again in their places, and no notice was
ever taken of the bitter words launched against them.
The house which they first occupied was exchanged three
years later for another, whose site is nowhere mentioned,
but in 1823 they removed to Sixth Street, where they continued to live while in Washington. It was a modest brick
house, one of two or more that were built in a block. In
1828 the daughter Susan writes that " an Episcopal church
is to be placed on the lot in the rear of our house, while a
Methodist meeting-house is to be built just above us."
They were not wTholly among strangers on their arrival
in the city, for Mrs. Bulfinch was related through her
Greenleaf connections to the families of Eliot and Cranch,
and a delightful intimacy with these and other friends in
their circle soon grew up. Mr. Bulfinch's position as
architect of the Capitol, and his personal acquaintance with
the President and officers of the government, brought him
and his wife into agreeable social relations with them. An
old card of invitation is found among his papers from the
President and Mrs. Monroe requesting the favor of their
company at dinner " on Friday next at five o'clock."
With Mr. Adams he was on terms of friendship, cemented
by their sympathy on religious subjects, and among his
other friends in the new liberal movement, besides Judge
Cranch and Mr. Eliot, were Messrs. Gales and Seaton, editors of the " National Intelligencer."
The family had hoped and anticipated that their home,
though unpretending, might become the stopping-place of
their New England acquaintance who journeyed southward.
The hope was fully realized, and this opportunity of showing hospitality to old friends and new added a great charm

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CHARLES

BULFINCH,

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to their Washington life, which evidently was in the main
a very happy one until the last few months of their stay,
when it was clouded by the shadow of death. Several
journeys are recorded in these years. One was an autumn
visit to the North in 1828, and the following year they
made an excursion to Richmond.
Three years after they came to Washington their daughter Susan was married to Mr. David A. Hall, in whom a
congenial and devoted friend was added to their circle.
In 1825 the sons Thomas and George—two brothers
closely united in feeling, and in person strongly resembling
each other — returned together to Boston, to enter upon a
business life among familiar scenes.
Between Apthorp and Greenleaf a similar intimacy
existed. They both pursued their studies at the Columbian
College, and the younger of the two, graduating in 1827,
left home in the same year for the Harvard Divinity School.
Apthorp followed family traditions and chose the medical
profession, joining his brothers in New England the next
year; and as Francis too, was away, engaged in business
in New York, the home circle grew small indeed. Charles,
the eldest son, remained with his parents; and the Halls
seem to have lived with them a part of the time, and later
to have had a home of their own.
The family correspondence now increases, and the mother
especially writes often and tenderly to her absent boys.
From these many letters a few passages can be selected
which illustrate the home life and course of events in
Washington, and here and there touch upon the father's
employment at the Capitol; but they are very largely
devoted to the affairs of the children themselves, in whose
every movement and change of place or fortune the parents
felt the deepest possible interest.

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The letters we have are chiefly those to Greenleaf and
his brother Thomas, but it would be unjust to infer that
the other sons, George and Francis and the "good Charles,"
did not have an equal share of their solicitude, and there
was always a peculiar depth of tenderness for the shy and
silent Apthorp. Thomas, although not the eldest son, had
early showed such a readiness to share his parents' anxieties
and cares for the rest as to give him a leading place in the
family counsels. In a birthday letter when he was twentyone years old his mother had written: " I congratulate
myself, my beloved son, that no disgrace is attached to your
entrance upon the theatre of life. Your birth took place
* when heavy misfortune oppressed the hearts of your parents, nor did we look upon even your existence with
cheerfulness, yet it has been to us a blessing. . . . I bless
Providence who gave you to us, and pray that your course
may be bright in every talent and virtue, enlivening your
path through this world, and your passage to a better."
Through his father's second loss of fortune he had taken
up a business life on leaving college, but it was irksome to
his taste, and a string of verses is still preserved, written in
1820, where, with the family facility for rhyme, his lively
genius depicts his thraldom: —
W i t h the morning's earliest rayBegins the Lumber merchant's day.
Lumber, Nails, and Glass and Lime
Demand his care, demand his time,
And drive him from his bed of down
To scour the streets and range the town,
Alert for purchases and sales
Of Lime and Lumber, Glass and Nails.
But if, by chance, protracted slumber
Keep him from Lime, Glass, Nails and Lumber,
I n dreams Lime, Lumber, Nails and Glass
Before his troubled senses pass,

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CHARLES

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And visions dire of suits and Jails
Recal to Lumber, Lime and Nails.
W h a t tho' Lime, Glass, Nails and Lumber
All his leisure hours encumber,
Lumber, Lime and Nails and Glass
Make the long days swiftly pass.
Heavy are Lumber, Nails and Lime,
But heavier far is idle time.
I own that Lumber, Lime and Nails
Seem less fit for maids than males,
And dandy bucks don't care a dime
For tons of Lumber, Nails and Lime ;
Yet dear to bucks and dear to lasses
Their looking and their drinking glasses,
Tho' ours contain no gen'rous wines,
Nor clad in burnish'd silver shines,
Yet lad and lass shall join our chime,
With Glass sing Lumber, Nails and Lime,
Interpreting, if such their whim,
" Mirror " for her and " Cup " for him.
While sage Experience bids me number
All your virtues, Lime and Lumber !
Thus the sage, with locks of grey,
Concludes his eulogistic lay : —
" Would you the glitt'ring ore amass ?
Stick to Lumber, Nails and Glass ;
Or to civic honours climb ?
Mount on Lumber, Nails and Lime.
When perplexities encumber
Have recourse to Lime and Lumber ;
When fav'ring breezes fill the sails
Ballast the bark with Lime and Nails,
And sing the praise, in varied rhyme,
Of Lumber, Nails and Glass and Lime ! "

Eeturning again to Mr. Bulfinch's employment under
government, we find that a few years after undertaking
the work on the Capitol an episode occurred which is told
in the following correspondence: —

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FROM J . ELGAR.
OFFICE OF COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS,
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 1822.

SIR, — I have a painful duty to perform. I t is that of
announcing a general reduction of Salaries, to take place at
the end of the present year. Subsequently to that period
yours will be $2,000 per annum.
Very respectfully,
Your most obt. svt.
J. ELGAR, Com. P. B.

TO JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

January 25, 1823.

SIR, — I must beg you to excuse me for again soliciting
attention to a subject which interests me very nearly, the
proposed reduction of my salary. I have lately applied to
the Attorney General, who informs me that the subject has
not been mentioned to him by the President; and that if it
should be, he is so overwhelmed in business, that he will
not be able to pay attention to it, but in course, after other
affairs already committed to him.
I would respectfully suggest that, having received notice
of the honour of my appointment immediately from your
hand, I have been happy in considering myself more
directly connected with the department of State and under
your protection. The offer of a salary of $2,500 was my
inducement for quitting a place where I was well established,
and a numerous and respectable acquaintance, for a residence with strangers, and an employment of great responsibility. I have heard no complaint against my personal or
professional conduct; and have reason to believe that they
have been satisfactory to the various Committees of Con-

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gress with whom I have been connected, and to the
members generally. My stile of living is prudent and
economical; but as the sum I have received is not more
than sufficient for the wants of a large family, the necessity
of retrenchment will be irksome and humiliating; nor can
I think it required from the circumstances of the times, or
proper at the close of so great a work as the Capitol of the
United States, which will probably be completed in two or
three years more.
It is due to myself to remark, that my salary has never
equalled that given by the States of Virginia, North and
South Carolina, to their civil engineers; and that CoL
Baldwin, the superintendant of the canal to unite the
Susquehannah and Schuylkil, receives $4,000 per annum.
The amount paid me is the same which Mr. Latrobe
received, and he was allowed, at the same time, to conduct
two large and profitable works at Baltimore, while my
whole time is devoted to my duties here, without any other
source of additional income.
Under these circumstances, I most respectfully request
your influence, that the Commissioner may be directed to
continue my salary at its original amount, either on the
plea of an implied contract, in my understanding of the
subject, or in any other manner which you shall think best.
I have the honour to be,
with great respect,
yr. obed. Ser*.
PRESIDENT MONROE TO ATTORNEY-GENERAL WIRT.

January 31, 1823.

— I send you a paper, the claim of Mr.
Bulfinch, which will not require five minutes' attention.
The question involved in it is whether the invitation to him
DEAR SIR,

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to come here at a given salary formed a contract not to be
altered, supposing his conduct to be correct, until the Capitol should be finished ?
I wish an immediate answer, as I promised one on my
part this morning.
J. M.
ATTORNEY-GENERAL WIRT TO PRESIDENT MONROE.

Jan*. 318t, 1823.

SIR, — I am of opinion that Mr. Adams' letter of 4th
December, 1817, and Mr. Bulfinch's answer thereto, make
a contract between the government and that individual,
which is unalterable by the mere will of either party, as if
it had been, instead of a salary, a contract for a fixed sum
to be paid for the whole work. I have the honour to
remain, Sir, very respectfully,
Your obed. serv.
WM

WIRT.

My grandfather writes, two years later, —
WASHINGTON, June 22nd, 1825.

Your attention to keep us informed of
your own movements, and of amusing topics of a public
nature, deserves our thanks, and ought to meet with suitable return from u s ; but you know that this is our season
of languor and inactivity. The heat deprives us of all
power of exertion, except what is required to perform our
daily duties; a succession of 18 or 20 days of heat from
86° to 93° leaves us no cause to regret that we did not
undertake the journey we once thought of; for under such
circumstances I do not know how your mother or myself
could have borne the fatigue. You expect us to give you
the news of this place; we have but little to communicate;
DEAR T H O S . , —

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a Launch which I did not attend, but which is well spoken
of, and a military muster for to-morrow, which our young
men are complaining of, are our principal public events.
Your friend J. C. has not yet appeared with his bride, but
we are expecting them hourly, and perhaps we shall have
the pleasure of seeing them before I close this.
Our papers give us extracts of accounts of the Bunker
hill celebration, but we have not yet seen any complete,
detailed account; from what we can judge, you Bostonians,
lovers of parade, must have had enough to content you on
this occasion, and not only so, but full scope must have
been afforded for the most honourable feelings and sentiments, and while these have their proper influence, we will
excuse a little puffing. I have been disposed myself to
shoulder my crutch in relating the events of the day, which
are perfectly fresh in memory as they took place when I
was a school-boy. I perceive by the papers that the committee has not approved of any one of the designs offered
for the monument, and that they have agreed to get up
something of the Obelisk kind. I felt as much of an impulse as the heat of the weather would allow to attempt a
design myself, but upon reflection have abandoned the idea.
An obelisk may be executed much cheaper than a column,
but to meet the high raised expectations of the publick it
must be very large and lofty; and is singly, of itself, a very
uninteresting figure; built only of plain courses of stone it
will require to be accompanied by Collonades or groups of
sculpture to make it an honourable specimen of the arts j
and from the estimates that I have been able to make, I
cannot conceive that the funds are equal to one half of the
necessary expense. I see, however, by the inscription on
the plate, that Mr. Paris is stated to be architect; 1 by which
1

Mr. Solomon Willard's plans were finally selected.

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I judge that some general outlines of a design have been
adopted. I shall look to you to furnish me with a description when attainable and a copy of Mr. Webster's
address. . . .
Our work at the Capitol proceeds but slowly, owing to
delay of contractors in delivering the large blocks for columns. We have received only 4 this season, which are
raised into their places, and must have 7 more before the
much talked of Pediment can be commenced. With respect to the ornament proposed to decorate this, the artists
in general feel much disappointed; about 30 persons presented 36 designs, some well and others badly executed, but
none answering the President's idea of a suitable decoration
for a legislative building. He disclaimed all wish to exhibit
triumphal cars and emblems of Victory, and all allusions to
heathen mythology, and thought that the duties of the
Nation or its Legislators should be expressed in an obvious
and intelligible manner. After several attempts, the following has been agreed upon : a figure of America occupies
the centre, her right arm resting on the shield, supported
by an altar or pedestal bearing the inscription July 4> 1776\
her left hand pointing to the figure of Justice, who, with
unveiled face, is viewing the scales, and the right hand presenting an open scroll inscribed Constitution, March Jf,
1789; on the left of the principal figure is the eagle, and
a figure of Hope resting on her anchor, with face and
right hand uplifted, — the whole intended to convey that
while we cultivate Justice we may hope for success. The
figures are bold, of 9 feet in height, and gracefully drawn
by Mr. Persico, an Italian artist. It is intended that an
appropriate inscription shall explain the meaning and moral
to dull comprehensions. I have given you the above, which
you may speak of, but I wish it not to be put in print, as
the subordinate parts are still subject to alterations.

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While I am engaged with models of ideal personages in
stone, you are becoming acquainted with a circle of real
beauties, [so] that we should fear for your heart only that
we know the force of contrary attractions will counteract
each other, and ensure your safety. We hope for a letter
to give us the domestic detail, as I may call it, of the 17th,
in which I presume you bore a part with Cousins from the
east and west. . . .
I have kept open this until Saturday evening, and see
nothing of J. C. We cannot now expect him before Tuesday in the regular course of stages.
Yrs. affectionately.
In a letter written two days earlier to Thomas, his
mother makes these references : —
We go on much as usual. Papa rides every day, almost,
up the hill, and has nearly settled a design for the Pediment. . . . I must not describe it till it is more complete.
I wish your father would furnish a plan for the Obelisk,
and feel convinced he could please the committee, if he
were to try his hand.
The next winter she writes to the sons: —
Dec. 25, 1825.

The papers will show you we have had an alarm of fire at
the Capitol, and considerable disorder introduced into the
elegant Library, but 'tis treated as not of much consequence, and no doubt will soon be repaired, though the
carpet, I am told, which cost 1,000 dollars, is almost
ruined. Your good father has felt concerned and anxious,
as he is very reasonably proud of that room. This seems
to be a sad time for fires everywhere.

Hannah Apthorp Bulfinch {Mrs. Charles Bulfinch)

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FKOM MRS. BULFINCH.
October 19 th , 1826.

— This day our citizens are celebrating
the funeral honours to the memory of the departed Presidents. Your father and brothers have gone to the Capitol
to listen to Mr. Wirt's Eulogy, while Susan and I, upon
the invalid list, are seated in our little back chamber, the
window of which commands a good view of the hill. A
long line of procession has just moved up the broad avenue
north of the Capitol; the flash of the cannon we plainly
see, a minute before its heavy sound meets the ear. Before
I close my letter you shall be informed how the oration
goes off. . . .
DEAR THOMAS,

What follows is in her husband's hand: —
I, of course, continue the subject. Much has been
expected from the performance of Mr. Wirt, though all
were aware of the difficulties he had to encounter. Being
a member of the Cabinet would make an exalted eulogium
of Mr. Adams appear like servile adulation of the present
head of the government, and it was well known that his
predilections, both personal and political, were in favour of
Mr. Jefferson. Mr. Wirt has gratified and delighted a
most crowded audience for the space of 2\ hours, in an
unceasing flow of language, eloquent and not verbose,
delivered without once referring to notes, in his easy and
gentlemanly manner. He alluded to the early history of
Massachusetts and its constant struggles to maintain its
rights, as having had a great influence in forming the bold
and energetic character of Adams, and did ample justice to
the characters of the patriots of the North; while the more

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settled submission to English rule in Virginia gave Mr.
Jefferson in early life the opportunity to cultivate his taste
for general science. He continued a discriminating view
of these two great men in all the relations of their long
and active lives; often rising to passages of great force
and beauty. I do not pretend to follow him even in a
sketch. The performance will undoubtedly be printed,
when I will send you a copy. I must, however, mention
the most delightful description which he gave of the retired
life of Jefferson, of his residence at Monticello, and of the
charms of his manners and society. In fine, I was afraid
that so many discourses on this subject had been delivered
that not much more could be expected than an hackneyed
repetition, but Mr. W. has happily executed his performance and thrown round it an air of originality.
[Continued by Susan.]
DEAR BROTHER, — A visitor unexpectedly calling obliged
Papa to lay down the pen. . . . We are all much in our
old state when commencing cool weather; sometimes a fire
in the chimney, puss on the r u g ; sometimes open windows
and flowers blooming. The other day we had a visit from
an old college acquaintance of yours, Mr. Francis, the
Reverend, of Watertown. He preached here and gave
great satisfaction. He spoke with regard of you, and
expressed a wish to renew his acquaintance. His wife was
with him, a lovely woman of sweet manners. You ought
to call and see them. Mamma wished me to mention them
to you.

