[MassHistPres] chimney colors

Wed Jun 23 11:03:22 EDT 2010

My understanding of the white with black cap chimneys is the same as Mr. 
Hadley's - Tory sympathizer - but I suspect this was more in the 
pre-Revolutionary era.

Since harboring a runaway slave was a criminal act, it seems unlikely that 
such an obvious public signal would be employed.

For what it's worth our house (1903 colonial revival) has always had its 
chimneys painted in this manner.

John Worden
Arlington HDC

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: <masshistpres-request at cs.umb.edu>
To: <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 9:11 AM
Subject: MassHistPres Digest, Vol 52, Issue 14

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> Today's Topics:
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>   1. Underground Railroad and Chimneys (Marian Pierre-Louis)
>   2. Re: Underground Railroad and Chimneys (Ann Morgan)
>   3. Re: Underground Railroad and Chimneys (james hadley)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 06:54:57 -0400
> From: "Marian Pierre-Louis" <mpl at fieldstonehistoricresearch.com>
> Subject: [MassHistPres] Underground Railroad and Chimneys
> To: "'MassHistPres'" <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Message-ID: <003101cb12c2$8560f370$9022da50$@com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
>
> Recently I was touring an 18th century colonial in my area that had an
> enclosed space around the chimney on the first floor that was supposedly
> used for hiding runaway slaves.  The owner told me that he had heard that 
> a
> white chimney with a black cap was a symbol that the house was part of the
> Underground Railroad.  Is there any truth to this?  If so, can you suggest
> any sources that I can refer to for further information?   I did do a 
> Google
> search and found that others mentioned the same thing but I wasn't able to
> find any definitive source to show me that it was anything more than
> folklore.
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
> Marian Pierre-Louis
>
> Medway Historical Commission
>
> Medway, MA
>
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>
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:08:01 -0400
> From: Ann Morgan <MorganA at GRAFTON-MA.GOV>
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Underground Railroad and Chimneys
> To: "'MassHistPres'" <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Message-ID: <E6B2A1837A5D174983C69F2EB0616F9D0CC8919438 at murphy>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> I'd be interested as well.  Our house (c. 1786) has a similar set up in 
> the basement and has had a white chimney / black cap for as long as anyone 
> in town can remember including the now 90 year old fellow who grew up in 
> the house.  We had a chimney restoration company specializing in antique 
> homes out to the house last summer.  The fellow told us that the color 
> scheme on the chimney was an indication of political affiliation.  It 
> would be great to know which (if either) is correct.  We've got at least 
> three buildings within a 2 mile radius of my house that, local legend has 
> it, were on the Underground Railroad.  So, either explanation could be 
> plausible or, at the least, charming folklore.
>
>
> Ann V. Morgan
> Assistant Planner
> (508) 839-5335  Ext. 145
> (508) 839-4602 - FAX
> www.grafton-ma.gov<www.town.grafton.ma.us%20>
>
> When responding, please remember the Secretary of State considers e-mail a 
> public record.
> P Consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
>
> From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu 
> [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Marian Pierre-Louis
> Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 6:55 AM
> To: 'MassHistPres'
> Subject: [MassHistPres] Underground Railroad and Chimneys
>
>
> Recently I was touring an 18th century colonial in my area that had an 
> enclosed space around the chimney on the first floor that was supposedly 
> used for hiding runaway slaves.  The owner told me that he had heard that 
> a white chimney with a black cap was a symbol that the house was part of 
> the Underground Railroad.  Is there any truth to this?  If so, can you 
> suggest any sources that I can refer to for further information?   I did 
> do a Google search and found that others mentioned the same thing but I 
> wasn't able to find any definitive source to show me that it was anything 
> more than folklore.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Marian Pierre-Louis
> Medway Historical Commission
> Medway, MA
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:11:03 -0400
> From: james hadley <jameswhadley at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Underground Railroad and Chimneys
> To: <morgana at grafton-ma.gov>, <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Message-ID: <SNT105-W14CF14079B7A1AABBB5429D5C50 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"
>
>
> For what it is worth, here on Cape Cod the white/black chinmey color is 
> understood as Tory affiliation during the revolutionary war.
>
> Jim Hadley, orleans Historical Commission.
>
>
>
> From: MorganA at GRAFTON-MA.GOV
> To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
> Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:08:01 -0400
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Underground Railroad and Chimneys
>
>
>
>
>
> I?d be interested as well.  Our house (c. 1786) has a similar set up in 
> the basement and has had a white chimney / black cap for as long as anyone 
> in town can remember including the now 90 year old fellow who grew up in 
> the house.  We had a chimney restoration company specializing in antique 
> homes out to the house last summer.  The fellow told us that the color 
> scheme on the chimney was an indication of political affiliation.  It 
> would be great to know which (if either) is correct.  We?ve got at least 
> three buildings within a 2 mile radius of my house that, local legend has 
> it, were on the Underground Railroad.  So, either explanation could be 
> plausible or, at the least, charming folklore.
>
>
>
> Ann V. Morgan
> Assistant Planner
> (508) 839-5335  Ext. 145
> (508) 839-4602 - FAX
> www.grafton-ma.gov
>
> When responding, please remember the Secretary of State considers e-mail a 
> public record.
> P Consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
>
>
>
>
> From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu 
> [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Marian Pierre-Louis
> Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 6:55 AM
> To: 'MassHistPres'
> Subject: [MassHistPres] Underground Railroad and Chimneys
>
>
> Recently I was touring an 18th century colonial in my area that had an 
> enclosed space around the chimney on the first floor that was supposedly 
> used for hiding runaway slaves.  The owner told me that he had heard that 
> a white chimney with a black cap was a symbol that the house was part of 
> the Underground Railroad.  Is there any truth to this?  If so, can you 
> suggest any sources that I can refer to for further information?   I did 
> do a Google search and found that others mentioned the same thing but I 
> wasn?t able to find any definitive source to show me that it was anything 
> more than folklore.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Marian Pierre-Louis
> Medway Historical Commission
> Medway, MA
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
> For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email
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