History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

206 History of Swansea
who by tradition was a soldier in Oliver Cromwell's army, and who afterwards
owned the tract of land lying between the present residence of Frank
T. Mason, of North Swansea, and the First Christian Church, Swansea
Center, a distance of a mile and a half. Samson Mason was also distinguished
as one of the 93 men who purchased a mile and a half tract of what
are now known as Attleboro, Mass., and Cumberland, R. I. The deceased
was a third cousin of the late Chief Justice Albert Mason, of Brookline,
also a relative of the celebrated Capt. John Mason, whose exploits in
Swansea are a matter of history. He was a member of the family in which
there were several physicians and clergymen of notable attainments. He
was the last survivor of his parents' household.
Mr. Mason attended the district school in the town of his nativity and
at 16 went to Fall River to learn the trade of a mason. He engaged himself
to TiUinghast Records and Sylvanus Westgate, then the principal
masonry contractors in Fall River. After about two years, when he had
made good progress in his trade, he bought his time of his employers. The
great fire of 1843, which swept away all the houses and business places of
the village, prepared the way for a very large field in masonry and other
construction; and after he had done a variety of smaller jobs, Mr. Mason
set out by himself as a superintendent of construction. In the following
year he was married to Miss Deborah Macomber, of Westport, who survived
until 1900. They settled in Fall River, making their home there
until 1881, when they moved to Swansea, which was ever after their residence
until the death of Mrs. Mason. In 1894 they celebrated their
golden wedding. Mr Mason then went to live with his son, Job, of 487
Hanover Street, Fall River, but for a year was under the care of his
daughter, Mrs. Bowler, at 136 Franklin Street.
Mr. Mason's career as superintendent of construction was notable
from the first, but the earhest work of special note was in connection with
the city almshouse, in 1857. Through the action of Hon. James Buffinton,
of this city, representative in Congress, he secured the appointment of
superintendent of construction of the United States treasury building, in
Washington, which position he held for four years; until during the civil
war period, the work of construction was suspended for a time. He then
succeeded James Wheaton as superintendent of construction of the fourth
plant of the Wamsutta Mills at New Bedford, which was completed about
1870.
In 1886 Mr. Mason superintended the construction of the first of the
Durfee mills, on Pleasant Street; in 1868-9, that of the Mechanic mills on
Davol Street; and in 1871, that of the Stafford mills on County and
Quarry streets. He superintended the building of the entrance arch at
Oak Grove Cemetery, on Prospect street; the Troy building, on Fourth
and Pleasant streets; the United States Custom house on Second and
Bedford streets, (1875-1880); the B. M. C. Durfee High School, Rock
street, (1883-1887); the Bristol county Court house. North Main street,
(1888-1889); the Fall River Public Library, (1896); and Christ Episcopal
Church, and the Swansea Free PubUc Library, in Swansea, (1899).
Mr. Mason had other work on hand later, at a distance from home,
including the Medfield Insane Asylum, the superintendence of the construction
of which was in his hands at the outset and before difficulties
arose in regard to the acts of the building commission. He was also
superintendent of the construction of the Ames Memorial Unitarian
Church of North Easton. In the course of church and school construction
of which he had superintendence, Mr. Mason put in place seven chimes of
beUs. His capacity as a superintendent was mainly self-acquired, as he
enjoyed no opportunities for scholastic training and was under no individual
direction in his development. A clear head for figures and a natural taste