As we have said before, the family enjoyed the visits of
a number of New England friends while at the capital, and
among these were their good friends the Higginsons, of
Cambridge. The winter of 1826-27 was marked by an

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event of unusual interest to the young people. A lovely
visitor came to them from Hallowell, in Maine, their cousin
Harriet Vaughan, a girl of rare attractions, whose four
months' stay made a deep impression, not only on the
susceptible hearts of her young men relatives, but on the
whole family circle. This cousin, their pride and delight
through the rest of her life, too early cut short, and whose
name was cherished for long years, married after her return
to the North our well-known writer Jacob Abbott, and
became the mother of several sons of distinction, among
them Dr. Lyman Abbott, of Brooklyn, N. Y.
In the spring, when the youngest son leaves for Cambridge at the same time that Harriet goes home, we find
his father supplying him with directions for his journey,
and the selections which follow from the numerous home
letters reflect the varied and busy family life, and mention
a few of the friends around them : —
FROM MRS. BULFINCH TO S. G. BULFINCH.
WASHINGTON, April 17, 1827.

DEAR G R E E N L E A F , — Thinks I to myself, Stephen will
by this time begin to wish for a letter from home, when,
having seen all that the country afforded, and the great
cities also, and gone through meeting with brothers and
friends, he will say or think, " I wish I could know how
my old companions are in 6th St." Well then, my dear
boy, I am happy to say we are well, rejoicing in the good
weather you have had for your journey, and the favorable
accounts your letters convey to us. You have been very
good to inform us from Philadelphia and from New York
of your proceedings. "We now shall wait with some impatience for an account of your reception by your Boston
friends and afterwards by your Cambridge ones. All,

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every word, will be more dearly valued than I can describe.
Do, then, write soon, and particularly about yourself. We
have seen but little of your friend Edward since you went,
and suppose he does not love to come where he would miss
your sweet Coz. and self. He has, however, seen your
letter. Apthorp carried it to him. You are probably by
this time initiated in the rules of your new College, have
been introduced to your father's friend, the excellent and
amiable Mr. Higginson. I am sure you will like him.
Tell us all your feelings and impressions. The beauties of
Cambridge must be new to you. I almost envy you your
pleasure when one fine object after another meets your eyes.
You must not expect such pleasure to be lasting. The
novelty will be over, and then comes sober application to
study, but as you love employment and literary competition,
you will still have much to interest you. On Sunday
morning I found myself very lonesome, missing my usual
occupation. I saw more of you on that good day than any
other. But I dashed away a childish, or rather, motherly
tear, and thought of your happy prospects. I have no
news for you but the old story that we all love you very
much, and talk of you very much. Thomas and George
are, no doubt, glad to see you. So are your Aunts and
Uncles. I commit you, my beloved child, to the care of
your Heavenly Father and to the friendly assistance of
those relatives, and am as ever
Yr. truly affectionate Mother.
FROM MRS. BULFINCH TO S. G. BULFINCH.

June 14, 1827.

— We were gratified yesterday when
old Robert returned from the post office with your nice
long lettter of the 7th in his hand, and to-day bringing
DEAR GREENLEAF,

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dear Thomas's of the 8th. I believe it really pleases the
faithful creature to be the instrument of procuring us so
much satisfaction. Yours bespeaks your content and comfort, except a few natural longings and yearnings towards
home, and those, even we would not desire you to be freed
from entirely. . . .
And so you joined the gay throng on Election day.
This always brings me back to old times, when I was
young, and lived in the very midst of those celebrations of
the sovereign people, the merry, noisy rabble, who began
the day with lively hilarity, and ended it in stupid intemperance and quarrels. . . .
You ought to see how nicely our City Hall ground looks
now, enclosed with a fence, young trees planted round, and
within sowed with oats and grass, beginning to look green
and smooth. I never saw any such space in the city so
suddenly altered and improved.
At this moment, a noise assails my ear. Our neighbor
Mauro's black boy is beating the frying pan to collect a
swarm of bees. Sad music he makes, but I am almost at
the end of my letter, or I should scold at the discordant
sound. Apthorp has just come in, and refreshed himself
with some cherries. Apropos, Mr. Hall saw at market
the other morning, cherries, strawberries, gooseberries and
currants, raspberries, mulberries, whortleberries. Small
pears and ripe apples from Carolina were seen to-day. This
is a most productive season.
FROM JOHN APTHORP BULFINCH.

June 21,1827.

G., — I am seated at the new window in Sister's
chamber, enjoying a refreshing breeze which has sprung up
after a pretty warm day. The view, though I suppose not
DEAR

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so rich and varied as the one you may be at this moment
surveying from your window at the east, is, I will venture
to say, not less extensive. Looking over Mrs. Cook's house,
the mention of which may recall to you many a gingerbread
association, I have a glimpse of the river and the opposite
banks at that point, very distant. Further west appears
the Mansion House, and the high hills are seen, extending
along the other side of the river.
Our street looks very handsomely, now that the trees are
in their richest dress.
Last Tuesday evening Miss Barbour had a party, to
which she honoured the Messrs. Bulfinch with an invitation.
Charles and I went accordingly. We found a good collection of young ladies — the Miss Seatons, Miss Blake, and
many others whom I had never seen before. There was
rather a deficiency of beaux. Your chum William Poor I
met. He has grown very tall, and is a handsome young
man, and very pleasant. He joined the company of Washington Guards, in their late visit to Baltimore, and it is
said was the admiration of the whole corps. I am going
this evening with Lindsly to see the Eliots. By the by —
Dawes has gone to Baltimore lately. He went on a fine
little horse of his own, which he purchased a short time
ago. He rides every morning from sunrise till breakfast
time. I do not think, dear G
, that you need ever feel
homesick, for you are always at home in our thoughts.
July 4, 1827, his mother writes to Greenleaf to give
away his light coat, if he does not need it, to some lad who
may want it more than he does. " Farewell, dear G
;
just received a nice letter from H. V. She is a dear girl,
and there is more than one here that thinks so."

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FROM SUSAN TO GREENLEAF.

July 6, 1827.

. . . That venerable person Uncle Robert has been, and
returned empty-handed from the Post Office. I should
think he could go in his sleep, so regular and constant is
his march, at 12, each day. . . . We have had some warm
times here. The weather was warm by day and by night.
The people were warm about the 4th of July. Papa is
warm when he walks, or rather sails, up and down the
passage, with his calico gown unfurled, endeavouring to
catch the slightest breeze, and at last settling in meek despair in the porch. Mamma is quite warm all the time, but
chiefly at tea-time.
TO GREENLEAF FROM HIS MOTHER.

Sept. 29.

Dr. Lowell has been here two Sundays, and won the
hearts of our people by his piety and sweetness of manners.
Dec. 6th.

Mr. Sprague brought us pleasant letters from your
Aunt V. and Harriet. They are in health, that is, Aunt
much better, and H. quite well. Your kind Uncle sent
us two barrels of nice apples, and H. V. several pretty
little tokens of regard, such as card racks for visiting cards
to place over the mantel piece, made most ingeniously of
paste board, covered with beautiful shells; and a nice cap,
worked by her own self. These were for Sister; to me,
she sent two pretty drawings of flowers and butterflies. I
wish, dear S., you were sometimes here, to sit round the fire
and eat your apples with your brothers of an evening, and
chat away the hour before retiring to rest. The time may
come when we shall be reunited. At any rate I think you
will enjoy seeing Apthorp next Spring.

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MKS. BULFINCH TO S. G. BULEINCH.

Dec. 16, 1827.

. . . I cannot help paying a passing tribute of respect
and esteem to Mr. Motte in this part of my letter. I have
just returned from church, where we have heard him deliver
an excellent discourse upon the inefl&cacy of prayer without
a proper course of life. He has gained upon our regards
every time we have heard him, and we, with all our people,
relinquish him with genuine regret. We have witnessed
to-day the first baptismal ceremony ever performed in our
church. Mrs. Poor, with her two children and her daughter, Mrs. Webb, with two infants, came forward to the
table, and a short ceremony and a prayer followed. I was
much pleased, as I reverence the old custom, and think
it highly useful to all the mothers and children present,
besides those immediately concerned.
. . . When you see your dear Aunt Storer, let her see
this letter. Susan received her kind one about a week
since. Thanks for its contents. They show her in better
health than usual. I would write to her by this opportunity,
but short days and various engagements seem to take up all
my time. Your Aunt will recollect the daughters of Mrs.
Van der Neuville, Mrs. Hamilton and her sister Mrs. Ingersol. Mr. I. is member of Congress from the State of Connecticut. The ladies and their husbands are here, and I
feel a wish to be friendly with them. Calls have passed
and invitations for tea and evening sent and accepted.
Mr. and Mrs. H. came, but her sister was prevented by the
illness of one of her children. She has four with her. We
invited a few of the members, and had a pleasant evening.
We admire Mrs. H., indeed it is no difficult matter to love
her, she is so amiable and agreeable. We talked over
family affairs, and the sympathy for your Uncle Apthorp's

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misfortunes gave a topic which engaged us very much.
We all feel affected by your Uncle's late letter, wherein he
says Leonard was quite calm in his last hours, said it was
" all right, and he willing to go." Is not this a circumstance of real comfort? To be willing to go is saying
much. Our affections must be weaned from this strange,
fluctuating world, and ready to enter with hope into a
better. All I desire is that when my time arrives, it may
find me in this happy state of mind, " willing to go."
Jan. 14th, 1828.

. . . How have you passed your fortnight's vacation?
I wish you could have spent it with us. We have had one
gratification of late in hearing Mr. Secretary Southard's
oration before the Columbian Institute, which would have
been quite to your taste. Your sister and myself rode up
to the hill early enough to call on Mrs. Cranch. I then
went with her to make a call on Mrs. Eliot of the hill, a
lady whom our old friend the mathematician married about
five months since. She seems to be an agreeable woman,
and wTell qualified to make a pleasant home to him and his
sons. We then went to the Capitol. We admired the
high finish of the Rotunda, the western steps and the circular terrace, which you may remember to have seen begun
before you left us. On its top is a fine walk, and it is, as
a whole, much commended by strangers. If you wish to
see one of your father's reports on the work, Thomas can
lend it you, or George, as he sent one to each of them.
A letter of March 22, 1827 (or, 1828) gives a glimpse
of their social life. It is to Thomas from his mother: —
. . . Last evening we all went by invitation to tea at

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Judge Cranch's; met a rather large circle. . . . There were
plenty of members of Congress, one or two belles, and a
Bishop Chase of Ohio. . . . He is a noble looking son of
the Church, handsome and easy in his manners. He is
here to petition Congress to give him a township of land
to assist him to establish a college in Ohio. His building
is now nearly up, and he is as enthusiastic as good men
usually are, wrhen engaged in any scheme of what they
think great usefulness. He spent an evening here lately,
giving us an interesting account of his visit to England. . . .
We spent our evening at the Judge's in the usual walking-about manner; two musical instruments, one in each
room. . . . At half-past ten, papa and I, arm in arm,
walked homeward, the moon shining sweetly, and the
weather such as you have in June.
Mr. Blanchard was then preaching for them, with Mr.
Stetson, of Medford, to come next. " We admire them all
in turn," Mrs. Bulfinch writes. Of her own kind relations
to the young divinity students her son writes a little
later: —
. . . I am truly glad to hear how well you and brother
Putnam [afterwards Dr. Putnam, of Roxbury] like each
other. I must (whether it be good faith or no) extract a
couple of lines from his letter. " I drank tea," says he,
" with your mother this evening. I felt as if I were by
the side of my own good mother. She seems the mother
of all good boys in the wo^ld."
Mrs. Bulfinch writes on December 20, 1828: —
. . . " Your father is well, and quite satisfied with the

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manner his year's work is spoken of by the members of
Congress. Yet he may not have anything from them to
do next year. However, we leave that concern, as we
ought to all that is connected with us, to an overruling
Providence."
The health of their daughter, Susan Hall, had been
always delicate. She was fond of the mild climate of
Washington, and had been the better for her life there,
but as the spring of 1829 came on she failed rapidly, and
died before the end of May. Her parents met the bereavement with that religious trust and elevation of character
which distinguished them, but her mother wrote, " T h i s
event makes a chasm in our circle which we shall perceive
while we remain here. We do not yet know what effect
it will have on our future determinations. I feel as if
nothing here can reconcile me to remain long separated
from New England ties/' and all realized that one of the
strongest reasons for a continued residence in Washington
had been removed. The way for a return seemed opening
also in another direction.
By the completion of his great work, the Capitol of the
United States, Mr. Bulfinch's employment under government was drawing to its close. Early in the summer of
this year, and a month after his daughter's death, he
received a communication not wholly unexpected from the
Commissioner of Public Buildings, which we give below,
together with the words of the architect in reply, addressed
to President Jackson, and the President's response : —

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FROM J . ELGAR.
WASHINGTON, June 25, 1829.

SIR, — I am directed by the President to inform you
that the office of Architect of the Capitol will terminate
with the present month.
Respectfully I remain
Your faithful and obt. Svt.
J . ELGAR.

MEMORIAL TO PRESIDENT JACKSON, ON CLOSE OF MY SERVICES.

The Commissioner of Public Buildings has given information that the President of the United States has directed
that the office of Architect of the Capitol should cease at
the close of the present month.
From the tenor of the law. of the last session I was prepared for the termination of my employment when the
work now in hand should be complete, and supposed from
the assurances of the committee of Congress upon the
public buildings, that I should be retained until the last of
September.
I am apprehensive that the Commissioner has been more
forward than his duty required, in stating the propriety of
my immediate dismissal. I t is true that my services are
not so indispensably necessary as at many other stages of
the work, and that I have arranged all the plans, and progress has been made in preparing materials. But there are
yet several portions of the work in hand, and one of particular weight and massiveness, which require the superintendance of an Architect.
I regret that the Commissioner's statement has been
acted upon wdthout affording me an opportunity of explanation. I feel grateful for the liberal indulgence with

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which my labours have been received; I wish to close them
honourably, and not to carry with me, by leaving work in
an unfinished state, the impression of censure by an abrupt
dismissal.
I most respectfully suggest, that if the President should
think proper to recall his orders, and continue my employment for another quarter, it would ensure the right execution of the work; it would gratify my feelings, in closing
my labours, with satisfaction, and my time would be at the
command of the Government to visit the Navy hospital at
Norfolk, if the public service should seem to require it, and
to make inquiry into its actual situation, and reports of the
proceedings there as might lead to more correct prosecution
of those distant works in future.
The above is respectfully submitted to the consideration
of the President of the United States, by one who feels a
pride in his profession, and who would regret the appearance of censure, more than the loss of the emoluments of
office.
With great respect,
CHARLES BULFINCH,

Architect of Capitol U. S.
June 27, 1829.
FROM PRESIDENT JACKSON.
WASHINGTON, June 27, 1829.

S I R ? — Y o u r note of this morning has been received.
As the law under which you have been employed makes
the period of your services depend upon their necessity, it
became the duty of the President, as soon as he was advised
that the public buildings had so far advanced as no longer
to require them, to notify you accordingly. But it was far
from his intention in so doing to manifest the slightest dis-

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approbation o£ the manner in which you had discharged
your duties. The superintendent of the buildings had
reported that they were so far advanced as not to require
the employment of the architect. Of course the President,
whose duty it is to guard against a wasteful expenditure of
the public money, was bound to direct his discharge.
Your suggestion in regard to the work at Norfolk will
receive the most respectful consideration.
Your obt. servt.
ANDREW JACKSON.

It would appear that my grandfather's request to be
allowed to complete his work was granted, from the allusions we find in letters written later in the summer. He
writes to Thomas on August 3, 1829 : —
" I have executed my commission to Norfolk and handed
in my report; the Sec'y of the Navy has, however, been
absent till within a few days, and so occupied since his
return that the hospital subject could not be attended to.
I have seen him, and he understands that I hold myself in
readiness for his orders. I may be sent again to Norfolk,
but do not expect that I shall be wanted to fix there. We
frequently talk over the subject of future movements.
Sometimes we strongly incline to take lodgings immediately
at Cambridge, while at others it strikes us as more advisable
not to make the change, as Winter is coming on, but to
remain here till Spring, which would give me a chance of
seeing if anything would occur in Congress to give employment in another season."

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TO THOMAS BULFINCH FROM HIS MOTHER.
August 21, 1829.

. . . As to ourselves, although the Government may
suspend or cut off our pay, yet you must recollect I informed you we are not left unprovided. Your father
assures me he can continue housekeeping this winter easily,
especially if our two gentlemen, Charles and Mr. H., board
with us, which they wish to do. And even after that we
can save up something to continue along our own support
without giving you any concern about us. Thus you see
I am calculating upon remaining as we are. At the Hospital, there are enough to go on with the work, though it
may possibly happen your father will undertake to overlook
them by going down to Norfolk once or twice during the
winter. As yet nothing of the kind is settled. If this
should be the case, I am pleased to think I have been once,
and have seen that it is easy and pleasant enough to go
there by a good steamboat in 24 hours, to the wharf in
Norfolk, and a safe tow-boat which crosses the river continually carries one to Portsmouth, opposite the city, to the old
fort, where the Hospital stands, and where Capt. Wheeler,
clerk of the works, and his agreeable lady, are ready to
perform all the duties of hospitality. In this way the coming season may wear away, but next Spring I do hope
something may occur to justify us in returing to live with
those whom it is most natural to love and associate with.
. . . The church is one of those concerns we wish to leave
settled and prosperous whenever we take our departure.
. . . I will conclude by a request of your father, viz:
that you will send us, by an early opportunity, \ a quintal
of good salt fish. We find it difficult to procure any tolerable ones here.

