BaltimoreWashingtonMonument

1815 Cornerstone Inventory

Lance Humphries

Mount Vernon Place Conservancy

June 2, 2015

The Cornerstone’s Inner Marble Lid

Marble

Size: 13 15/16 (h) x 13 15/16 (w) x 7/8 (d) (thickness various)inches

Carved, as follows:

WILLIAM STEUART

and

THOMAS TOWSON

STONE - CUTTERS

SATER STEVENSON

STONE - MASON.

Note: These are names of the principal stone cutters and stone mason of the Monument. Contracts with all were finalized after the cornerstone was laid.

PRESS: PHOTO 1 - 1815 Cornerstone Folder - Dropbox

The Commemorative Brass Plate

Brass

Size: 10 ¾ (h) x 10 5/8 (w) with a depth varying from 7/16 to 15/32 inches

Brass plate cast by Ebenezar Hubball; Engraved by William H. Freeman

The bottom of the plate is signed (etched): Engd. Wm. H. Freeman

The right side is stamped: E. HUBBALL./ BALT.

The plate is engraved/inscribed with the following text:

OBVERSE: ON the 4th of JULY A.D. 1815 / Was laid this / FOUNDATION STONE / of a / Monument / to be erected to the / Memory / of / GEORGE WASHINGTON.

lower left: Designed [& ?] Engd.

lower right: [likely inscribed here, but currently unreadable as under a layer of accretion]

REVERSE:

JOHN COMEGYS
JAMES A. BUCHANAN
ROBERT GILMOR Jr.
ISAAC Mc.KIM
WM. H. WINDER
DAVID WINCHESTER
FIELDING LUCAS Jr.
JAMES CALHOUN Jr.
JAMES COCKE
JOHN FRICK
JAMES WILLIAMS
JAMES BARROLL / WASHINGTON HALL
LEMUEL TAYLOR
GEORGE HOFFMAN
EDWARD J. COALE
JAMES PARTRIDGE
NICHOLAS G. RIDGELY
ROBERT MILLER
NATHl. F. WILLIAMS
LEVI HOLLINGSWORTH
WILLIAM GWYNN
R. H. MULLIKIN / [bracketed with text on the right] DIRECTORS

ELI SIMKINS Secretary

ROBERT MILLS Architect

The Site presented by / COL. JOHN EAGER HOWARD

EDWARD JOHNSON / Mayor

Note: The names in two columns are those of the WashingtonMonument’s original Directors, or Board of Managers.

PRESS: PHOTO 2 - 1815 Cornerstone Folder - Dropbox

Cornerstone Jar - Number One

Glass

Size: 10 (h) x 5 (dia.) inches

PRESS: PHOTO 3 - 1815 Cornerstone Folder - Dropbox

Note: This jar appears to be the official jar as it contained the items mentioned in the contemporary account. It likely was assembled by Robert Gilmor, Jr., one of the Board of Managers. He contributed the volume Columbia’s Legacy and likely labeled all the wrapped coins. It contained the following items:

At the top of the jar were three newspapers, folded into small square packets:

  • Daily Federal Republican (Georgetown, D.C.), July 1, 1815

Top front page, inscribed in ink: E Simkins

  • The Examiner (New York), June 17, 1815
  • The Examiner (New York), June 24, 1815

Below this, was a paper wadded up into a ball:

  • American Commercial Daily Advertiser(Baltimore), July 3, 1815

Note: From this, an article had been cut out from the 1st col. of page 2. It was “WashingtonMonument. Arrangements.” a brief listing of the program for July 4.

Below this, with the newspapers still encircling the outside of the jar, were two packets, each found to contain a book once opened:

  • The Diamond Songster: Containing The most approved Sentimental Scottish Songs (Baltimore: Fielding Lucas, Jr., 1812). Printed by B. W. Sower.

Size: 3 (h) x 1 ¾ (w) x 9/16 (depth at the binding, depth various elsewhere) inches

  • Wrapped in piece of unlabeled paper.

Note: This book was vol. 3 in a series of song books, and bears the outer binding papers for the entire series: The Diamond Songster: Being A Collection Of The Most Approved English, Irish, and Scottish Songs (Baltimore: Fielding Lucas, Jr., 1812) The pages are not cut in the volume [i.e. it was unused]

  • Columbia’s Legacy; Or, Washington’s Valuable Advice to His Fellow Citizens, Published by Him at the Period of Announcing His Intention of Retiring from Public Life at the Expiration of the Present Constitutional Term of the Presidency of the United States. To which is added, His Speech to Congress, at Their Present Session, Which Terminated His Political Career(Philadelphia: Printed by H. Sweitzer & J. Ormord, December 10th, 1796)

Size: 3 ¾ x 2 ½ x ½ (depth at binding, depth varies elsewhere) inches

On full title page, inscribed, in ink upper center: R. Gilmor Jr. 97

On the partial title page inscribed:

upper center, in ink: R Gilmor Jr. Balt[?] / 1799

below title, in ink: Given by R. Gilmor Jr. / (one of the committee) to / be deposited in the / corner stone of the monument / to be erected to the memory / of Washington.

