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William N. Gardner
November 15, 1805, Pembroke, MA - September 30, 1890, Milton, MA
Laid the Cornerstone at Bunker Hill
Copy of an article which was in THE GLOBE about 1891.
William is the brother of my 2x great grandfather, Anthony Collamore Gardner
See obituary for Anthony who worked with William as a stone mason
DID TWO GREAT THINGS
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Laid the Corner-Stone at Bunker Hill
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And Built the First Railroad in the United States
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Noteworthy Incidents in the Life of W. N. Gardner of East Milton
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Although it may be a historical fact that the Marquis De Lafayette was the noted individual who, on June 17, 1825, laid the corner-stone of Bunker Hill monument, it remained for a GLOBE reporter to find one of the men who really set the stone upon which was erected the grand, imposing shaft which marks the scene of the first determined struggle for freedom in this country.
Lafayette was the nation's guest at the time of the laying of the corner-stone of the monument, and to him was extended the honored privilege of officiating at the attending ceremonies.
His name has been written in the history of our country as that of the man who laid the corner-stone of the Bunker Hill monument; but that 133,000 copies of today's GLOBE will notify the people of New England that the man who actually set the foundation-stone of the monument, and who is also the individual who laid the foundations of the first railroad in the United States, is at the present day alive and enjoying good health.
Fronting directly upon what is known as the "Old Plymouth road," which runs from the landing place of the Pilgrim Fathers to State street, Boston, in the quiet town of East Milton, stands a low, white dwelling house, built in the good old-fashioned style, with a plain two-story front and long, sloping roof in the rear. Its sturdy, weather-beaten appearance shows plainly the wear and tear of time and weather, while the hollow spot in the door-plate, which glitters in the sunlight as you lift the hugh brass knocker, speaks plainer than words of the advent of many a visitor to this old country homestead.
There lives William N. Gardner, and there I found him a short time ago seated in a great armchair before an open fireplace.
When he arose to bid me welcome it was very evident, despite the weight of his 86 years, that he was in his young days a man of powerful physique and great strength, his broad shoulders and deep chest showing how well he was physically fitted for the trade which he pursued.
He has worked pretty steadily at his calling, that of stonemason, until within the past two years, and now he contents himself with doing light work and small chores about the house and in the garden in the rear.
He has lived in East Milton during the past 60 years, coming to the place when only a dozen houses comprised the town. He has lived in the house which he now occupies during the past 27 years. He can recall the war of 1812, and recollects seeing the artillery on the road in front of his house on their way.
From Plymouth to Boston
He is finely preserved, being but slightly deaf, and is of a kind, genial disposition, free and open in manner, and a pleasing conversationalist; and I can assure the readers of THE GLOBE that the hour which I spent in the old gentleman's company was both entertaining and instructive.
"Did you really lay the corner-stone of the Bunker Hill monument?" I asked him after we had been talking a few moments and the conversation had drifted to that subject.
"Well," he replied, "of course Lafayette was the man who formally laid the stone according to the ceremonies of the day, but Gridley Bryant and myself were the men who practically set the stone and so really laid it. Joseph. Coburn, who worked with me, was at Lafayette's side when we set the stone and assited in placing it.
My memory of the ceremonies of that day is not as bright as it was a few years ago but still I can see the honored Lafayette as he stood near me with the little silver trowel with which he spread a little mortar upon the foundation, and we set the stone and he tapped it with his trowel and tested it with his level. He was a noble looking man, about 6 feet in height and seemed to bear the weight of his 70 years very lightly. He wore a brown wig, that helped to conceal the wrinkles on his forehead, and I recollect that he had on a handsome waistcoat of black velvet or satin, I can't remember which. I remember, too, that after laying the stone according to the Masonic ritual Lafayette refused to take the seat which was offered him among the many dignitaries present, and went and sat among the veterans, saying that he belonged there, and there he would sit.
The old gentleman became very enthusiastic when questioned concerning the great work in which he is happily proud of having been a participant. He possesses a perfect knowledge of the main features of the great work from the time when the thought of erecting such a structure was first presented for public consideration until the day when the finishing touch was given to the shaft.
By the way, man's love for the so-called root of evil is ever ready to assert itself when a favorable opportunity for gain is presented and as an illustration that even his love for all that is rated as patriotic is then sacrificed, the following instance of money making in connection with the building of the monument is cited.