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In regard to the church, we find that a letter was written
by Mr. Bulfinch in May, addressed to Greenleaf at the
Divinity School, and setting forth the reasons why the
society had adopted the measure of sending agents North to
collect money from their friends.
Since the death of Mr. Little, an event which he had
feared would disperse them, the members of the society had
kept together beyond his expectations, but they had been
unfavorably affected by several causes. The change of
administration had deprived them of some valued members.
Other churches had been built in their neighborhood.
Their debt of six thousand dollars was a heavy drag upon
them. It was secured by mortgage upon the property, but
the interest was a burden which reduced their little resources, and discouraged others from joining them. The
Rev. Mr. Bigelow was about to leave, having been with
them seven months, but finding the outlook unfavorable to
a permanent settlement.
" Under these circumstances our people have been roused
to exertion, and have subscribed about one third of the
amount of the debt, to be paid when the residue shall have
been obtained elsewhere.
" Our agents are going on to make an attempt for our full
relief. It is not intended that they shall apply to a few rich
men for large sums, but that they shall endeavour to make
ours a common cause with all the friendly churches; asking
for small but numerous subscriptions, and if only 150 dollars can be collected, or 200 at most, on an average, from
each society, the object can be effected without burthen to
any one. They intend to begin with Mr. Motte's society,
and proceed regularly through Boston to Salem, calling on
friendly churches by the way.
" I have been thus particular, to enable you to explain

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the wants of the Church, the nature of the effort now making, and our hopes of a favourable result, and wish you
to show this to Mr. Higginson, Uncle Coolidge and your
brothers, not to excite them to any great exertion in this
cause, but to explain why the society has looked to me for
advice and direction, and which, from my situation and
standing among them, I have not been able to refuse."
At the present day the Unitarian society in Washington, having survived the perplexities and trials of its early
years and of many later ones as well, is established in a
handsome modern building, known as " All Souls' Church,"
with a good degree of prosperity. Its bell, cast in the
foundry established by Paul Revere, is said to have tolled
the death knell of John Brown of Harper's Ferry. The
old church where it hung at the time of that event, and
the one designed by Mr. Bulfinch, is still standing, though
deprived of its cupola and now used for a police court
house.
A penitentiary was also built in Washington by the
architect during his residence there.
Of this, the two
wings still remain, and are used as officers' quarters, connected with the artillery barracks. The main building was
taken down some years ago, to give additional area to the
parade ground.
Mr. Bulfinch writes to Greenleaf on March 5, 1830: —
" Our destination is yet undecided. I may have employment in this city or in Philadelphia for one more summer,
but this is uncertain. The Building Committee have unanimously reported in favour of allowing me a sum for extra
services and expenses of removal."
On the 23d of the same month he sends a letter giving
his formal sanction to the son's plan for spending a year
as a preacher in Georgia, with advice as to care of health,

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manners, mingling in society, etc., and expressing his confidence in the high principles of the youth, while warning
him against temptation. His tone of unquestioned authority has a sound that is now unfamiliar to our ears. He
concludes: —
"You have, however, as yet, been among partial friends,
and are now for the first time to mix with strangers. . . .
You will be called upon to defend and explain your peculiar religious opinions, and you should do so, clearly
and openly, but without severity and sarcastic reproaches
against others, and if they revile, let it pass, but revile not
again."
Their own church was now hoping — though the hope
proved vain — to secure a young preacher of great ability,
the friend of Emerson and the Transcendentalists, and who
was destined to become recognized as the profoundest spirit
of the Unitarian movement on this side the Atlantic, Dr.
Frederic Henry Hedge. Mrs. Bulfinch writes in May,
1830: —
" You may be surprised to learn that Mr. Hedge, who
has succeeded Mr. Upham in our church, has pleased the
people so well that they talk of giving him an invitation to
settle here. Mr. Upham had so delighted us by his good
talents, and most engaging personal qualities, that when
we saw Mr. Hedge, before hearing him preach, wre all
thought he must appear after Mr. Upham to great disadvantage, but at the sound of his fine powerful voice, and
his correct reading, and at the delivery of his superior compositions, all fears of that sort vanished at once. . . . He
has gone home now to consult his friends, I suppose, and
doubtless a fair friend who is to become his partner in all
earthly concerns this next Summer."

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LETTER ON LEAVING WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, June 3rd, 1830.

— I date from this place for the last
time; we have taken places in the stage and leave for Baltimore at 2 o'clk. We have not time to dwell upon regrets,
&c, at leaving friends who appear sincerely attached to us,
and a place which has given us a pleasant and respectable
home for 12 years, and where we leave memorials of us
which we hope will long endure. Charles has taken lodgings at Mrs. Myers' on the avenue, and the Dr. has opened
an office also on the avenue, adjoining McCormick's apothecary shop. The situation promises well; the neighborhood
is improving, by new buildings and new families, every
month. . . .
Mr. Palfrey has been here one Sunday and one week.
We are much pleased with his conversation and manners,
but he has not weakened the impression made on the society
by Mr. Hedge, who has received a call, and his answer is
shortly expected. . . . I have delayed writing to this morning, in hopes of receiving a letter from you, and am now
compelled to be very short, so many petty concerns are to
be attended to, and we are subject to so many interruptions
from friends making their last call.
We now look to the return to former friends for future
comforts and pleasures. Your brother George has remained
with us to this time, and accompanies us home. Your
mother's health is much as usual, and her feelings and
remembrance of you as warm as ever.
With prayers that all the changes of our lives may terminate for good, I am
Yours affectionately,
DEAR GREENLEAF,

C. BULFINCH.

CHAPTER

X

KETURN TO NEW ENGLAND. — CONCLUSION
1830-1844
Therefore to whom turn I but to thee, the ineffable Name ?
Builder and maker, thou, of houses not made with hands !
ROBERT

BROWNING.

T H E last chapter of my grandfather's life may be divided
into three periods. In the first of these, we find the
husband and wife living for the most part in Boston,
usually boarding with Mr. Brigham in Bumstead Place,
and often spending the summer with their relatives the
Vaughans in Maine, while one summer was passed at
Northampton.
They did not again establish a home of their own, for
the sons realized that their parents were growing old, and
feared that household cares would tax their mother's
strength too far. An addition was made to their resources

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about this time, through legacies from some of the English
relatives, amounting in all to near three thousand pounds,
which helped to make them comfortable and independent.
The second period is that when my grandparents revisited Washington in September, 1838, to pass the winter
in the family of their son Greenleaf, who had just suffered
the loss of his young wife, and who was settled as minister
over the parish they were so much attached to.
Here they were warmly welcomed by old friends, and
improved the opportunity to mark the changes and growth
of the capital. They returned North in the spring. Their
old pleasant family circle had now been much contracted
by the death of relatives. The sisters were gone, and, of
the brothers-in-law, " Uncle Coolidge " alone remained.
The third period begins when, Mr. Coolidge's health
being in a precarious condition, his daughters invited my
grandparents to cheer them with their presence in the old
home in Bowdoin Square, whither they removed in October
of 1839, and which they never afterwards left.
The first letter we give is one written by Mrs. Bulfinch
immediately after their return to Boston on the completion
of the Capitol. George, who attended his father when he
first took up his government work, was now, as it chanced,
the one to accompany his parents home.
Prom some allusions in the letters, it would appear that
my Uncle George was the one who inherited most distinctly
a love for architecture, though all the sons possessed a
correct eye, and a ready use of the pencil. In this connection I have heard an amusing anecdote from my father,
that, when my grandfather was asked if he should train up
any of his children in his own profession, he replied,
with charming naivete, that he did not think there would
be much left for them to do. The States and prominent

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towns were already supplied with their chief buildings, and
he hardly thought a young man could make a living as an
architect.
The old estate at Fresh Pond, which Madam Bulfinch
often visited and described in her letters, and from which
Hannah Bulfinch now writes, a delightful country home,
was occupied at this time by Uncle and Aunt Storer.
FROM MRS. BULFINCH TO GREENLEAF BULFINCH.
FRESH POND, June 18, 1830.

DEAR GREENLEAF, — We wrote to you previous to our
leaving Washington, and supposing you will wish to know
how we fared thro' the long journey homeward, I devote
a leisure hour this morning to informing you all about it.
The date will show that we are safe under the roof of our
kind friends. Our reception has been such as to comfort
and cheer us under the fatigues and disagreeables of a
breaking up of our own domestic life. The journey was
not unpleasant, altho' my age (not to say your father's, for
he is finely) has sometimes been oppressed with the variety
I have had to go thro', but thanks to a protecting and sustaining Providence I feel now able to proceed in the course
we have marked out. We left Charles and Mr. Hall and
Apthorp with rather less reluctance as they were disposed
to try their luck in the great City, and tho' they felt sober
at parting yet hope was ready at hand to give them a
glance of the future, and a possibility at least of meeting
again. Apthorp has taken an office on the avenue next
door to McCormick's apothecary Store, and as they are
old acquaintances he may be favored by this circumstance.
When we arrived in Boston we found ourselves comfortably
lodged at your Aunt Coolidge's, herself and family gone to
the Springs etc., and desiring we should put up at her

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house as long as our convenience required. Four days we
remained, and the following Sunday Evening Uncle S. took
us to this sweet and pleasant spot, now more beautiful than
usual by the roses being in full bloom. The weather has
been cool, our friends appear well and happy, and we have
had many friendly calls from old friends \ among the list
Mr. and Mrs. Higginson have come forward in the kindest
manner. They took tea here day before yesterday. She
talks of writing to you and I hope she will, as such a correspondant is quite a distinction. Your letters have become
very valuable ; we get a sight of one now and then besides
what you write us. . . .
HALLOWELL, June 29 th .

We have been comfortably settled in this most pleasant
place about 6 days, and as you will readily believe delightfully to myself. We have found our good friends well,
and their place highly improved ; indeed, let us look where
we will, the handsome white buildings on the cultivated hills
meet our eye between Hallowell and Augusta. Augusta,
that word takes my imagination from Maine to Georgia in
a moment and I am longing to know how you are ! I feel
impatient for intelligence from you, as 't is a month since
we heard. Your father says there must be a letter on the
road. I hope so, and that it may soon come to hand.
How should you like to have me tell you the manner in
which we pass our quiet day ? I will, as I have no news
to write, and this may interest you. In the morning, after
our breakfast, we go into another parlour, and Charles V.
reads a chapter in the Bible, when we all kneel and your
Uncle reads a prayer; we then rise and walk about to
admire the prospect, the Chaise is soon at the door and
Charles and a young lady who boards here and keeps the
infant school, ride a mile to the Village. I retire to my

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room and your father and Uncle walk out for a stroll.
Your Aunt and Cousin H. F. and myself sit down to our
needle. We dine at 1 o'clk, afterwards find our needle or
book or pen a resource for an hour or two, when if we wish
to ride or walk we can do it, as there are two chaises to be
had. After tea we have music, and here I find great indulgence to my fondness for this lovely art. Charles plays
readily and sweetly on the flute and bass viol. H. F. sings
finely, accompanying her Piano ; Miss Turner also sings —
and so harmoniously do we go on, that 10 o'clock comes
ere we think how time has sped along. After this, Uncle
calls us to prayers, and we end the calm day as we began
it. You ask how long we are to remain in this happy
situation ? If we were to comply with the earnest invitation of our friends it would be through August, but your
father will not incline to be till then out of the way of
business, so that in all probability the first week in that
month will see us on our way home to Boston. Farewell
my dear and much loved Greenleaf. This letter is perhaps,
the first page of it, a repetition of what I have written
before, but you will I hope accept it willingly, as it informs
you of our welfare and of the continued affection of your
mother.
We know very little of any professional work of her
husband's after his return to the North. He was now
sixty-seven years of age, still ready for work and anxious
not to be idle, but his tasks were over and the time for rest
had come. Perhaps he found more employment for his
talents during these early years after his return than we
know of, but only one work is recorded, that of the State
House at Augusta, Maine, which was finished and occupied
in 1832, and is still in use.

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Maine did not become a State until 1820, and Portland
had been at first the seat of government. Augusta having
been fixed upon in 1827 as the future capital, a commissioner was appointed the following year to obtain plans
and estimates for a building, and he made application to
Mr. Bulfinch. " The council adopted the plan by a resolution dated February 2, 1829, stating the dimensions, referring to it as the work of Bulfinch, and as ' representing
the Boston State House reduced to the dimensions aforesaid.' " Mr. Willard speaks of it as " like the Boston State
House and yet different; enough like it to show that Bulfinch was still willing to abide by that design in the main,
sufficiently different to show that his own taste had changed
with the general change of taste which gradually took place
during his professional career. There is the same high
basement, pierced by entrance arches, without high fronting
steps. There is the same placing of the portico, but its
treatment in detail is more regular.
The columns are
single, and the pediment is the full width of the portico,
and rests directly upon it. It is in the dome and its support that the departure from the earlier design is more
striking." The lines which he adopted in the General
Hospital at Boston are those reproduced here.
I find in a letter of his son George, of July, 1830, his
parents being then in Maine, that " Father has been promised one hundred dollars for some additional services to the
State House there." This is the only mention of the work
in the letters.
FKOM MKS. BULFINCH TO GREENLEAF BULFINCH.
BOSTON, Sept. 26, Sunday, 1830.
M Y BELOVED GREENLEAF, — There is no day in a week,
that brings you so clearly to my mind's eye and so warms

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my heart toward you as Sunday. I see you in your study
and in your church, among your people assembled to listen
to your dear voice, and then in the circle which has been
mercifully appointed to be to you instead of parents and
brethren. This is Sunday; the rain keeps me from Church
tho' the Gentlemen are gone. I turn as usual to you the
youngling of our flock, so far distant in person, but near in
imagination and in spirit. . . .
We have indulged ourselves with one or two rides of
late ; and they have been productive of much pleasure. It
is delightful to witness the improvements which have been
going on thro' the 12 years of our absence, both in town
and country, and to judge from the increase of neat houses
in the Villages round Boston we should believe that the
people wrere very generally prosperous; but nothing has
given your father and myself more genuine satisfaction
than a visit we lately made to Dr. Freeman. Instead of
seeing him bowed down with disease we were surprised at
his coming out to the door to receive us, with a healthful
glow on his face, and a cheerful expression that told of
renovated health and strength. . . .
On Monday we went to Cambridge to make some calls.
We rode to Mr. Higginson's first, saw the ladies, and admired his pleasant house and situation. Mrs. H. always
mentions you with so much kindness as to delight me.
Miss Storrow said they missed you very much when you
left them. This was the first opportunity I have had of
seeing Professors' Row. The afternoon was fine, and the
scenery beautiful.
We proceeded next to President Quincy's, and were received in a very friendly manner. They invited us to stay
to tea, but we wished to go to Fresh Pond, so bade them
farewell, and went to take tea with Uncle and Aunt Storer.

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They are preparing to leave that place, to reside for the
winter nearer Cambridge Village. Have taken lodgings in
the house belonging to the Botanic garden. . . . We are
glad of this arrangement, as for winter the Pond is too remote and inaccessible at times for any one, almost, who has
not a hardy constitution. . . . Your brothers T. and G. are
well. You may suppose we do enjoy being together.
That you may soon be added to the number is the earnest
wish of
Your affectionate mother.
FROM CHARLES BULFINCH TO GREENLEAF BULFINCH.
BOSTON, March 28 th , 1831.

. . . You have not of late, my dear Son, received anything direct from your father's hand; your mother's readiness
of communication and warmth of feeling have made full
amends for any failure of my more prosaic epistles. You
must not think however that I feel less warmly all that interests you. Our letters are written and read jointly and
express our united sentiments. I have forwarded to you
papers which show you some of the exciting subjects under
discussion: Mr. Beecher's attack upon the Catholics, answered by a series of lectures from the champions of that
faith, stated in a coarse manner, very different from what
the judicious and polished Bishop Cheverus would have
adopted. We have kept ourselves quietly at home during
the winter, but our citizens have found full amusement in
the theatrical performances of a wonderful boy, and in
numerous courses of lectures, religious and scientific; among
others your friend Dr. Follen is engaged in a course of an
abstruse and metaphysical kind, which is well attended by
upwards of two hundred of the prime of the society of the
city, and much approved of. . . .
C. B.

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I find no clue to the year when the following note, bearing on some unexplained subject, was written, but it may
have been near this period. Thomas appears to have been
then in Washington.
BOSTON, May

21.

