10 THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY 



ning, near what is now Franklin street, and laid out a gar- 

 den and fish pond. In 1792 he built a brick mansion at 

 Charlestown (now Somerville) on the premises now known 

 as the McLean Asylum, where he owned 170 acres of land. 

 The building is in use to this day, and in some of its inter- 

 ior construction is regarded as elegant according to present 

 standards. He introduced the tautog fish into Boston bay. 



MARTIN BRIMMER (1742-1804) was a prosperous mer- 

 chant of Boston. He appears not to have held any public 

 office. He had an estate of 40 acres in Roxbury on or near 

 the borders of Jamaica Pond. This was his place of resi- 

 dence throughout the year and no doubt he was, in a very 

 just sense, a 4< practical farmer." 



CHAifLES BULFINCH (1763-1844) graduated at Harvard 

 in 1781 ; afterwards visited Europe for study and estab- 

 lished himself as architect in Boston in 1786. Many nota- 

 ble buildings of Boston were planned by him, including 

 the State House, the original City Hall, and the " Tontine 

 buildings, " so called, famous mansions in their day and 

 whose outline in the ground plan gives the present crescent 

 form to Franklin street. He was architect of the Capitol 

 at Washington, as originally constructed, from 1817 to its 

 completion in 1830. 



JOHN CODMAN (1755-1803) was a prominent merchant. 

 He was born in Charlestown, where his father had a farm. 

 He was a director of the United States Bank. When in 

 1798 war with France was imminent, he, with other Boston 

 merchants, built a frigate and presented it to the United 

 States government, his subscription being $3,000. He was 

 a member of the lower branch of the General Court three 

 years and twice was chosen a senator. 



EDWARD CUTTS (1728-1818) was a prominent lawyer 

 and judge in Kittery, then in this state, now in Maine. He 

 had agricultural interests there. He was a senator in 

 the General Court three years and member of the gov- 

 ernor's council, nine years. 



AARON DEXTER (1750-1829) graduated at Harvard in 