The committee of the association and the owners of the land desired for the carrying-on of the work had agreed upon appraisers to set a value upon the property, and each entered into bonds, with a penalty of $500, to abide by the decision of the appraisers. One of the land owners, when approached by the committeemen for his deed, told them to go and transact their business with the rest of the owners first. After the remaining owners had transferred their right of ownership and he was again applied to for his portion, he showed the interest which he took in the work by refusing to abide by the terms made with the other proprietors. He paid
His Forfeiture of $500
and then set his own price, demanding $5000 for the land.
The committeemen were struck dumb; but perceiving that his object was to take advantage of the urgency of the case and drive a hard bargain, and reflecting that a contention at that time might delay the whole enterprise for an indefinite period, they reluctantly paid the ungenerous and exorbitant exaction.
The depth at which the stone was laid originally was not sufficient to resist the action of the frost, and it was removed and re-laid: July 21, 1827, the base on which the monument stands was completed.
The foundation of the monument is 50 feet broad at the bottom and is laid 12 feet below the surface of the ground. The obelisk is 30 feet in diameter at the base, 15 feet broad at the top of the truncated part, and is 220 feet high. The outer wall is six feet in thickness at the bottom and two feet thick at the top. The diameter of the hollow cone is 10 feet at the bottom and six feet at the top. The chamber is a circular room 11 feet in diameter and 17 feet high. It is lighted by four windows facing nearly to the four cardinal points.
Mr. Gardner's life has indeed been a most useful one and he has been engaged in many prominent public works, as the following sketch of his labors will show.
He was born in the town of Pembroke, Mass., and at the age of 12 years went to work with his father on stone work. He was apprenticed to Edward Bates of Plymouth at the age of 16 to learn the trade of stone mason and builder, and being of a mathematical turn of mind and having a great liking for his work progressed very rapidly. At the age of 21 he had learned his trade and went to work with Gridley Bryant and helped build the first reservoir in Boston which stood on Liberty square. In 1844, he built the Quincy town house and in the same year he laid the foundation of the original Adams house, which stood on the site of the present well-know hotel on Washington street.
He has also constructed Paul's bridge over Neponset river and the Central avenue stone bridge over the same stream at Milton. He did the mason work on the stone barn owned by Charles Francis Adams of Quincy, and in 1848 the foundation of the
Old Baker Chocolate Mill
at Milton Lower Mills. In 1815, he did the stone work on the Mount Auburn chapel. He also built the tomb in which Solomon Willard, the architect of Bunker Hill monument, was laid to rest.
He married at the age of 21, his wife being only 16 years old and he has been the father of 14 children.
In talking about the construction of the first railroad in the United States I learned that the Quincy quarry was bought by Gridley Bryant in 1825 from Frederick Hardwick for $250. Bryant charged the Bunker Hill Monument Association $_25 [can't read the first number, may be a 3] for the privilege of quarrying any quantity of stone which might be needed in erecting the monument. The distance from Bunker Hill quarry, as it was called, to the monument is 12 miles, and hence it was decided that the best and easiest mode of transportation of the granite would be by water. Thus the first railroad in the United States was projected by Gridley Bryant in 1825, and carried through by himself and Col. T. H. Perkins in 1826. It was designed to carry granite from the quarries of Quincy to the nearest tide water and was known as the Quincy railroad. It was four miles long, including branches, and its first cost was $50,000. It was laid to a five-foot gange [sp?] and was constructed as follows: Stone sleepers were laid across the track eight feet apart: upon these wooden rails six inches and 12 inches high were placed: upon the top of these rails wrought iron plates three inches wide and one-fourth of an inch thick were spiked, but at all the crossings of the public road and driftways stone rails were used, and as the wooden rails decayed they were replaced by others of stone. This road was supplied with the first turntable ever used, which was designed by Bryant. The stone work was done by Mr. Gardner, who thus has the honor of laying the foundation of the first railroad in the country, as well as being one of the two men who set the stone of the Bunker Hill monument, although Lafayette performed the ceremonies. Furthermore, he is the only man living at the present day who worked upon that noted structure.
-RICHARD J. MACKIN.
The
Descendants of William N. Gardner
The
Unofficial Home Page of John Gardner/Garnet
Obituary
of Anthony C. Gardner
Sue's
Genealogy Garden in New England
Would love to hear from you. Sue