B

D . THOS., — The oftener I look over the proposals for
the bridge, the more am I convinced of the magnitude of
the undertaking. There is no prospect of any one who
acts understandingly being willing to contract for the
materials and,work entire. Indeed such a contract to such
an extent was never made in any part of the world. The
new Waterloo bridge, over the Thames at London, which
Mr. McLean must be well acquainted with, is only 1000 or
1200 ft. long and cost one million pounds Stlg. — the one
proposed is to be nearly 5000 ft., with much greater depth of
alluvial to be removed for the piers. . . . I think that the
only safe way for the government or the contractors would
be, to build all the piers before any attempt should be made
to turn any of the arches — then any one might contract
for one or more entire piers, and separate piers might be in
building at the same time — when complete, the arches
might be contracted for, or undertaken in the same way.
At any rate, I think that it will require 10 years, or more
probably 20, to finish it. Are they aware of the Difficulty
and expense of coffer-dams and the mass of timber work,
and that of the very best construction, for forming Centres
for arches of 96 ft. span ? let them look well to it.
Yrs. ever.
It was a grief to Mrs. Bulfinch that so few of her children should marry, and in June, 1831, we find her writing
to her " son David " in Washington : —
" Your letter convinces me, my dear friend, of your con-

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tinued tender remembrance of one who, if her affection
were to be the test of her merit, deserved all you have
felt. But, two years have elapsed, and I now rather hope to
learn that another worthy woman may have engaged your
thoughts, at least. Believe me, I shall rejoice to discover
this. Your heart and temper were never meant for solitude ; you can receive happiness and communicate it by the
domestic tie. Do not then much longer deny yourself this
first of human comforts.
" W e in our advanced age are receiving from each other's
society the best enjoyments of which we are permitted to
partake, — the united prayer, the confidential converse, the
quiet readings, or the peaceful walks along our pleasant
common. I often think we are far more dependent upon
each other now than in early life, when almost everything
besides was capable of communicating pleasure."
To Charles she writes that they comfort themselves with
the hope that when they were able they did not indulge
idle habits of mere self-indulgence.
Their happiness in these years was increased by the
society of their brother and sister Storer, who, boarding also
in Bumstead Place and under the same roof, enlarged the
family circle most pleasantly. They played whist together,
and shared the same employments in many ways. On Sundays they were seen together in their pew at the chapel.
In the spring of 1832 my grandmother writes to Mr.
Hall: —
" You mentioned in a late letter the probability of the
alterations in the Hall of Representatives; and you then
inquire whether Mr. B. would wish to undertake them, if
they are voted for. In answer to this he says that it must
be another session before the business can be attended to
by Congress. By that time he may be unfit for the employ-

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ment; but if, at that time, health and strength should still
be left to take such a journey, and the employment can be
had, we shall be glad to have a chance of seeing you and
Charles, besides dear old acquaintances, and the interesting
city where we passed so many happy years; but now we
must look upon it rather as a pleasant imagination than as
a matter of probability."
In February, 1834, Thomas writes of his parents' pleasant situation. His father's cheerfulness is unimpaired, in
spite of some infirmities, " and his quiet, benevolent, good
sense mingle in our conversation, winning, as you have
always known it to do, the respect and regard of those
around, with something like reverence from the younger
part of our boarding-house circle. He takes an interest in
all that concerns the community, and presents a picture of
an amiable and charming old age. God grant he may be
spared to us many years. Our mother is less infirm than
he, yet suffers with headache and rheumatism. She is
going on as usual, making all those within her reach to
love her, for she has so much affectionateness in her own
disposition that a return of it from others is matter of
course."
At this time they were enjoying the society of two young
friends, Miss Dillaway and her brother, to whom they
became much attached, and who in their turn regarded Mr.
Bulfinch and his wife with an almost filial affection.
The year 1836 brought them a great sorrow in the
death of their dear son Apthorp, who died at his post of
duty as a physician in a remote town in Georgia, during an
epidemic of fever, before his friends had learned even the
fact of his illness.
The next letter is written two years later, after their
arrival in Washington, at their son's house : —

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FKOM CHARLES BULFINCH TO THOMAS BULFINCH.

Sunday, 28 Oct., 1838.

Although I have been here 4 weeks
nearly, yet from the ample accounts which your mother has
given to yourself and others, which have undoubtedly been
read by you, I find but little to communicate. We have
been received with a kindly spirit of welcome, and pleased
with a general air of improvement. To descend to particulars, I find the same unfinished and vacant appearance in
most of the streets as heretofore, the more striking after
viewing the compact and elegant style of Philadelphia.
I yesterday took my second walk to the west end, left my
card at Mr. Woodbury's office and at the President's, —
both gentlemen being inaccessible, — one really from home,
and the Pres. engaged on business. This walk, on a very
fine day, gave me the opportunity of viewing the white
house and its grounds — and these I found most decidedly
improved; the old stone wall removed and replaced by an
open paling of wood, but representing iron ; the sweep in
front of the house much enlarged, so that instead of the
former uninteresting small grass plat bounded by chains [?]
there is now a large space enclosed by a low iron railing of
a rich pattern and the interior handsomely decorated by
trees and shrubs, the grounds round the house equally embellished in good taste, all worthy of the head of the
Nation, whoever he may be. I have twice viewed the new
Treasury building, so much the subject of remark and
criticism, in and out of Congress. It appears to me wonderful that the work was not arrested long since, before
such progress was made as presented an extreme difficulty
in making any alteration, and before it seemed to become
involved in the feelings of party. The situation is exceedDEAR T H O S . , —

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ingly unfortunate, and I am more fully convinced than ever
that my proposal to reduce its extreme length was the most
adviseable that could be adopted; — but they are going on
with the building within 10 ft. of the State department,
which looks like a wren box beside it, and which I presume
will ultimately be taken down : — the new building is not
roofed, but the lower story is finishing, and Mr. Woodbury
means to occupy it this winter, thereby putting a stop to all
further talk of taking down, and showing his confidence in
its stability. A new building for the Patent office is in progress, on an immense scale; it is of free stone, the walls of
the 2nd Story nearly carried up. The floor of the Rep s
room is reinstated as formerly, only raised as high as the
South platform, the furniture not yet replaced. The money
spent on these public works is of great service to the city
and gives an air of business and cheerfulness. We begin
upon the repairs of the church to-morrow; the impossibility
of getting workmen has delayed us hitherto.
Before their return the news reached them of the death
of two of the beloved New England circle. In this letter
from my grandmother she alludes first to the loss of " Aunt
Storer," their sister Anna.
FROM MRS. BULFINCH TO THOMAS BTTLFINCH.
WASHINGTON, May 19, 1839.

— Mr. Hall performed the friendly office
you requested in your last letter to him, and communicated
the painful tidings of our dear sister's death in as gentle a
manner as possible. You may imagine the surprise and
grief it naturally excited. Her last letter did mention a
cold and headache, but wre thought not of any danger connected with such complaints, and looked forward with fond
DEAR THOMAS,

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expectation to the meeting in a week or two. Yes, dear
T., this is sad indeed, to be so suddenly checked in our
pleasing anticipations; for, as you say, no more in this
world shall we enjoy each other's society, but can only
treasure up the recollections of her love for us all, and the
blessed hope of a reunion in a happier state.
Your father has within a day or two gained strength, so
that it seemed as if he might venture to go to church the
next day, and under this impression we were sitting at tea,
on Saturday evening, when Mr. H. came in with letters.
We were very glad to see him safe back again, as his wife l
was very unwell. This subject engrossed us till after he
made a pause, and said something of unpleasant news.
This immediately attracted our serious attention, and the
truth was told. Your father bore it with his usual calmness, and after Mr. H. left us, read yours and a kind, consolatory letter from our friend Mrs. Joy. Here his voice
failed him, and Greenleaf finished our task, and a sad
evening followed, and a headache has been oppressing my
faculties this day. Our dear G. made his services accord
with our grief, and though, not direct or too particular,
prayed for the bereaved; and in his sermon, the text of
which was, u Be strong in the Lord," conducted us to the
only support for weak and sorrowing mortality.
Your
father was able to attend, for the first time, with one exception, for four months, and this day would have been a
great comfort to us, but for the afflicting news of the previous evening. But we are disposed to acknowledge the
goodness of our God, and to say that his hand has by a
short time of suffering removed this dear friend, who was
always ready to be called. The pain is felt by those of us
1

Mr. David A. Hall was twice married after the death of his first wife,
Susan Bulfinch.

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who have loved her and reverenced her virtues. I think if
I did not see your father much better, I could hardly command myself to write a word; but Oh ! how merciful is the
Disposer of events! He enables us to bear his will, and
shall I not do it? he supports our failing strength, and
spares us a little before we go hence. You must, dear
Thomas, have had your affectionate feelings greatly tried
through the past season; but you must be comforted with
the idea of having been useful to such a valued relative.
Saturday, 26. Since writing the above we have heard of
the death of our brother Vaughan, and though two days
have passed since, I can hardly write with a steady hand, I
have been so shocked with such a succession of sad events.
Yet my reason is convinced that he has gone in the right
time. His work on earth was done; his children all happily
settled, and such children as he could wish to succeed him,
and to follow him to a heavenly home. He was spared the
pain of protracted weakness and infirmity, and, like our
sainted sisters, fitted, if mortals could be, for acceptance
there.
They returned to Boston to spend the summer and removed to Bowdoin Square in October. The old house had
seen many changes in the hundred and more years that
had passed since the first doctor and his bride came to
their new home at West Boston.
From one of the Coolidge family, a niece of the architect, we are able to listen to a minute and vivid account of
what it was like when Charles Bulfinch returned to his
birthplace.
We can see in all its appointments the handsome and
thoroughly furnished Boston home of that epoch. It was
a three-story house of wood, a little withdrawn from the

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street, with a row of five Lombardy poplars in front, and a
gate which opened on a white marble walk leading to the
front door. We know its summer parlor with white panelling and French furniture, and its winter parlor or sittingroom with an arched recess on either side the fireplace.
Through one of these, towards Chardon Street, a passage
leads to the large dining-room. The entry extends through
the house, and the eastern door opens into a paved courtyard. In summer the open doors are sheltered by green
blinds, and the rooms are scented after a shower by the
sweet honeysuckle outside. Here on the roof of the stable
is the great square pigeon-house, well known to the children.
We have a description of each room in the building, the
many bed-chambers with their solid old furniture, the small
library on the second floor, and the tall clock on the landing
of the upper staircase. The two kitchens, even, are remembered in all their details, and we see the equipment required
for cooking at their open fires, where in the chimneys were
still the crane, the pothooks and trammels, and the iron
wheel of the smoke-jack. Here, too, was the large screen
lined with tin to protect the workers from the heat. From
the paved yard a few steps in a grassy bank led down beneath an arched gateway to the garden. Here was the
great horse-chestnut tree brought from abroad by one of
the Apthorps, and at the end of the main walk a summerhouse with the large pear-tree near it of family tradition,
and other fruit-trees, and trellised grapevines, with all the
variety of flowers that had given the architect's mother so
much delight.
The neighborhood had probably seen more alterations
than the mansion. Mr. Theodore Lyman's house had longsuperseded the dwelling of the Chardons, and was now

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itself to make way for the stone church that we see there.
At the other corner of Chardon Street the Parkman family
were still in possession of their old homestead; but the
Boott mansion had been raised and enlarged to form the
famous hostelry of the Revere House, and the wooden dwellings and shops were giving place to brick houses on every
side.
The autumn of the next year following the removal to
the square saw the death of Mr. Coolidge, their beloved
and generous host, and the subsequent breaking up of his
household, but the mansion with its furnishings was rented
as a boarding-house to a person well known to the family,
and my grandparents remained undisturbed in the familiar
rooms.
A greater change, however, than any of these removals
was to take place. My grandfather was now called to part
with his cherished companion. The two could not walk
together quite all the road to " those dark gates across the
wild." The winter after they went to the Coolidges was
severe, and my grandmother suffered much from rheumatism, her old enemy. In the spring of 1841, on April 8,
with little warning of danger, she passed away at night
while asleep. The evening before her last illness began
she had remained below with the family later than usual.
" The conversation turning on Washington, President
Harrison's death led them to speak of the Congress burying ground; and she described it to the girls, and went
upstairs and got some verses of Greenleaf's upon the subject, which Mr. L. read aloud to them. You know my
mother's fondness for the spot where her Susan lies. But
the recollection was not saddening, but pleasing; and she
left them in her usual cheerful manner, complaining playfully, as she rose to go, of the rheumatism, which as usual
attacked her on moving."

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The loveliness of her manners, springing from the goodness of her heart, had made her friends wherever she was
known, and, as Thomas continues, —
" Having all her life filled rather conspicuous stations, at
first as an heiress of rare expectations, next as wife of the
head of the town government, then as one of the principal
residents of Washington, of those of Northern connexions,
and the centre of attraction for visitors from that region,
she had become known to a wide circle of acquaintances.
The suddenness of her death forcibly arrested attention,
and the consequence of all was that her funeral was
attended by a large concourse of people, that nearly filled
the church. Dr. Greenwood read the service in his usual
impressive manner."
The son dwells with pleasure on the thought that her
resting-place beneath the family monument in the chapel
was near one of her husband's favorite works, the (then)
new City Hall, which had lately been made attractive with
shrubbery.
Of her husband he writes : —
" My father bears the shock of his loss like one who
feels that his portion of this world and its enjoyments has
passed away; and being ready to go, and sure that the
time of his departure cannot be far distant, rests in calm
trust on the goodness of that Being who gave him her
whom he has lost, and is able to reunite him to her, if such
is His will. He says nothing about his religion, but I am
sure he feels the true spirit of it, and enjoys its consolations."
At the time of her death my grandmother's age was
seventy-four, and her husband's seventy-eight.

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TO HIS SONS.
April 29, 1841.

— It is now three weeks since the sudden, unexpected stroke which deprived me of your excellent
mother; I have not had resolution to write to any one,
except to relatives in England, and H. Abbott and A.
Spooner, whom the dear departed considered as her children. But Thomas has informed you of all the particulars,
which I need not repeat, and which I hardly dare trust
myself to dwell upon. I keep my chamber except at meals
and receive frequent visits from friends, both gentlemen
and ladies. These are kind attentions and meant to soothe,
but the frequent repetition of circumstances which they are
desirous of hearing almost unmans me. Indeed, I could
not conceive that your mother was so generally known and
universally loved and respected. We have sent you a
number of copies of an obituary notice, which you will
deliver as directed. I hope you approve of it. I wish
now that I had sent one to Mrs. Taylor, and another to
Mrs. Coyle, both of whom loved her, but such has been the
demand for them that I have only retained for myself that
contained in the Kegister.
While I have been engaged in one absorbing course of
thought, other scenes in the outer and domestic world have
been going on of an opposite character. . . . Judge and
Mrs. L
are in town, have visited me and are very kind
and sympathizing. They desire remembrances to Gf. and
hope to see him at Northampton in the course of the summer. They urge me much to go there, but that is out of
the question. . . . Pray make my excuse to Mr. Hall for
not writing to him at present, but tell him that if he will
inform me to whom I can frank some papers for him, I shall
be obliged to hear as soon as convenient. They are of a
MY

DEAR SONS,

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public nature, my opinions on the N. E. boundary question.
I am looking over my papers to relieve the tedium of my
day, and find some that I wish to forward to him.
With some effort I have proceeded thus far, and ask two
for one in return, and only add my wish that we may continue more attached than ever to each other.
[Postscript from Thomas.]
R

D . GREENLEAF, — . . . You see father still continues
able to excel us all in handwriting if not in the other
departments of letter writing. He is well and composed,
though not yet restored to anything like cheerfulness. It
is rare to see him smile. The weather has been particularly
unfavourable. Too cold and wet to allow of going out and
present us agreeable scenes to look upon. Next week I
think we may safely calculate on an improvement. . . .
Soon after my grandfather writes: —
DEAR G F . , — . . . I pass my time almost wholly in my
own room, chiefly in reading, sometimes varied by a call
from some kind friend, many of whom express a feeling for
my bereavement and the tenderest regard for the memory
of your dear mother. I have received many sympathizing
letters, two from relations in (England, to whom Thomas
sent copies of the obituary — all very soothing and gratifying.
I have lately read Mr. G. Combe's travels in America —
very judicious and impartial — and am now engaged on
Hallam's literary history of the 15th and 16th centuries.
I read the English edition in 4 vols. — have yet got
through only the two first — it is a work of wonderful
research and highly instructive and entertaining.
Religious affairs look rather squally here. You may see

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by the Register that some very illiberal feelings have given
vent to severe reflections on Unitarians from Revd. Mr.
Adams, which have led to retorts; and Thomas tells me
that a kind of protest has been signed by a number of
Orthodox ministers, against a sermon preached by Theod e .
Parker, at the ordination of a new minister over Mr.
Capen's church, South Boston; it is stated to have been
ultra transcendental. . . .
TO FRANCIS BULFINCH.

