[MassHistPres] chimney colors

Wed Jun 23 14:28:38 EDT 2010

Pretty high.  The Colonial Revival movement was pervasive in New
England, and has had several periods of 'echo' thereafter in house
design.

Just to keep matters thoroughly confused, I have seen references to the
practice of painting a white line around a chimney (as opposed to
painting the entire chimney white with a black cap) as an indicator of a
'safe house' on the Underground Railroad, one among many such 'signs',
which include displaying particular kinds of quilts in specific ways,
smoke coming out of chimneys at odd hours, etc.

I would not put much stock in the fact that there is often enclosed
space around chimneys in 18th century homes.  Such spaces were not built
as slave hideaways but for more prosaic reasons--such as keeping the
inevitable chimney fires from touching the interior timbers of the house
just long enough for there to be time to put the fires out before the
whole place went up. 

Jonathan Tucker
Planning Director
Amherst Planning Department
4 Boltwood Avenue, Town Hall
Amherst, MA  01002
(413) 259-3040
tuckerj at amherstma.gov    

-----Original Message-----
From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Dennis De Witt
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 11:38 AM
To: MHC MHC listserve
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] chimney colors

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
>> 
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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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>>
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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.
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