OCTOBER 6, 1878.—QUARTERLY MEETING. REV. J. W. HARDING read an interesting series of extracts from the journal of the late Rev. Stephen Williams, relating to events in the years 1775 and 1776. REV. M. C. STEBBINS presented a biographical sketch of the late William Russell. The CLERK reported that donations of papers and books had been received from Edward Osgood and A. T. Folsom. JANUARY 6, 1879.-QUARTERLY MEETING. WILLIAM L. SMITH, A. L. SOULE and WILLIAM RICE were appointed a committee to consider and report on a revision of the by-laws. The following paper was read by the PRESIDENT: THE OLD PYNCION FORT AND ITS BUILDERS. There has never existed in Springfield, perhaps never in Western Massachusetts, a building that has attached to itself so much historic interest as the "Old Fort," so called, the long-time mansion house of the Pynchon family. It stood on the west side of Main street, on the spacious lot originally assigned to William Pynchon, the founder and first settler of Springfield. The original lot had a frontage of thirty rods on the street. This house stood back from the street sixty or seventy feet, and its southerly wall coincided very nearly with the northerly line of the present Fort street. Fifty years ago its antiquated appearance and unique architecture marked it as a relic of the early days of the town. The oldest inhabitant then here could not remember a time when it was not regarded as a very old building. There were men then living, who could from personal knowledge, remember when every other edifice in this town, built of brick, was erected, and that too without the memory going back many years. But the age of the "Old Fort" was only a matter of history or tradition. It was understood that it was built by one of the Pynchons, and had always been in that family. It was called the "Old Fort," partly, perhaps, from its peculiar style of architecture, but more from the fact that tradition and record both concur in identifying it as one of the three fortified houses that were standing at the time this town was assaulted and burned by the Indians in 1675. Both before and after that disaster, it is certain that it was garrisoned by soldiers. Whether any were in it on that fatal day is not known. Most of those who had been stationed here were absent on an expedition against the Indians. In the absence of the military, the alarmed inhabitants of the town sought a refuge in the strong houses which had been garrisoned by the soldiers. When the work of destruction was over, and the soldiers returned from their expedition, they re-occupied this house, and probably the other strong houses most capable of defence. There is a tradition that there was at one time a log wall, or stockade fence which enclosed the grounds immediately about the fort. As such methods of defence were not uncommon, it is quite probable that this tradition has a basis in fact. I am not aware of any particular evidence on the subject. There has never been room for any serious doubt as to which of the Pynchons built the "Old Fort." It is certain that it was not erected by William Pynchon, the founder of Springfield. He is known to have left this country and returned to England several years before this house was built. The evidence is equally conclusive that his son, John Pynchon, the Major Pynchon of the Indian wars, was the builder, and although there has been some expression of ununcertainty as to the date of the erection, it is certain that 1660 was the year. It is not, perhaps, generally known that there is still in existence a building older than the fort, which stood upon the Pynchon lot, and had been occupied as a dwelling-house before the fort was erected. When John Pynchon built the fort, he called this building his "old house" and the fort his " new house." It was a smaller wooden structure, and was left standing when the new house was built. The new house was built of brick with stone underpinning, in front of the old house and connected with it so far as to form one house, the old house serving as an appendage to the new. It is not improbable that the older house was that in which William Pynchon, the father, lived from 1636 to 1652. When the brick house was taken down in 1831, this wooden building was removed to Cross street, and there altered, enlarged, and fitted up for a dwelling-house. It stands there now on the south side of the street, just at the foot of the hill, the building nearest to Maple street. It had been often repaired and had undergone some changes before its removal, and in its present condition has but little outward likeness to the original structure. But in some of its parts it is probably the oldest building in this city. I am not aware that any history of the building of the old brick fort has ever been written. I have never met with any. Fifty years ago, while it was standing, and occupied as a dwelling-house, hardly anything was said about the particulars of its origin. With two or three rare exceptions, there was then but little spirit of antiquarian research in Springfield, less, perhaps, than at the present time, and the details of the construction of the old Pynchon house were suffered to remain in