Aug. 31, 1841.

I am in hopes that our Country will soon see better
times, when business will be on a safer footing. Boston
appears to be extending and improving. Great expectations are formed of the benefits to be expected from various
and extended railroads and steam packets. . . . Mrs. C
,
wife of your cousin J. C
, has returned from China and
is at present in the same house with me; she was at Macao
18 months, about 70 miles from Canton, and seeing her
husband only occasionally. She is a great observer of
men and things, and amuses us much with anecdotes of the
Chinese and Portuguese.
A likeness was taken of Mr. Bulfinch at this time, which
was considered excellent by his family. It is a drawing in
India ink, made, Ave believe, by the late Mr. Alvan Clark,
renowned for the great telescopic lenses that have since
come from his hands. It has several times been copied,
and is given in this volume, slightly reduced in size. A
copy of it hangs upon the walls of the office of the Architect of the Capitol at Washington.
Several portraits of Mrs. Bulfinch remain, besides the
miniature before described. One was taken in middle life,

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with powdered hair and calm, matronly face; and another,
in her old age, shows her hair still dark as in youth, and
the large ruffled cap surrounding a face of much sweetness.
Her husband thought the likeness excellent, and saw in
it her characteristic bright expression, — in his own phrase^
" her saucy look," — but this is not so marked to a
stranger.
My Uncle Thomas, who had been to his parents like a
daughter as well as a son ever since his sister's death, was
now living in the house with his father, and the two were
drawn still closer by this intimate companionship. Almost
all the father's letters bear a postscript from the son, adding details of the social and literary life around them and
touching on his own peculiar interests, such as the Natural
History Society, the Lowell Institute, etc.
After trying a change of rooms my grandfather writes as
follows: —
November 30, 1841.

— I remember that a few years ago an ingenious French writer, being confined to his chamber,
wrote a book of " Travels Round my Room." We have
made another removal: the upper chamber was much too
large for winter, and the front as much too small, so that
we are now settled in the room formerly occupied by your
dear mother and myself; here we have space for our furniture, and with our comforts about us.
These removals suggest, that a book of travels through
the family mansion would not be without interest: every
room, from the kitchen to the garret, is full of subjects of
reflection that are often pressing upon me in my solitary
hours; but they are in general of too sombre a cast to be
capable of giving pleasure to others. I had better then
turn from the past, and dwell only on the present. We
DEAR G F . ,

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have as yet only one young gentleman, additional boarder,
but expect by the 1st Dec. that Mr. and Mrs. L
will
join us ; they are to have the smallest front parlour and
chamber over it. They found their home very distant
from all S.'s usual haunts and very much exposed to cold
winds, and have agreed to pass the winter here; this will
be a pleasant addition to our party.
So much on home subjects.—In the outer world, the
prevailing passion of our people seems to be the attendance
at Lectures; we have them of every grade : the bare enumeration of them is enough to convince one that if we are
not the most intellectual city in the world, it is because we
do not keep our ears and eyes open to instruction. I begin
with the Lowell lectures, 5 courses, on Geology, by Mr.
Lyell; on Christianity, Dr. Palfrey; on Mechanics, Loveri n g ; on Chymistry, Silliman ; and on Natural Religion, Dr.
Walker.
Lectures by the Society for Diffusion of Knowledge:
others, of the Lyceum, from the Mercantile library association ; the Mechanic association; the Historical society; —
then we have Professor Bush from New York to explain
the Prophecies to u s ; and Mr. Miller in Chardon Street
chapel, proving that the world will come to an end in the
next year; Mr. Espy on Storms; Mr. Emerson on the
Times ; Capt. Partridge on War and preparation for it.
And as if these were not enough, and perhaps because
many of them, if not heretical, are at least Latitudinarian,
the orthodox announce a course to be delivered by the most
distinguished of their sect, from various parts of New
England, avowedly on Missionary topics, but it is to be
expected that they will take occasion to inculcate their
peculiar tenets.
Mr. Lyell has finished his course of 12 lectures to full

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audiences, and to very general acceptance. Hon. J . Q. A.
has given the introductory of the Historical society — and
to the surprize of everybody, undertook the defence of the
English in their war on China: and so ingenious and eloquent was his discourse, that he was urged to repeat it at
the Lyceum, and consented to do it.
But you must not think that we are altogether sentimental— musical performers on one string of the violin
are the rage, and the divine Fanny has drawn enthusiastic
crowds to the theatre, and even old Faneuil hall has
vibrated in all its bricks and timbers in honor of a French
prince. I shall enclose some accounts of this ball, which
perhaps may have reached you already. . . .
From the mention of Greenough's Washington, both by
you and Charles, I fear that it will cause much disappointment— it may be an exquisite piece of work, but our
people will hardly be satisfied with looking on well developed muscles, when they wish to see the great man as
their imagination has painted him. I send you a sort of
defence of this statue from Everett, but am not convinced
that the sculpture is suited for modern subjects; the dress
presents insuperable difficulties. The first statue of Washington was made by Houdon, who was sent for by the state
of Virginia: his work is in the Capitol at Richmond, and a
more unpleasant figure was never seen. It is represented
in an old fashioned coat etc. with hair dressed as he wore
it, but far from picturesque with stiff ear curls and a heavy
club behind. The next statue was by Chantrey in our State
house, cloathed as a Roman Senator; it was highly commended at first, but is now seen with perfect indifference,
it in fact wants interest. And now I fear that this with
you will only give the idea of entering or leaving a bath, —
but I will hope that when raised on its pedestal, the effect

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will be improved, and that it will do credit to the artist and
satisfy the public, but my fears prevail.
I must mention another instance of unsuccessful modern
statuary: it is the Statue of the Duke of Wellington, near
Hyde Park, London ; it is represented as Achilles, naked
a la Grecque, — and has even been complained of by the
society for improving public morals !
From my being able to spin out so long a letter, you will
conclude that I have recruited from the cold which attacked
me: I am better, but expect to be much confined to the
house during the winter. I have a constant succession of
books, and ought to be thankful that my sight and faculties are so alive that I can take an interest and derive
pleasure from them. I hope that with all my privations I
shall feel grateful for the blessings left, especially the sympathy and kind regard of my sons; they may rely upon me
as their affectionate father.
The next is —
April 6, 1842.

. . . I sit alone, the greater part of each day, in my
chamber : if you wish to know my thoughts and reflections,
read the last chapter but one in Dickens's Barnaby Rudge.
These two closing chapters 1 are worth all the rest of the
book, and are specimens of that talent which has made the
author so popular in our country.
Several sudden deaths have happened here within a week,
two of which speak very forcibly to me to be ready to
follow them. One was of good Dr. Harris, whom you wrell
knew; another, Dan. Sargent, Esq., a contemporary and
companion of my early days : these were so advanced as to
1

Given only in the older editions of Dickens. Barnaby Rudge was first published as a part of Master Humphrey's Clock.

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excite no surprize; but a third is Rev. George Whitney,
colleague of Dr. Gray of Jamaica Plain, leaving a delightful parish to you or some other favored competitor.
His reference to Master Humphrey's solitary thoughts
suggested to his son the sonnet which follows : —
TO MY

FATHER.

And do such thoughts beguile thy lonely hour,
Father ! my childhood's and my manhood's guide?
Oh well such gentle visions may have power
To cheer thee as life's waters smoothly glide.
Many long years upon that swelling tide
Hast thou been wafted; oft the storm did lower
Above, and then, on the receding shower,
The bow of peace has spread its pinions wide.
Gently through all and meekly hast thou borne
Good and ill fortune ; now at eventide
Thou stand'st, thy children's reverence and pride,
Still gathering round, though tenderer ties be torn.
Calm be these evening hours, and blest the morn
Uniting those whom Death can nevermore divide !
WASHINGTON, April 25,1842.

His father writes in response : —
BOSTON, May

3rd,

1842.

. . . Thank you for your sonnet; it gave me pleasure to
know that among your various cares and occupations you
could occasionally express your thoughts in verse, for your
own amusement and gratification of friends. I fervently
hope to realize the pious anticipations, and will forgive the
too commendatory passages. The fatal events to steam
vessels in your river and at Baltimore are indeed appalling,
and our own harbour has lately been the scene of an event
of equal distress. You will find in a paper sent to Charles
the account of the loss of 23 lads of the farm school, with
one of their teachers and a skillful pilot. This was in

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returning from an excursion by water, with which the boys
were indulged in reward for their good conduct; and in
sight of their home and of their companions on shore they
were all drowned. What can we say to such occurrences ?
It is not right, in my mind, to attribute them to a mysterious Providence. They must arise from counteracting the
natural laws which a good Providence has seen fit to connect with all his wrorks, and which our willfulness makes us
disregard. I suppose that on this subject I am a disciple of
George Combe. If the steam frigate on the Potomac had
kept continually sounding, the vessel wrould not have got
aground; if the engineer had watched carefully the boilers
of the boat at Baltimore, they would not have burst from
want of water; and if the farm school boat had carried one
or two more capable men to manage the sails and control
27 (?) boys in high spirits, they would have been able to
encounter a sudden squall. But I am getting beyond my
depth and must conclude.
[Postscript by Thomas.]
D E A R G., — I shall put up for you a treatise on Homoeopathy, and Dr. Channing on the Creole case. The former
will amuse you, and the latter interest you. . . . We are
growing here very scientific. The last week we have had a
session every day, from i past nine till dark, of a Geological association, consisting of the geologists employed by the
several States in making surveys, together with some other
gents of similar tastes who have been invited to join them.
Dr. Hall was with them and will be able to give you a good
account of their doings. I had leisure only to spend an
hour or two, of two afternoons, with them. They met in
our N. Hist, room, and were very comfortably accommodated by the ostrich yielding his place and stowing closer
to the rhinoceros and the elephant. . . .

Thomas Bulfinch

{son of Charles)

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That my grandfather found plenty of occupation for his
leisure during these last years is shown by the papers he
has left. Here are manuscripts, with memoranda of various
kinds, on the Greek numerals, on statistics of population,
and on the origin of the human race. Some of these are
copies, some original with himself. A cutting from the
" Christian Register " of April 4, 1835, contains a long
contribution from his pen, on the subject of Romanism,
the character of which may be inferred from his signature,
" Conciliator," and from the concluding words, quoted from
Priestley : —
" We have no doubt but that not only innumerable
zealous papists, but even some Popes themselves, and since
the time of the Reformation, will sit down with Luther,
with Calvin, and with Socinus in the kingdom of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ."
Biblical criticism, as it is now understood, was then
scarcely recognized in this country, but from the standpoint
of the old interpretation my grandfather was always interested in the subject. He indicates various lines of inquiry to his theological son, and I find a manuscript of
considerable length entitled " Thoughts on Jewish Statistics, being an attempt to explain some difficult passages of
ancient Jewish history, by a Layman." This has no date.
Another manuscript, " On the Continuance of the Union,"
written when he was seventy-nine, contains a curious forecast of the future of our country and increase of population,
with statistics of the duration of republics, as that of
Athens, of Rome, and of the Saxon Heptarchy.
He writes also in 1842 : —
. . . You ask my opinion of Mr. Giddings' resolutions.
We all here agree with him in facts; but he is generally

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blamed for bringing them forward just upon the opening
of negotiations with a special envoy. Our legislature has
lately done an equally foolish thing, in resolving that we
ought not to yield any land in N. E. border of Maine,
which can only further embarrass our negotiations.
I wish they would give me power to settle these difficulties, as I should not be looking forward to the Presidency. I think I could settle the whole in one week, and
for half the money which it will probably cost in the present hands.
This fancy so attracted him that in his next letter he
alludes to it again with playfulness, and goes on to give the
outlines of his scheme.
At this time, I am told, he might have been often seen, a
slender and very upright figure in a dark brown suit, with
a slight halt in his gait, crossing from the north side of
Chardon Street on his way home from his friend Dr. Parkman's library, with a bundle of books under his arm.
Certain severe criticisms upon the Capitol at Washington,
and particularly upon the dome, having come to his notice,
he writes to his son on the subject, and, after remarking
that it was a great public work designed and executed by
various architects in succession, with long interruptions, and
that it was rather surprising that it presented so harmonious
a whole, he continues: —
Upon my taking charge of the Capitol, I found a number of drawings of the manner in which it was intended to
finish it, but it was very difficult to give the Building Committee any clear ideas upon the subject, and absolutely
impossible to convey the same to the more numerous body
of the members of Congress. I accordingly proposed to

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have a model made to show the building in its complete
state. This was made and inspected by the President and
all the members of Congress, and I believe had a favorable
effect in convincing them that I understood what work I
had to do, and that there was some prospect of the building
being finished. But there was one universal remark, that
the Dome was too low, perhaps from a vague idea that
there was something bold and picturesque in a lofty dome.
As the work proceeded I prepared drawings for domes of
different elevations, and, by way of comparison, one of a
greater height than the one I should have preferred: they
were laid before the Cabinet, and the loftiest one selected,
and even a wish expressed that it might be raised higher in
a Gothic form, but this was too inconsistent with the style
of the building to be at all thought of by me.
Upon the ribs of the dome being boarded, I was so far
dissatisfied as to propose to reduce it, stating that the saving
in Copper would meet all the expense; but our Commissioner was not a very compliant gentleman and rested upon
the Cabinet decision, and, to avoid the altercation which
had been so common formerly, I yielded the point. But I
should be well pleased if, wdien the dome requires a thorough repair, which it may in 10 or 15 years, it should be
reduced in height, — not to Mr. Latrobe's design, but
about half way between that and the present elevation.
The foregoing will give my sons a full view of the circumstances under which some of my work was executed; but
you will readily see that it is best not to make it too public.
Architects expect criticism and must learn to bear it patiently. . . .
Yrs.
C. B.
The second marriage of his youngest son and the visit of

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the young couple to Boston was the occasion for a gathering of friends, arranged by Mr. Bulfinch with the help of
Thomas and George, the old house in the Square putting
on for the time a gala appearance. My grandfather enjoyed it for his children's sake, and for the chance of
meeting again the old and valued family friends. It was
probably his last appearance at any scene of social festivity.
After his son's return to Washington we find these passages : —
BOSTON, Jan. 31,1843.
M Y DEAR SON AND DAUGHTER, — . . . I observe by the
papers that Mr. Greenough wishes to have something built
in the Capitol grounds to contain his statue. I cannot
think that Congress will consent to this expense; they are
not so much pleased with it as to be ready to lay out much
more money upon it, and any temple or room of any kind
built for this purpose must be large, to view the statue at a
proper distance, and must show some architectural magnificence, or it will look only like a workshop, now dignified
by the name of Studio. I would propose, and I wish you
to mention it to him, that the statue be placed on the middle of the upper platform of the East portico; there is I
think sufficient room for it without hindering convenient
access to the door: it would be a principal object to meet
the eye of members and visitors immediately upon ascending the steps, and, surrounded by a rich display of columns and between Peace and War, would be a very
appropriate situation for i t ; at least the experiment might
be tried at little expense.
April 10, 1843.

In a letter from T. B. to Mrs. Hall about 3 weeks since,
I added a postscript, asking D. A. Hall to send me any
printed account of debates upon the resolutions respecting

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the removal of the Statue, and for plans of a new Congress
hall. Not having heard from him, I fear that the letter
has not reached him; it was sent under cover to Mr. Elsworth. Will you inquire about it ? Between both of you,
notwithstanding the old saying of two stools, etc., I hope
to receive the papers, — reports or debates. I think such
subjects could not have been acted upon sub silentio.
I
have no motive for wishing for these papers but to gratify
my inquisitive curiosity ; but if I should give my advice, it
would be to send the Statue to Athens, a present to King
Otho, to be placed in the Parthenon, with other naked great
men: and before they commence a new Hall, let a flat
ceiling be formed over the present one to try its effect upon
the voice. I find that the ablest advisers upon building the
new Houses of Parliament in London recommend avoiding
all concave surfaces.
June 12, 1843.

. . . I thank you for your sketches; they give me a very
good idea of your school room and the alterations of
Masonic hall. The alterations here surpass all you can
conceive. I have this morning viewed those going on in
Bowdoin street. Mr. Coolidge's noble mansion, trees and
all, are swept away, and 5 new brick houses are now building on the spot. The same changes are taking place in
Summer street, — Mr. Bussey's, Mr. Goddard's, and Mr.
Ellis' houses are giving room to a great number of modern
houses, — so that you see, although crowds assemble nightly
to hear predictions of the speedy end of the World, still
there are enough of unbelievers to go on making earthly
habitations.
After a cold and backward Spring, we have lately had
very pleasant weather: our garden has shown very beautifully with its trees in full blossom; I do not know when it

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BULFINCH,

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has been so pleasant to my feelings. I tell Thomas that it
reminds me that "blessings brighten as they take their
flight/' for it is very uncertain whether I shall see it on
another Spring, even should I be spared so long. Mrs.
Wilson lies sick in a very doubtful state, and in case of her
death we do not know what change may be made here. . . .
July 8, 1843.