  • Resting loose on the partial title page was an embossed miniature profile likeness of Washington on a black wafer background
  • This book wrapped in a paper, inscribed in ink: “Washington’s Legacy”

PRESS: PHOTOS 5 and 6 - 1815 Cornerstone Folder - Dropbox

Around the edges of the jar, the following papers were found:

  • Baltimore Telegraph and Mercantile Advertiser, July 4, 1815
  • Baltimore Patriot & Evening Advertiser, July 3, 1815
  • American & Commercial Daily Advertiser, July 4, 1815
  • Niles’ Weekly Register, July 1, 1815
  • Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser, July 3, 1815
  • Includes Supplement to the Federal Gazette of same day.

Coins and Medals

At the bottom of the jar were found 12 coins and medals, each wrapped in its own paper and labeled with an ink inscription as to the denomination/medal inside. There was not an apparent order.

  • 1806 Copper Half Cent
  • 1812 Copper Cent
  • 180[last digit illegible under magnification] Silver Half Dime
  • 1809 Silver Dime
  • 1807 Silver Quarter
  • 1811 Silver Half Dollar
  • 1799 Silver Dollar
  • 1807 Gold Quarter Eagle
  • 1802 Gold Half Eagle
  • 1801 Gold Eagle

PRESS: PHOTOS 7 and 8 [GOLD COINS] - 1815 Cornerstone Folder - Dropbox

  • Copper “Joseph Sansom” George Washington Medal
  • Copper Duke of Wellington Medal

PRESS: PHOTO 9 [BOTH MEDLAS] - 1815 Cornerstone Folder - Dropbox

  • 12 paper wrappers, each inscribed in ink identifying the object found inside

Note: The American coinage requires additional research to determine the rarity of these specific impressions, as several of these years/denominations exist in varieties.

Cornerstone Jar - Number Two

Glass

Size: 9 (h) x 5 1/2 (dia.) inches

PRESS: PHOTOS 10 - 1815 Cornerstone Folder - Dropbox

Note: The assembler of this jar is unknown. The New Testament was donated by Edward J. Coale, one of the Monument’s Board of Managers.

Resting on top of this jar as found, and now attached to it, is a copy of the Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser, July 3, 1815, folded open to a page where the “Declaration of Independence” was printed on that day.

PRESS: PHOTOS 4 and 13 - 1815 Cornerstone Folder - Dropbox

Looking into this jar it was clear that there was one bundle wrapped in paper, surrounded by other folded newspapers. They were removed in this order:

  • Commercial Advertiser (New York), July 1, [1815]

This copy is only printed on one side, and page 1 is not printed. From evidence on page 2 the paper is identified. The blank side is inscribed in ink: Telegraph P--

  • Salem Gazette (Mass.), June 30, 1815

Inscribed on top of front page in ink: Telegraph

  • The People’s Monitor (Easton, Md.), May 27, 1815

Inscribed on top of front page in ink: G. L. Winder

  • Boston Daily Advertiser, June 30, 1815

Inscribed on top of front page in ink: Telegraph

  • Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser, July 3, 1815

The bundle wrappings were two newspapers:

  • The Weekly Messenger (Boston), June 30, 1815
  • The Albany Register(New York), June 30, 1815

Inscribed on the top of the front page in ink: Telegraph

Inside the bundle:

  • A leather bound volume, titled “Holy Bible” on the spine, missing its title pages which should read:The Holy Bible: Containing The Old and New Testaments: Translated out of The Original Tongues, And with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised. First American Diamond Edition (Baltimore: John Hagerty, 1812). Printed by B. W. Sower.

This imprint is mis-bound, and appears to have no title page for the entire volume. It begins with a title page for the New Testament, and after several pages of the Book of Matthew, the Old Testament begins. At the completion of the Old Testament a duplicate of the New Testament title page appears, and the New Testament is published in full. The New Testament title pages read:

The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Translated Out of the Original Greek, And with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised (Baltimore: John Hagerty, 1811). Printed by B. W. Sower.

Size: 5 5/16 x 3 ¼ x 1 1/2(depth at binding, varies elsewhere to 2) inches

On the inside cover inscribed in ink: This copy of the / Holy Bible /was printed in the city / of Baltimore on a / Diamond Type cast / at the Baltimore Foundery.[sic] / Presented to be de / posted in the Corner / Stone of The Washing-/ tonMonument / by Edwd. J. Coale / one of the Managers / 4th July 1815.

PRESS: PHOTO 11 - 1815 Cornerstone Folder - Dropbox

Cornerstone Jar - Number Three

Glass

Size: jar without lid: 5 ¼ (h) x 3 3/8 (dia.) / with lid: 7 ¾ x 3 5/8 (dia.) inches

Note: The contents of this jar suggest it was assembled by William Gwynn, one of the Monument’s Board of Mangers, and Editor of the Federal Gazette.

  • Broadside for weavers forLanvale Woolen Factory, an enterprise of William Gwynn, James Mosher, and Robert Cary Long.

This broadside was used as a paper cap of the materials below.

Below this was a ROLLED BUNDLE of newspapers. Unrolled, they included:

PRESS: PHOTO 12 - 1815 Cornerstone Folder - Dropbox

  • Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser, July 6, 1815

On page 2 of this paper is found an account of laying the cornerstone. Placed between pages 2-3 was found:

PRESS: PHOTO 14 - 1815 Cornerstone Folder - Dropbox

  • ACharles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémim Profile likeness of William Gwynn

Apparently signed by William Gwynn

  • Supplement to the Federal Gazette, July 6, 1815

Two examples, not cut apart.

  • Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser, July 5, 1815

June 2, 2015Lance HumphriesPage 1 of 7