obscurity. It was known that only one other brick building had been in existence here earlier than the year 1800. That stood on the site of the present Institution for Savings, and was comparatively new. The old fort was the only brick building having any appearance of antiquity. It dated back more than one hundred and sixty years, to the last half of the seventeenth century. Occasionally, in view of these facts, some one would be stimulated to express his wonder where the bricks of the old fort could have come from. The answer perchance would be, "Pynchon probably imported them from England or Holland," and with that suggestion the curiosity of the inquirer would be satisfied. I propose, in this paper, to give such details in regard to the building of the old fort as I have been able to collect, that something definite may be preserved and known about that famous edifice. It can hardly be expected that the facts will have any considerable interest, except for those persons who possess a taste for antiquarian research, and desire to preserve and perpetuate the memory of past events in our local history. These details of the building of this ancient house are not in any sense conjectural. They are founded entirely upon authentic and indisputable evidence, nothing less then the testimony of John Pynchon himself, contained in various memoranda under his own hand." And first, in regard to the bricks, of which the walls of the "Old Fort" were constructed. Is it true that Pynchon imported them from Europe, as has often been conjectured? If not, when, where and by whom were they made? To these questions the answer is: They were not imported from Europe. They were made in the year 1659, at Northampton, which had then been settled about seven years, and made by one Francis Hacklinton, who then resided there. By the contract which Pynchon made with Hacklinton, the bricks were to be delivered to Pynchon at Northampton. This contract was entered upon Pynchon's account-book, and signed by Hacklinton. It bears date, January 12, 1658. This is according to the old style of reckoning time then in use, by which the year began on the 22nd of March. By the calendar which has been in use ever since 1752, this date would now be called 1659. The contract is in these words: "JANUARY 12, 1658. "Agreed with Frances Hacklinton To make & dlr me at Northampton forty thousand of good well burnt & full sized Brick at least two-thirds to be good weather bricks this to be done & performed & y bricks dled at least fifteen thousand of ym by y middle of Agust & y rest to be all ready agst next Oct for wch sd forty thousand of bricks he is to have ye sum of Thirty-five pounds to be p'd him according as he shall Dlr any bricks & one ell of red shag [beys] already dlrd & heretoe ye sd Frances sets his hand "Witness heretoe JOSEPH PARSONS." "FRANCIS A supplementary contract was made with Hacklinton, December 2, 1659, for 10,000 more bricks, making 50,000 in all. Not withstanding these contracts called for full-sized bricks, those actually used in the house were smaller than those now in common use. Hacklinton spent a good deal of time in Springfield while he was engaged in performing his brick contracts, but never became a permanent resident. While here he appears to have carried on a flirtation with one Hester Bliss, a young woman whom Mr. Pynchon had brought over from England to be a servant in his family. This led to some gossip among the good women of the place, in the course of which some words were uttered by Mary Ely, the young wife of Samuel Ely, which Hacklinton thought reflected unfavorably upon his character, and so, as many other unwise persons have done since, he commenced an action of slander, suing Goodwife Ely for defamation of his character, and claimed that he had sustained damages to the amount of forty shillings. This case was tried in July, 1660, before Mr. Pynchon and Dea. Samuel Chapin, the magistrates, who, after hearing the testimony, which, as the record has it, they considered "of but little weight," adjudged it no slanderand the plaintiff had to pay the costs. Mr. Savage, in his Genealogical Dictionary, conjectures that Hacklinton afterward removed to Hartford and married a woman living there. The underpinning of the Old Fort was of the red stone, such as is now quarried in Longmeadow, and has been extensively used in this city for many years for building purposes. Among the many localities in this vicinity where this stone is found, it is not possible now to designate the particular one that furnished the stone for the Pynchon mansion. Thomas Bascomb of Windsor, and his son, appear to have been employed by Mr. Pynchon to hew the stone used in the construction of the building, and to lay the hearths and the kitchen floor. The kitchen floor may have been of brick or stone, as the Bascombs were evidently stone and brick masons. They came from Windsor to do this work, and were allowed for it seventeen pounds and fifteen shillings, besides seven shillings and sixpence extra for going and coming. Bascomb afterwards removed to Northampton and died there. The principal work in building the house was done by Edward Griswold of Windsor. He laid the |