I have just sent off a trunk, to be put on board a vessel
for Alexandria; you will find it contains a variety of
articles, which I hope may be found useful in your new
"menage." . . .
I have added some articles of female gear; among others
a gown of crimson and green striped satin. It was one
of your dear mother's wedding dresses, sent to her from
England : she wore it very seldom, as it was not much to
her taste, and probably will not please our C
much
more ; but perhaps it may be acceptable to Miss
, but
if not, as it has slept in one trunk 55 years, it may complete
the Century in another, when fashion may again conform
to it.
TO FRANCIS.

Jan. 5, 1843.

I notice the pleasure you express at receiving the papers
which I send. I assure you it is an agreeable employment
to myself to look over &nd cull out such as I suppose may
interest you. It appears to me like talking with your
family circle. I now send an Almanack to your wife, and
another to present to your Postmaster, as a small acknowledgement of his kindness in handing you my papers.
He is charmed with Frederika Bremer's novel, " The
Home," and the excitement about Puseyism leads him to

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the study of Dr. Pusey's sermon on the Eucharist, and the
reading of Southey's " History of the Church."
Southey's alleged Socinian opinions aroused his warm
interest.
My grandfather had felt increasing feebleness for some
months. The handwriting of the following letter is less
firm: —
Septr. 18, 1843.

— Yours of 31 August has been read repeatedly with great interest; the account you give of your new
home is enough to tempt us at least to wish to occupy your
spare chamber, — but I believe it can be only in idea, for
the pressure of time on some and of business on others will
prevent our enjoying it in person.
The details that you
give me are exactly to my taste, and the more I can have
of them the better; so I wish your dear C
to tell me
where the coloured chintz is disposed of, and if indeed its
colours are not too gay for a sober minister's home — and
also the gay silk. Is it destined for any young bride
of your acquaintance, or must it take another nap in
the trunk ? Who goes to market ? — what neat handed
Phillis brings in your Coffee pot ? — or do you adopt the
Graham system and pledge each other in a glass of cold
water? Does dinner cool often while you flog your boys?
I have just looked over our morning's paper, in which I
find statements of violent storms in your city and Baltimore. Our weather has been fine ; last week it was so
cold, though clear, that the summer residents at Nahant
etc. were flocking home : for some days it has been beautifully clear and at 80° at noon, and was 82 on yesterday.
I am not acquainted with Mr. Espy's theory, but I fear we
must expect a change of wind to the East, wrhen it may
bring a violent equinoctial gale.
DEAR G F . ,

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CHARLES

BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

The most interesting news which I have to tell you is
of the death of your dear and excellent cousin Harriett
Abbott. She has long been in delicate health, and has at
last sunk under constitutional weakness. Mr. Abbott returned from Europe about 3 weeks since, and was with her
but a few days before her departure : he must most seriously
feel his heavy loss, with the charge of 5 children and one
of them an infant.
I do not know what course he will now t a k e ; he had
engaged to take his family to New York, there to establish
a school for young ladies in connexion with two of his
brothers. I have called to-day on Miss Sally Vaughan,
who is passing a few days with a friend in Boston. She
appears well, tho' depressed by the changes in her family :
she tells me that her Cousin Rev. Jn. Vaughan D. D. is
going to take charge of a small parish near Savannah ; the
defect in his eyes will prevent him from studying or reading, but the people will be satisfied with extempore sermons ; he will trust to memory for the prayers, but must
have some assistance for the psalms and lessons. . . .
Notwithstanding the unavoidable cares and troubles of
life, I find that some people will get married : there 's the
youngest daughter of Judge L
, engaged to Mr. D
,
a merchant, who intends carrying her to China in a few
months. What a contrast will her round, bright eyes present to the small and sleepy ones of the Chinese beauties !
Wednesday, 20th. Our paper of this morning enlarged
upon the effects of the storm at Washington and the overflow of the Potomac. Are the Poplars in 6th Street all
flat, and what damage have they done to the Church?
How is your domicile ? are you overflowed, railroad, garden and all, by the swelling of the Tyber ? let us know all
about it, and pray take care and keep off fever and ague.

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Thus I have accomplished two short letters to yourselves
and Charles: you must read them interchangeably to make
one decent letter.
With the truest regard, yrs.
My letter is a picture of real life, — alternate smiles and
tears.
This was not his last letter. In November he writes a
pleasant little letter to his eldest grandson, far off in
Georgia: " I s your house made of round logs with the
bark on, or is it made of square timber ? I hope that
inside it is all neat, smooth and full of peace."
And on Dec. 23 to Greenleaf and his wife : —
" We expect a great improvement soon in our family
circle ; Mr. H. Mann and his wife, late Miss Peabody, are
coming next week to pass the winter with us. . . . I have
sent you lately such of our papers as I thought might
amuse you; but after this shall look for returns from you,
not of politics, — for we have a constant supply of such
subjects, — but let me know how Washington appears to
enjoy his closet, and what the public think of his position
and its effect. You have too, by this time, the ' embarkation of the pilgrims.' How is that received, and with what
criticisms?"
His last note is in March, 1844, when he writes, on the
13th, to say that he is slowly recovering from a cold and
touch of fever and ague, brought on by the severe weather
of January, and looks for the revival that the spring days
will bring. He incloses a double acrostic on the name of
Daniel Webster, which he had amused himself with composing while confined to his bed. He did not write again.
On April 15 Thomas sends a letter as follows : —

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CHARLES

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— Our excellent parent is no more.
He died this noon, just as the family clock on the staircase
struck 12. . . . For the last 24 hours . . . he has appeared free from severe pain, and lay in a dozing or half
waking state, with short naps and then spells of wakefulness. . . . His voice was inaudible, but he showed that his
intellect remained unimpaired, by slight circumstances from
time to time, such as motioning me to the door when some
one knocked, and I, having hold of 'his hand, did not start
immediately to see who it was. . . . Several times, when he
breathed more silently for a while than usual, I fancied the
last struggle was at hand. But he continued so, hour after
hour, with little apparent change. . . . A few minutes
before his last, he stretched out his hand to me, with a kind
of up and down motion, as if to shake hands. I took his
hand and shook it, saying, " Farewell." . . . The funeral is
to take place on Wednesday next, and I think I shall ask
Dr. Parkman to officiate.
Father's numerous infirmities of late, which have been
increasing since Mother's death, and which were such as to
deprive life of much of its comfort, go far to reconcile me
to his departure. I feel the void left by his absence, and
shall for some time sensibly feel it. It was pleasant to me
to find some one at home, when I returned from my business, to whom I could tell the scraps of news I had picked
up during my absence, sure that he would take an interest
in it if it interested me, or if it related any incident favourable to the good cause in Church or State, or beneficial or
gratifying to any of his fellow creatures. I never carried
him any tale of misdemeanour or misfortune, and far less
any tale of scandal, with the expectation of giving him
pleasure. If any such came to his ears his first impulse was
not to believe it. But if it was incontrovertible, his next
D E A R GREENLEAF,

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307

recourse was to suggest extenuating circumstances, and
dwell as little on the subject as possible. The severity of
modern criticism annoyed him a good deal. He could not
bear to hear Trumbull's pictures abused, and West's disparaged. The criticisms in the Gentleman's Magazine on
modern English architecture gave him as much annoyance
as it probably did, in some cases, the artists themselves. I
will write again soon. Yrs. ever,
T. B.
In an obituary notice published soon after, and from
which I have several times quoted, my uncle reviews his
father's long life and varied achievements, concluding with
these words : —
" He put a modest estimate on his owrn works, and was
not a severe critic of those of others. The epigram which
follows was by one who knew him well, and it is true to the
letter: —
" ' A wonder in our days, my friend —
An artist I have known,
Who never slandered others' works,
Nor ever praised his own.'

" . . . His faith as a Christian was founded on the broad
basis of those doctrines which are common to all sects,
setting but slight value on those respecting which good and
wise men differ. Those grand doctrines he found sufficient
to afford a resting place for his faith, — a hope sure and
steadfast of a blessed immortality."
My grandfather's death occurred on Monday, the 15th
of April, 1844, and his funeral took place on the 17th, at
King's Chapel, where his remains were laid at first in the
family tomb, but they now rest at Mount Auburn with
those of his wife and several of his children. His monument is the stone urn that he gave himself to Franklin
Place, on its completion near 1795, and which was returned

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CHARLES

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to his sons when the inclosure of shrubbery where it stood
was removed. It is said to be probably the oldest piece of
imported monumental work in the cemetery, and its associations are not out of keeping with the beautiful and quiet
scene. As Mr. Willard wrote : —
" There is a noticeable quality of quiet and repose in
the old mansions which Bulfinch built. How the sunshine
streams down in Franklin Place! How kindly the vines
take to these domestic-looking old house-fronts!
How
stately and dignified and well-bred they are ! There is not
a suggestion of the hum of business or of the bustle of
crowded streets. They seem to represent the almost unrealizable idea of the city home."
The qualities of the architect's style were those of the
man himself, and that they were qualities shared by others
of his generation and country all must feel who study the
lives of our earlier public men.
We have quoted on the first page of this memorial volume Mr. Lowell's words on Josiah Quincy, and in the same
essay we find the following, which, although applied by him
to another, is equally true of the type of character represented by Charles Bulfinch : —
" Born and bred in an age of greater social distinction
than ours, he was an aristocrat in a sense that is good even
in a republic. He had the sense of a certain personal dignity inherent in him, and which could not be alienated by
any whim of the popular will. There is no stouter buckler
than this for independence of spirit, no surer guaranty of
that courtesy which, in its consideration for others, is but
paying a debt of self-respect. . . . He was a man of quality
in the true sense, — of quality not hereditary, but personal.
Position might be taken from him, but he remained where
he was. In what he valued most, — his sense of personal

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309

worth, — the world's opinion could neither help nor hinder.
We do not mean that this was conscious in him; if it had
been, it would have been a weakness. It was an instinct,
and acted with the force and promptitude proper to such.
Let us hope that the scramble of democracy will give us
something as good; anything of so classic dignity we shall
not look to see again."
A few words regarding the children of Charles Bulfinch,
and in particular the son who had been especially the companion and support of his old age, may not be without
interest here.
All of them are gone now, his son Francis, the last survivor, having died in 1887, after a period of service that
covered many years in the City Treasurer's Office in Boston,
and retaining his naturally great vigor and activity almost
up to the very day of his departure.
My Uncle George was the first to follow his father, whom
he survived about nine years, and his brother Charles, the
eldest son, died after another interval of the same length.
The former of these brothers is remembered by many
Bostonians as for some time in charge of the old Boston
Library, in the days when it still retained its rooms over the
arch in Franklin Street, given to it by my grandfather.
Of my dear father, the youngest son, Greenleaf, and his
ministry at the South and in New England, this is not the
place to speak at length. The chief facts of his life are
found in the records of that body of religious believers with
whom he was identified, and his best monument is in the
hearts of the people he served, by thoughtful sermon and
by gentle character, as well as by hymns still familiar in
many of our churches. He died in October, 1870.
My Uncle Thomas, after his father left him, pursued his

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CHARLES

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quiet bachelor life in the old neighborhood, and soon found
a permanent home in one of the two handsome gray stone
buildings facing down the square, built earlier, I believe,
for Dr. Parkman's daughters, Mrs. Shaw and Mrs. Blake,
at that time and for many years kept as a family boardinghouse of the first class by Miss Easton. He had early freed
himself from the perplexities of trade, and with his duties
as a clerk at the Merchants' Bank he blended the enjoyments of the scholar and the litterateur. His room, adorned
with old family portraits and furniture, was that of a student; and the volumes of Latin, Italian, German, and
English classics piled on chairs and sofa were only disturbed
when his hospitality suggested inviting a party of his young
friends to enjoy ice-cream, and share from his windows the
pleasure of witnessing some spectacle in the square below.
Here we gathered, I remember, to see the young Prince of
Wales and his suite arrive at the Revere House on his visit
to Boston.
Outside the circle of his brothers and cousins, my uncle
had a numerous acquaintance, and stood in pleasant relations with a number of his classmates, like Dr. Walker,
President of Harvard, and Dr. Dalton. Prescott, the historian, was another of his class, that of 1814; and Mr. George
B. Emerson, of a class three years later, was a dear friend.
My uncle also valued highly his friendship with several of
the cultivated women of that period.
Among his youthful friends, a peculiarly close tie existed
between himself and an English lad of humble birth but
brilliant promise and a sadly delicate constitution. He
interested himself in his education, taught him Latin, and
half adopted him, commemorating his early death in a little
story, the " Boy Inventor."

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To kindle high endeavor was his dearest aim. The idea
of Mr. Abbey's illustrations of Sir Galahad's Quest of the
Holy Grail, on the walls of the new Public Library, is completely in his spirit, and would have greatly delighted
him.
His tastes were fastidious, and he never willingly bought
an inferior thing, but he found his income ample for his
own moderate needs, and drew on it largely for the benefit
of all his friends. His resources were much increased by
the sale of the " Age of Fable," the most popular of those
compilations for young readers which he enjoyed so much
preparing. Certainly no fairy prince nor mythical hero
could have shone with a brighter lustre than this charming
uncle wore to us in the generosity of his gifts and the wit
and serenity of his temper. His dislike of churlishness and
any form of ugliness was a marked instinct; but, although a
walk across the Common was apt to make him sigh that so
many strange and pitiable beings should find their way to
Boston, we were sure that he might be caught on his homeward way compassionately slipping some money into their
hands.
At his boarding-house, my uncle's place was always at
the head of the table, and among his brothers no one could
remember when he had not been easily chief.
He was one of the wardens of King's Chapel, and it is in
that old church of his ancestors, whose history and liturgy
interested him deeply, that I like best to remember him.
On Christmas, when the air was fragrant with the wreaths
of evergreen, we were often with him in his large square
pew, or lingering, when the service was done, to see the old
Apthorp monument and the inscriptions
" On Shirley's beauty and on Vassall's pride."

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BULFINCH,

ARCHITECT

A short attack of pneumonia in May, 1867, when he
was seventy years old, terminated my uncle's earthly life.
It was singularly peaceful and uneventful when compared
with the varying fortunes, the family cares, and the responsible activities of his father, but it was beautiful in its own
harmonious development, and rich in the happiness it conferred.

APPENDIX
T H E following list, in m y g r a n d f a t h e r ' s handwriting, was found among
his papers.

T h e State House in Augusta, M e . , is h e r e omitted.

I t is inscribed : —
P U B L I C BUILDINGS ERECTED AFTER T H E D E S I G N S AND UNDER T H E
D I R E C T I O N OF C H A R L E S

State House .
.
.
.
.
.
Court House
Court House
.
.
.
.
Court House and Town Hall
Court House
.
.
.
.
Faneuil Hall
.
.
.
.
State Prison
County Jail
.
Almshouse
.
.
.
.
.
University Hall
.
.
.
.
Chapel and Library for Theological Institution .
.
.
.
.
.
Churches : —
New North
New South
.
.
.
Gothick, in Federal St.
Catholic, Franklin Place
Meeting House
Ditto
Ditto .
•
.
.
Ditto
.
.
.
.
Insane Hospital .
.
.
General Hospital
Theatre
Same rebuilt and enlarged .
Concert Hall, new interior and

BULFINCH.

Boston
do. .
Worcester
Newburyport
Cambridge
Boston
Charlestown
Cambridge .
Salem
Cambridge
Andover .

Boston
do.
.
. do. .
.
.
do.
Pittsfield
.
Weymouth
.
.
Taunton
.
. Lancaster
.
•
Charlestown
Boston
Boston
.
.
do.
enlarged.

.
.

.

of brick.
. stone.
brick.
. brick.
brick.
. brick.
stone.
. stone.
brick.
. stone.
brick.

brick,
stone,
brick,
brick,
wood,
wood,
wood,
brick,
brick,
stone,
brick.

314

APPENDIX

Banks : —
Boston
do. .
do.
.
do. .
do.
. Salem.

brick.
stone.
brick.
. stone.
brick.
. brick.

Boston
do. .
. do.
do .

United States
Massachusetts
Boston
Mechanicks' .
Union
A bank in

brick.
interior.
stone.
. stone.

.

.

Insurance Offices: —
Suffolk
Mutual
.
New England
Marine
.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Schools : —
Grammar School .
.
2 large school-houses

.
.

.
.

Boston
. d o

.

stone.
brick.

