[MassHistPres] MassHistPres Digest, Vol 52, Issue 16

Wed Jun 23 13:29:03 EDT 2010

While preparing the first draft of a Massachusetts Underground Railroad
context statement for NPS and MHC, I asked Myron Stachiw about the
architectural feature you describe in Medford. He noted that such "chambers"
were often built in chimney stacks to reduce the volume of brick used. He
stated further, in a July 2001 e-mail:

"Rather than making it a solid mass as one saw in early chimney stacks with
large fireboxes, ovens in the back of the fireboxes, by the late eighteenth
and early nineteenth century the fireboxes were smaller, ovens were next to
fireboxes, but the overall footprint and space allowed in framing the
chimney mass was often the same, especially if the chimney bay also included
a winding staircase. So rather than use a lot more bricks and build a
massive chimney mass, I think they economized and built light fireboxes that
came together at second-floor level or even attic level. This created spaces
inside of the chimneys. I have often heard these identified as hiding places
from Indians or for runaway slaves on the underground railroad. Short of
direct physical evidence such as writing on the walls of the spaces or
documentary references, I am not sure how one would know if in fact they
were used in that way." To my knowledge no one has ever provided such
evidence for a Massachusetts house or other structure. Though many accounts
exist of using spaces in houses and other structures to hide fugitives from
time to time, I have never seen a reference to a chimney chamber of this
sort, nor any that refers to chimneys color-coded as signals to fugitives.

Kathryn Grover

On Wed, Jun 23, 2010 at 12:00 PM, <masshistpres-request at cs.umb.edu> wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
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>   1. Re: chimney colors (Dennis De Witt)
>   2. Re: Underground Railroad and Chimneys (Cwkmail at aol.com)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:38:22 -0400
> From: Dennis De Witt <djd184 at verizon.net>
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] chimney colors
> To: MHC MHC listserve <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
> Message-ID: <D76A6EFF-7732-4086-AD2E-9ECDC4C84ECB at verizon.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> What are the odds that this is on many house a Col. Rev. era affectation?
> -- whatever the purported message.
>
> Dennis De Witt
>
>
> On Jun 23, 2010, at 11:03 AM, John Worden wrote:
>
> > 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:
> >>
> >>  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
> >>
> >> -------------- next part --------------
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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
> >>
> >> ______________________________________________________________________
> >> This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System.
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> >>
> >> ______________________________________________________________________
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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
> >> ______________________________________________________________________
> >> ______________________________________________________________________
> >> 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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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:46:45 EDT
> From: Cwkmail at aol.com
> Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Underground Railroad and Chimneys
> To: mpl at fieldstonehistoricresearch.com, masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
> Message-ID: <c8136.269f3.39538665 at aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> >From The Boston Globe, 2001 (
> _http://www.boston.com/globe/search/realestate/hotton/chimney.htm_
> (http://www.boston.com/globe/search/realestate/hotton/chimney.htm)  )  :
>
> Q. When I had a concrete cap put on the top of my large, three-flue
> chimney, the contractor took off a band of concrete that went all the way
> around
> the chimney at the top, and did not put up a new one. Now, water runs off
> the  cap and directly down the four sides of the chimney. I am afraid that
> running  water will stain the sides of the chimney. Should the border or
> band
> be put  back?
>
> JACK OLSON, Framingham
>
> A. The band is mostly decorative, but it also acts as a drip edge to
> prevent just what you are concerned about. Have the contractor put up a new
> band. Such a band does not have to be very thick (half to a full inch will
> do),
> nor is there an arbitrary rule as to how deep it should be.
>
> In Revolutionary times, the band served one more purpose. It created  the
> opportunity for a black-and-white chimney. The chimney was painted white
> and
> the band black. This was called a Tory chimney, and it was a secret sign
> that  Loyalists occupied the house. If the band was proportioned correctly,
> the  black-and-white chimney had a certain class to it. It was good
> looking,
> and kept  those massive chimneys in perspective.
>
>
> Christopher Kirk
> Shrewsbury Historical Commission
> Shrewsbury, Mass.
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