https://theamericanmercury.org/2015/02/a-primeval-uplifter/ Founded by H.L. Mencken in 1924 Sat, 21 Feb 2015 22:03:37 +0000 hourly 1 https://theamericanmercury.org/2015/02/a-primeval-uplifter/comment-page-1/#comment-2287 Sat, 21 Feb 2015 22:03:37 +0000 https://theamericanmercury.org/?p=2010#comment-2287 I was raised in Dorchester Massachusetts in Lucy Stone’s mansion on 45 Boutwell Street. My parents bought the place from Morgan Memorial Goodwill. The organization that owned it up to the beginning of the 60’s. They sold it because they had insufficient funds to keep it up or convert it to a museum. My father built three apartments one on each floor. The third floor had only one entrance and he decided to install a rear stairway leading to the second floor rear hall. When he broke through the wall on the second floor he discovered an existing stairway with a door that had been lathed and plastered over. The stairway led to a small room behind the third floor kitchen and to the area he wanted to install a back door in that kitchen. The interesting part is on both walls in that room and on the floor were arm and foot shackles to hold about ten men in sitting positions. This room was adjacent to the barn in the back and well above the living quarters below. Now why would Lucy Stone have to shackle some of those she was freeing? In the basement was the remains of a tunnel that led under Boutwell Street to the docks that at that time were at the bottom of the hill. Seems she had more than Liberty for slaves on her mind.

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