Entire Streets : —
Franklin Place
.
.
.
.
Park Place
.
.
.
.
.
Colonnade Bow in Common Street

Boston .
.
.
.
do.
.
.
.
.
do

brick.
brick.
brick.

In Washington : —
Completing the Capitol of the United States.
Penitentiary Prison.
Unitarian Church.

M r . E l b r i d g e H . Goss, of Melrose, Mass., has lately contributed to
the local newspaper of t h a t town the following correspondence, found
in his collection of autographs, between m y grandfather and the H o n .
Stephen Longfellow, of M a i n e , then a m e m b e r of Congress, qn the subject of the decorations for the pediment of the Capitol at Washington.
M r . Longfellow, who was t h e father of the poet, wrote a letter of inquiry
to the architect as follows: —
H O U S E OF R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S , Feb.

21,1825.

D E A R SIR, — I have received a letter requesting answers to the following
questions respecting the ornaments wanted for the pediment of the eastern
portico of the Capitol. Will you have the goodness to answer them ?

APPENDIX

315

1. In what material are the ornaments to be executed ?
2. Does the taste of the times lead to an imitation of ancient designs for
similar purposes, or must all the allusions be modern ?
3. How high is the base of the pediment above the ground ?
4. Is the ground level, and, if so, at about what distance from the building
would one take a position for viewing the pediment ?
Respectfully your ob't s't,
STEPHEN

LONGFELLOW.

CHARLES BULFINCH, Esq.

On the reverse of the same sheet are M r . Bulfinch's a n s w e r s : —
I n reply to the written inquiries, I answer : —
1st. That the material of the Pediment to be ornamented is a fine white
freestone.
2d. That the object of advertising was to obtain designs in various styles,
from which to select one. Artists are allowed to follow their taste in this
respect, but it is not in my power to say what will be preferred, only that the
design should not be perplexed, but easily comprehended.
3d. The base line of the Pediment is sixty-five feet from the ground.
4th. A level avenue as wide as the Pediment will be in front of it to the
extent of 800 feet ; the sculpture will be in full view the whole of this distance ;
and the best point to examine it will be about 100 feet in advance of the
building.
Y'r ob'd't Ser't,
CHARLES BULFINCH.

INDEX
ABBOTT, HARRIET

( V a u g h a n ) , 253,

254,

256, 257, 288, 304.
Abbott, Jacob, 253, 304.
Abbott, Rev. L y m a n , D . D., 253.
A d a m Brothers, English architects, 101.
A d a m s , John, minister to England, afterwards president of the U . S., 46, 57,
79, 92.
A d a m s , J o h n Quincy, secretary of state
under Pres. Monroe and president of
the U. S., 192, 202, 2 0 5 ; letter from,
2 1 0 ; letters to, 211, 2 4 5 ; 212, 241,
293.
A d a m s , Samuel, governor of Massachusetts, 111.
" A g e of F a b l e , " 165, 311.
American A c a d e m y of A r t s and Sciences,
92.
A m e s , Fisher, 168.
Andover Theological Seminary, 126.
Andrew, J o h n A., governor of Massachusetts, 114.
Anecdotes of Charles Bulfinch, 129, 240,
271.
A p t h o r p , Catharine. See W h e e l w r i g h t ,
Catharine (Apthorp).
A p t h o r p , Charles, 32, 36.
A p t h o r p , Charles W a r d , 84.
A p t h o r p , Rev. East, D. D., 36, 37, 44,
145, 146; letter from, 1 7 7 ; letters to,
146, 150, 153, 156, 157, 162, 163, 168,
170, 171,173, 176, 180, 185.
Apthorp, Frances, daughter of Dr. East
Apthorp, letters to, 162, 166, 175, 178,
181, 183, 184.
A p t h o r p , Frances, daughter of J o h n
A p t h o r p (2d). See Vaughan, Frances
(Apthorp).
A p t h o r p , George, 42.
Apthorp, Grizzell. See Trecothick, Grizzell (Apthorp).
Apthorp, Grizzell, or Griselda (Eastwicke), 32, 109, 143.
A p t h o r p , H a n n a h . See Bulfinch, H a n n a h (Apthorp).
A p t h o r p , H a n n a h (Greenleaf), 69.
A p t h o r p , John, 32.
A p t h o r p , J o h n (2d), 2 1 , 6 9 ; portrait, 7 0 ;
145.

A p t h o r p , J o h n (3d, called Col. A p t h o r p ) ,
73, 79, 107, 175, 258, 259.
A p t h o r p , Sarah, 146.
A p t h o r p , Susan.
See Bulfinch, Susan
(Apthorp).
A p t h o r p , Susan (Ward), 32.
A p t h o r p , Thomas, 147, 158, 168, 186.
Architects, early, of the Capitol, 234.
Architecture, early New England, 2, 82.
A r c h Street, 102.
Baldwin, Col. Loammi, civil engineer,
246.
Balloons, 179.
" Barnaby R u d g e . " See " Master H u m phrey's Clock."
Barrell, Joseph, 4 1 , 42, 45, 64, 77, 80, 98,
127, 193. _
Barton's Point. See N e w Boston.
Beacon Hill, 61, 85, 86, 88, 110, 172,
174.
Beacon Monument, 85-90.
Beacon pole, 61, 85, 86, 89.
Beattie, quotation from, 227.
Beecher, Rev. L y m a n , D. D., 277.
Belknap, Rev. J e r e m y , D. D., 90.
Belmain, t h e Misses, relations of Gen.
Washington, 230.
B i n g h a m mansion in Philadelphia, 75,
76.
Blackburn, J o n a t h a n B., portrait-painter,
33.
Blackstone Street, 61.
B l a k e , Mrs., 310.
" B l o c k a d e of Boston," performance of,
93.
Bomford, George, officer of American
army, 203, 204, 205.
Bonner, Peter, English architect, 118.
Boott, K i r k , 109 ; mansion house, 286.
Boston banks, 126.
Boston Board of H e a l t h , 134.
Boston Board of Selectmen, 10, 92, 100,
127, 129, 130, 136, 180, 192.
Boston " B y - l a w s and Orders," 1801,
130-135.
Boston city government, 129.
Boston Common, 59, 111, 134, 150, 151,
159,179, 193, 311.

318

INDEX

Boston Directory, 98, 130, 139, 142.
Boston Female Orphan Asylum, 182.
Boston gardens, 63.
Boston Hussars, 193.
Boston insurance offices, 126, 127.
Boston Latin School, 61.
Boston L i b r a r y Society, 102, 309.
Boston Overseers of the Poor, 134.
Boston population, 137.
Boston school-houses, 127.
Boston Society of Architects, 1, 84.
Boston stages, 36, 227.
Boston
streets, improvements
and
changes, 128, 129, 136-138.
Boston town and city debts, 137, 138.
Boston wharves, 137, 138.
Bostonian Society, 65.
Botanic Garden, Cambridge, 277.
Bowditch, Nathaniel I., papers on old
Boston, 85, 127.
Bowdoin, J a m e s , governor of Massachusetts, 21, 38.
Bowdoin Square, Boston, 19, 34, 109,
136, 165.
Bowdoin Street (Middlecott), 127, 140,
142, 301.
" Boy Inventor, T h e " (Matthew E d wards), by Thomas Bulfinch, 310.
Boyer family, 109.
Boylston. Dr. Zabdiel, 14, 16.
Boylston Market, 126, 137.
Bradford,
, 218. Brattle Street Church, 38, 60, 157, 230.
Bremer, Frederika, " T h e H o m e , " 302.
Bridges, care and expense in building,
278.
B r i g h a m , Mr., of Bumstead Place, 270,
279.
British Coffee-house, 93.
Broad Alley, 94.
Brooks, Phillips, Bishop of Massachusetts,
40.
Brown, Matthew, portrait-painter, 57.
Brown, Samuel, 65.
Buckminster, Dr., death of 182.
Buckminster, Rev. Joseph S., 156-158,
161, 162, 181.
Buildings designed by Charles Bulfinch
in New England, 85, 94-103, 110-127,
191-196, 274, 2 7 5 ; in Washington,
267. See also Appendix.
Bulfinch, Adino, 11-16, 22, 109; letter
from, 14.
Bulfinch, Adino (2d), 13, 15.
Bulfinch, Anna. See Storer, Anna (Bulfinch) .
Bulfinch, Charles, ancestry, 11-33 ; birth,
11 ; childhood, ^i] ; classmates, 41 ;
letters from Europe, 43-57 ; marriage,
69, 7 0 ; letters on wedding tour, 7 3 - 8 0 ;
personal characteristics, 59 ; selectman,
9, 10, 9 1 , 92, 99 ; method of work, 8 2 ;

architectural library, 83, 8 4 ; business
reverses, 98, 99, 104, 186-190; imprisonment for debt, 188, 190; Superintendent of Police, 100, 1 3 0 ; architect
of State House at Boston, 110-114;
residences. 80, 139, 140. 142, 190, 228,
241, 270, 2 7 1 ; accident, 187, 189, 1 9 0 ;
correspondence relating to appointment
at Washington, 199-211 ; appointed architect of the Capitol, 1 9 3 , 2 1 1 ; removal
of family, 226-228; return to Boston,
269 ; description of, in old age, 280 ;
occupations of last years, 297 ; death,
306; monument. 307, 3 0 8 ; portraits,
oS, 59, 290; autobiography, 12,13, 4 0 42, 58, 70, 71, 91, 92, 186, 187, 1 9 1 193.
Bulfinch. Charles (2d), birth, 105; 172,
214, 242, 243, 265, 269, 272, 279, 2 8 0 ;
death, 309.
Bulfinch, Elizabeth. See Coolidge, Elizab e t h (Bulfinch).
Bulfinch, Francis Vaughan, birth, 1 8 8 ;
165, 242; death, 3 0 9 ; letters to, 290,
302.
Bulfinch, George Storer, birth, 1 4 3 ; 166,
212, 223, 225, 242, 269, 271, 275, 300 ;
death, 309.
Bulfinch, Greenleaf. See Bulfinch, Rev.
Stephen Greenleaf, D. D.
Bulfinch. H a n n a h (Apthorp), 48, 5 1 , 69,
7 0 , 7 1 , 9 0 , 102, 146, 149; journal, 91,
104-109, 141-143, 1 8 7 - 1 9 0 ; letters
from, 228, 250, 251, 253, 254, 257-259,
272, 275, 279, 282; letters to, 196,
212, 2 2 3 ; description of in old age,
2 8 0 ; death, 2 8 6 ; portraits, 70, 290,
2 9 1 ; character, 107, 108, 190, 287,288.
Bulfinch, John, 12.
Bulfinch, J o h n (2d), 13, 15.
Bulfinch, J o h n A p t h o r p , M. D., b i r t h .
1 8 8 ; 242, 243, 255, 269, 272 ; death,'
280 ; letter from, 255.
Bulfinch, J u d i t h .
See Cooper, J u d i t h
(Bulfinch).
Bulfinch, J u d i t h (Colman), 19.
Bulfinch, K a t h a r i n e , 13, 16.
Bulfinch, Sarah, 19.
Bulfinch, Rev. Stephen Greenleaf, D. D.,
birth, 188; 1, 128, 166, 167, 227, 231,
2 5 3 , 2 7 1 , 2 8 3 , 2 9 8 ; death, 3 0 9 ; sonnet,
2 9 5 ; letters to, 253-259, 266-269, 272,
275, 277, 289, 291, 295, 300, 303, 305,
306.
Bulfinch, Susan (Apthorp), 32, 33, 36, 69,
144-146,165 ; death, 185 ; letters from,
146-163, 166-186; letters to, 51, 56,
73, 75, 76, 79.
Bulfinch, Susan (2d). See H a l l , Susan
(Bulfinch).
Bulfinch, Susan or " S u k e y , " 37. 90.
Bulfinch, Dr. Thomas, 11, 13, 14, 2 8 4 ;

INDEX
death, 3 2 ; letters from, 17, 22, 27 ;
letters to, 14, 2 1 , 24, 29.
Bulfinch, Dr. Thomas (2d), 11, 19, 20,
32, 35, 3(3, 38-40, 64, 86, 144, 146, 162;
death, 143 ; letters from, 21-23, 24, 29 ;
letters to, 22, 27, 43, 46, 73, 75, 76, 79.
Bulfinch, Thomas (3d), author of " A g e
of F a b l e , " etc., birth, 106; 128, 165,
166,172, 217, 227, 242, 243, 300; death,
3 1 2 ; letters from, 85, 227, 280, 291,
3 0 5 ; letters to, 243, 247, 250, 251, 259,
264, 265, 278, 281, 2 8 2 ; classmates,
310 ; lines written by, 243, 244.
Bulfinch Harbor. See Gray's Harbor.
Bulfinch mansion, Bowdoin Square, 34,
63, 64, 144, 174, 271, 291, 3 0 0 ; description of, 284-286.
B u n k e r Hill Monument and celebration,
248, 250.
Burgoyne, General, 93.
Burns, quotation from, 229.
Canal Bridge, 137.
Canal of Languedoc, 52.
Cape Hancock, 68.
Capitol at Washington, D . C , 3,8, 9,137,
192, 199, 203, 205, 206, 213, 232, 238,
259, 261, 279 ; history of, 2 3 3 - 2 3 6 ;
decoration of pediment, 249 (see also
Appendix) ; alarm of fire, 2 5 0 ; criticisms answered, 298.
Capitol Hill, 196, 228, 235.
Carey, Rev. Samuel, 171, 185, 186.
Cathedral buildings. See Church of the
Holy Cross, Boston.
Ceilings, flat and concave, acoustic properties of, 301.
Channing, Rev. William Ellery, D. D.,
116, 169, 240, 296.
Chantrey, Francis, sculptor, criticism of
his statue of Washington a t Boston,
293.
Chardon, Peter, 19, 286.
Chardon Street, 285, 286, 298.
Charles River Bridge, 48, 62, 154.
Charlestown, First Church, 117.
Chase, Bishop, 260.
Cheselden, William, English anatomist
and surgeon, 14.
Cheverus, Bishop, 115, 165, 277.
Chimney-sweepers, 132.
Christ Church, Boston, 60, 121, 171, 182,
185.
Christ Church, Cambridge, 37, 145, 155,
185
Church Green, 123.
Church of the Holy Cross, Boston, 115,
126
City Hall, Boston, old. See Suffolk Courthouse.
City H a l l ground, Washington, 255.
Clark, Alvan, 290.

319

Colman, John, 19.
Colman, J u d i t h .
See Bulfinch, J u d i t h
(Colman).
Colman, J u d i t h (Hobby), 19.
Colonnade Row, 122, 137, 179.
Columbia, ship, expedition to t h e Northwest, 64, 65, 68, 6 9 ; medals to commemorate, 69 ; 211.
" Columbian Centinel," 95, 112, 117.
Columbian College, Washington, 242,259.
Combe, George, 289, 296.
Comet of 1812, 176.
Commencement at H a r v a r d College described, 178, 179; oration of T h o m a s
Bulfinch (2d), 19, 20.
Common Street. See Tremont Street.
Concert H a l l , Boston, 126.
Congress burying ground, 286.
Constitutional Convention, 1820, 236, 237Cook, Captain, 64.
Coolidge, Elizabeth Boyer (afterwards
Mrs. Tascar Swett), described in childhood, 147, 170, 183 ; 230.
Coolidge, Elizabeth (Bulfinch), 37, 75,
100, 109, 144, 239, 2 7 2 ; letter to, 228.
Coolidge, J o h n Templeman, Jr., 33.
Coolidge, Joseph, 100, 127, 231, 301.
Coolidge, Joseph (2d), 100, 109, 144, 158,
173,175, 191, 230, 267, 271, 286; letter
to, 237.
Coolidge, Joseph (3d), 184.
Coolidge Avenue, 89.
Cooper, J u d i t h (Bulfinch), 19.
Cooper, Rev. Samuel, D. D., 19, 22, 26,
28, 32, 157.
Copley (Copeley), J o h n Singleton, 57.
Copp's Hill, 6 1 .
Court-house, Newburyport, 118.
Court-house, Worcester, 115.
Court Street, 140.
Cranch, J u d g e William, 229, 260.
Cummings, Charles A., introduction, 1 10, 95, 112.
Cunningham, Nathaniel, 26.
Dawes, Thomas, 110.
Derby, John, 65.
Derne Street, 89.
Dillaway, Mr. and Miss, 280.
Dome of Capitol discussed, 299.
Dorchester Neck. See South Boston.
Drake, Samuel A d a m s , 97.
Drowning of F a r m School boys, reflections on, 295, 296.
East Boston, 61.
East Braintree, church removed to, 85.
Easton, Miss, 310.
Eastwicke, Grizzell, or Griselda. See A p thorp, Grizzell, or Griselda (Eastwicke).
Eaton, Rev. Mr., of Christ Church, Boston, 182.

