354 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADExMY 



that it was used for the building material of houses, but was used only 

 for wharves, cellars, and wells, where smooth and even walls were not 

 required. It is believed that during the first century of the existence 

 of Boston, when smooth building-stone was required to be used with 

 brick building, as for basements, corners, window-frames, or the like, 

 freestone was used, being the red-sandstone of Connecticut River. 



At some time between the end of the first quarter and the middle of 

 the eighteenth century, that is, now a little more than one hundred years 

 ago, the practice of stone-hewing and hammering for the working of 

 granite was first introduced into Massachusetts by German emigrants. 

 It is understood that Brigadier-General Waldo brought a colony of 

 German emigrants from their native country, a large number of whom 

 settled at a place called Germantown, then in the town of Braintree, 

 now Quincy. A large part of this colony proceeded, under the care of 

 General Waldo, to Maine, and settled in a new township thence called 

 Waldoborough, from which many settlers of German origin spread into 

 other towns in Maine. 



The Germans who remained in Braintree introduced several branches 

 of the mechanic arts, which had not before been in use in this coun- 

 try. That of stocking-weaving was one ; it was there introduced, and 

 has been practised by their descendants until within a few years, if it 

 is not continued to the present time. 



Another of the arts was glass-making, which was probably the first 

 establishment of glass-works in this part of the country. They man- 

 ufactured glass-ware and toys, and it is believed window-glass, though 

 the glass was not sufficiently clear and transparent for good window- 

 glass, and the business was mainly confined to green-glass bottles and 

 other green-glass articles. Many families had quantities of bottles 

 made and stamped with the family name on the bottle. Such a one 

 is there occasionally seen. 



But what is more material to my present purpose is, that this class 

 of German artisans first introduced into this country the practice of 

 preparing hewn or hammered stone, wrought to a plain surface, suf- 

 ciently straight and smooth to make a regular wall. The process 

 as then practised by them, and those who were instructed by them, 

 was understood to be extremely laborious, and of course expensive, 

 as the expense depended wholly on the amount of labor required for 

 preparing it. Without describing the process precisely, which I do not 