320

INJ

Eclipse of the sun (1806), 160, 161.
E d i n b u r g h physicians, Dr. W h y t t , Dr.
Rutherford, etc., 25.
Election Day in Boston, recollections of,
255.
E l g a r , J., Commissioner of Public Buildings. 245, 262.
Eliot, Rev. Andrew, D. D . , 117.
Eliot, Dawes, 256.
Eliot, Samuel A., mayor of Boston, letter
from, 121.
Eliot family, Washington, 241, 259.
Elssler, Fanny, dancer, 293.
E m b a r g o , of 1794, 97.
E m b a r g o , of 1807, 162.
Emerson, R. W., 292.
Exchange Coffee-house, 192.
Faneuil, Peter, 119.
Faneuil Hall, 93, 119-121, 130, 136, 190,
293.
Fatalities to steam vessels, 295.
F e d e r a l Street 94.
Federal Street Church, 96, 122, 168, 169,
F e d e r a l Street T h e a t r e . See T h e a t r e at
Boston, First (Federal street).
Follen, Dr. Charles, 277.
F o r t Hill, 61.
Fortifications, ancient, at
Somerville
(formerly Charlestown), 194.
Francis, Rev. Convers, D. D., 252.
Frankland, Sir H a r r y , 23.
F r a n k l i n Archway, 102, 104.
Franklin Crescent. See Franklin Place,
Boston.
Franklin Place, Boston, 7, 88, 98, 102,
137, 307, 308.
Franklin Street, 94, 97, 100-102.
F r a n k l i n Urn, 102, 307, 308.
Freeman, Rev. J a m e s , D. D., 33, 39, 143,
171, 185, 240, 276.
Freeman, Jonathan, 37.
Freeman, Nehemiah, letter to, 208, 210.
F r e s h Pond, 175, 272, 273, 276, 277.
F r o t h i n g h a m , " History of Charlestown,"
117.
Fuel, 63, 131, 221.
Gale in New England (1804), 153.
Gales and Seaton, editors, 241.
" Gentleman's Magazine," 307.
Geological Association, meeting, 296.
" Gleaner." See Bowditch, Nathaniel I .
" Governor's P a s t u r e , " 110.
Granary, Old, 60, 168.
Gray, Captain Robert, 65, 67.
Gray's Harbor, 67.
Greenleaf, H a n n a h . See A p t h o r p , H a n nah (Greenleaf).
Greenleaf, Stephen, high sheriff of Suffolk County, 69, 70, 105, 106, 166.
167.

Greenough's statue of Washington, 293,
300, 301, 305.
Greenwood, Rev. F . W . P., D. D., 287.
" Gustavus Vasa," performance of, 94.
H a l e , Rev. E d w a r d Everett, D. D., 114.
H a l e , N a t h a n , editor, 239.
H a l l , David A., 242, 265, 272, 278, 279,
282, 283, 288, 300.
H a l l , Susan (Bulfinch), birth, 90, 151,
156, 165, 217, 225, 241, 242, 251, 279,
2 8 6 ; death, 261.
Hallowell, life at, 273, 274.
Hancock heirs, 88, 110, 174.
Hancock, John, governor of Massachusetts, 23, 38, 66, 110, 136.
Harris, Rev. T h a d d e u s M., D. D., 299.
Harrison, Peter, architect of King's
Chapel, 82.
Harrison, William H., president of t h e
U. S., 286.
H a r v a r d College, 125, 155, 184.
H a t c h , Captain Crowell, 65.
Hawaiian Islands, 66.
Hawley Street, 94.
H e d g e , Rev. Frederic Henry, D. D., 268,
269.
Higginson, Mrs., 273, 276.
Higginson, Stephen, 96, 252, 254, 267,
273.
Hobby, J u d i t h .
See Colman, J u d i t h
(Hobby).
Hollis Street Church, 85.
Houdon, J e a n Antoine, French sculptor,
criticism of his statue of Washington
at Richmond, 293.
Howard, J a m e s Q., author of paper on
the Capitol, 234.
H o w a r d Street, 140.
Hunnewell, ''Century of Town Life," 117.
Hutchinson Family, 167, 170.
Hypothesis on the soul's influence over
the body, 29.
Impressions of France, 51-54.
Indian Hill F a r m , 119.
Inns of Old Boston, Green Dragon, B u n c h
of Grapes, etc., 60.
Inscriptions on Beacon Monument, 8 6 90.
International Review, 233.
Ivers, James, 39.
Jackson, Andrew, president of the U . S.,
memorial to, 262 ; note from, 263.
Jealousy of rulers, observations on, 237,
238.
Jefferson, Thomas, minister to France
and president of the U . S., 42, 162,
163; note from, 143.
Jeffries, John, M. D., 179.
Jennison, Dr., at Cambridge, 184.

INDEX

321

K i n g ' s Chapel, Boston, 3 2 ; separation | " Massachusetts M a g a z i n e , " 85.
" M a s t e r H u m p h r e y ' s Clock," 294, 295.
from Protestant Episcopal Church, 38,
Medal presented to Charles Bulfinch, on
39, 4 0 ; church plate, 43, 47 ; 143, 171,
completion of first theatre, 94.
185, 230, 240, 287, 307, 311.
Medal to commemorate voyage of ship
" Ladies of Llangollen, T h e , " 159.
Columbia, 69.
Lafayette, Marquis, 42, 114.
Memorial to the President on close of serL a m p s , regulations concerning, 62, 132,
vices at Washington, 262.
133.
Middleeott Street. See Bowdoin Street
Lancaster, First Church, 125, 126.
(Middlecott).
Lane, Samuel, commissioner of public
Middlesex Canal, 61.
buildings, 192, 199, 203, 206, 209, 210,
Middlesex County Jail, 126.
213 ; letters from, 208, 211.
Middlesex Court-house, 123.
Latrobe, Benjamin Henry, architect of
Mill Bridge, 6 1 .
Capitol at Washington, 5 , 1 9 2 , 1 9 9 , 2 0 2 Mill Creek, 12, 13.
204, 206, 207, 214, 215, 2 3 4 - 2 3 6 ,
Mill Pond, 61, 136, 174.
246, 2 9 9 ; Charles Bulfinch's impresMills,
, architect, from South Carosions of his plans, 213, 214.
lina, 143.
Lectures in Boston (1841), 292.
Monroe, J a m e s , president of the U. S.,
Lee, William, 192; letters from, 199,203,
192; reception in Boston, 1 9 2 , 1 9 3 ; 198,
205, 2 0 9 ; letters to, 200, 205, 2 0 6 ;
199, 202, 203, 205-207, 209-212, 223,
216.
241, 249; note from, 2 4 6 ; note to, 247.
Motte, Rev. Mellish Irving, 258, 266.
Legacies from England, 271.
Mount A u b u r n Cemetery, 307.
Lincoln, Bishop of, refutation of CalvinMount Vernon Street, 89, 127.
ism, 177.
Little, Rev. Robert, 240, 266.
Lloyd, Dr., and family, 170.
N a t u r a l History Society, Boston, 291.
Lloyd, Sir John, 33.
Naval Hospital at Norfolk, Va., 263-265.
New Boston, 151.
London architecture, 101.
Louisburg Square, 62, 138.
New N o r t h Church, Boston, 116, 126.
Lowell, Rev. Charles, S. T . D., 257.
New South Church, 123, 124.
Lowell, J a m e s Russell, quotation from,
Noddle's Island. See E a s t Boston.
308.
" N o r t h American Review," 377.
N o r t h Church. See Christ Church, BosLowell Institute, 291.
ton.
Lyman, Theodore, mansion house, 285.
Northampton, summer at, 270.
Northeast boundary question, opinions
McCormick, Rev.
, Washington,
on, 289, 298.
229.
Northwest coast, discoveries on t h e , 6 4 McLean Asylum for the Insane, at Som69.
erville (formerly Charlestown), 1 9 1 195.
Old Corner Bookstore, 60.
Macomb,
, 207.
Otis, Harrison Gray, 202, 2 0 4 , 2 0 6 ; letter
Madison, J a m e s , president of the U . S.,
from, 207.
198.
Otis, James, 115.
Malbone, miniature painter, 58.
" Otway's Orphan," performance of, 93.
Mann, Horace, 305.
Oystermen, 63.
Mansion house, Washington, view of,
256.
Paddock, Captain, planter of P a d d o c k
Manufactory House, 6 1 .
Marlboroue-h Street.
See Washington
elms, 36.
Street (Marlborough).
Paine, Robert Treat, 94.
Marriage, happiness in, 279.
Palfrey, J o h n Gorham, 230, 269, 292.
Marsh Lane, 13.
Paris, study of surgery at, 17, 18.
Marshall, Emily, afterwards Mrs. W i l P a r k Place. See P a r k Street.
liam F . Otis, 102.
P a r k Street, 118, 137.
Marshall, John, chief justice, 234.
P a r k Street Church, 60, 118, 168.
Mason Street, 122.
P a r k e r , Theodore, 290.
Massachusetts General Hospital, 5, 126,
P a r k m a n , Rev. Francis, D. D., 170-172,
137, 191, 195. 196, 217, 228, 239.
180, 298, 306, 3 1 0 ; homestead, 2 8 6 ;
Massachusetts Historical Society, 102.
father and brother mentioned, 185, 239.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
P a t e n t Office, Washington, 282.
84, 95.
I Peabody, Rev. Andrew P., D. D., 125.

322

JiV: EX

Pemberton Square, 188.
Penitentiary at Washington, 267.
Persico, Italian artist, 249.
Phillips, John, mayor of Boston, 129.
Phillips, Wendell, 114.
Phillips Academy, Exeter, N . H., 166.
Pintard, J o h n Marden, 65.
Pittsfield Meeting-house, 127.
Point A d a m s . 68.
Pollard, " M a ' a m , " 164, 225, 231.
Ponsonby family, 159.
Poor, Mrs., and children, baptized, 258.
Poor, William, 25(5.
Porter, Rev. E d w a r d G., on discovery of
t h e Northwest, 05.
Portsmouth Flying Coach, 36.
Powell, Charles Stuart, manager of first
theatre in Boston, 94, 97.
Prices of provisions at Washington, 220.
Priestley, quotation from, 297.
Prince, Marshall, 229.
Prince's Pasture, 195.
Professors' Row (Kirkland Street, Cambridge), 276.
Province House, 60.
Provoost, Samuel, Bishop of New York,
39.
Public Garden, 62.
Public walks, advantages of, 5 1 .
P u m p s , inspection of, 133.
Puseyism, 303.
P u t n a m , Rev. George, D . D., 260.
Queen Street, 172.
Quincy, Josiah, 1 1 5 , 1 2 8 , 2 7 6 , 3 0 8 ; " M u nicipal History of Boston," 129.
Quincy, Susan, &].
Quincy Market, 137.
Regent's Quadrant, London, 101.
Republics, duration of, 297.
Revere, P a u l , 111.
Revere House, 109, 286.
Revolution, recollections of, 4 1 .
Robbins, E d w a r d H., lieutenant-governor
of Massachusetts, 110.
R o m a n amphitheatre and temples a t
Nimes, 53.
Romanism, paper on, 297.
Ropewalks, 62.
Rosewell,
, 16, 18, 19.
Roxbury, First Church (Eliot Square),
126.
R o x b u r y Neck, 62, 152, 154.
" St. Stephen in Wallbrook," 84.
Salary, proposed reduction of, 245.
Salem almshouse, 126.
Salem Bank, 126.
Salt Lane, 18.
Sargent, Daniel, 294.
Scollay, W i l l i a m , 98, 99.

Seabury, Samuel, Bishop of Connecticut,
39.
Shaw, Mrs., 310.
Sheaffe, Sir Roger Hale, 37.
Shurtleff, " Topographical and Historical
Description of Boston," 123.
Silver tea-urn presented to Charles B u l finch by R o m a n Catholics, 116.
Smibert, John, designer of Faneuil Hall, 82.
Socinianism, Southey's, 803.
South Boston, 61, 136, 137, 154, 230.
South Cove land, 138.
Southac's Court. See H o w a r d Street.
Southard, Mr. Secretary, 259.
Sparks, Jared, ordination of, 240.
" S p e c t a t o r , T h e , " 160.
Spooner, Anna, 289, 288.
Staircase at McLean Asylum described,
194.
State House at Augusta, Me., 2 7 4 ; description of, 275.
State House at Boston, 4, 86, 88, 90, 9 1 ,
92, 100-114, 137, 150, 172, 196, 275,
293.
State House at Boston, Old, 60, 111, 150,
159.
State Prison a t Charlestown, 117, 118,
154.
State Street, 61, 136.
Storer, A n n a (Bulfmch), 37, 72, 74, 79,
80, 91, 108, 109. 140, 142,147,152,160,
162, 239, 258, 272, 279, 282.
Statuary, instances of unsuccessful, 294.
Storer, Ebenezer, 63, 157.
Storer, George, letter to, 48 ; 63, 72, 80,
99, 109, 140, 142, 143, 147, 157, 158,
215, 272, 273, 279.
Storrow, Miss, 276.
Suffolk Court-house, 122, 123, 136, 172,
174, 287.
Summer Street, 13, 9 8 ; changes in, 301.
Suinner, Increase, governor of Massachusetts, 111.
Taunton, meeting-house at, 127.
Taylor, J., letter to, 96, 97.
Temple Street, 90.
Thacher, P e t e r Oxenbridge, lawyer and
municipal judge, 239.
Thacher, Rev. Samuel C , 125, 162.
Thayer, Rev. Nathaniel, D. D., 125.
T h e a t r e at Bordeaux, 52.
T h e a t r e at Boston, first (Federal Street),
4 , 9 3 - 9 7 ; medal presented to architect,
9 4 ; destroyed by fire, 9 6 , 1 1 4 ; rebuilt,
114
T h e a t r e at Richmond, Va., burned, 177.
T h e a t r e , laws against, 9 4 ; injurious to
t h e manners of a people, 5 0 ; interest
in, 75, 77.
Thornton, Dr., of Washington, 215, 234.
Tileston, " Master Johnny," 35.

EX
Tontine Buildings. See F r a n k l i n Place,
Boston.
Treasury Building, criticism of, 281.
Treeothiek, Barlow, 37.
Trecothick, Grizzell (Apthorp), 87.
T r e m o n t Street, 122, 137, 190.
•Trinity Church, Boston, 60, 94, 171.
T r u m b u l l , J o h n , historical painter, 307.
Unitarian Church, Washington (First),
84, 239, 240, 260, 265-268, 271, 282.
University H a l l , H a r v a r d College, 125,
184
U p h a m , Rev. Charles W., 268.
" Valley A c r e , " 35.
V a n Buren, Martin, president of t h e
U. S., 281.
Vancouver, navigator, 67.
V a n der Neuville, Mrs., daughters of
(Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. Ingersol),
258.
V a u g h a n , Charles, 80, 98, 143, 257, 270,
273, 274, 284.
V a u g h a n , Charles (2d), 273, 274.
V a u g h a n , Frances (Apthorp), 72, 80, 9 1 ,
143, 149, 257, 270, 274.
V a u g h a n , H a r r i e t . See A b b o t t , H a r r i e t
(Vaughan).
V a u g h a n , Rev. J o h n , D. D., 304.
V a u t i n , English artist, 63.
W a l t e r , T h o m a s U., architect of Capitol
extension, 236.
W a r with E n g l a n d (1812), 180, 181, 183,
1 8 6 , 1 8 7 , 1 8 9 , 234.

323

W a r d , Susan.
See A p t h o r p , Susan
(Ward).
Washington, George, 76, 77, 78, 79, 230,
233.
Washington, D. C , described, 196, 197,
217-222; 304.
Washington Gardens, Boston, 70.
Washington, ship, 65.
Washington Street (Marlborough), 60,
80, 138, 140.
Waterloo Bridge, 278.
W a t e r s t o n family, 142.
Waterston, Hotel, 142.
Webster, Daniel, 249, 305.
W e s t Boston, 19, 84, 155.
W e s t Boston Bridge, 62, 137, 152, 187.
W e s t Church, Boston, 35.
W e s t Street, 122.
W e y m o u t h , meeting-house at, 127.
Wheeler, Captain, of Norfolk, Va., 265.
Wheelwright, Catharine (Apthorp), 44,
146; letters to, 148,152.
W h i t e House, Washington, 281.
Willard, Ashton R., 95, 96, 100-102, 116,
119, 122, 196, 234, 236, 275, 308.
Willard, Rev. Joseph, president of H a r vard College, 155.
Willard, Solomon, architect, 225, 248.
W i r t , William, attorney - general, 224,
225 ; reply to President Monroe, 247 ;
eulogy on Presidents A d a m s and Jefferson, 251, 252.
W r e n , Sir Christopher, 84.
W y m a n , Rufus, M. D., Superintendent
of McLean Asylum, 194.