A sample article by Eddy Andrews.
did you know the pillars that uphold American democracy were crafted by a crew of Scotsmen?
a new exhibition in Stirling tells the story of The Scots Who developed the White house. Jennifer Farquharson tells Alice Hinds the honest certainty about these well-travelled stonemasons
What does the Engine Shed’s exhibition explore?
We determined to put together the exhibition after discovering simply how influential Scottish stonemasons have been on such an iconic constructing because the White condominium.
company can learn how the stonemasons honed their craft in Edinburgh’s New town, and left their mark on the united states. Their legacy still survives in up to date Scottish stonemasonry today, and we were keen to celebrate our links throughout the Atlantic.
become their skill conventional world wide?
A master mason from Moray, known as Collen Williamson, become appointed to supervise the stone chopping for the White house building, which become customary as the Presidential home on the time.
The ability of Scottish stonemasons became so admired that in 1794 seven Scottish stonemasons left Edinburgh to delivery work in Washington DC. despite the fact, we’re now not bound whether that became as a direct influence of the have an impact on of Collen Williamson, who would have shown quite some skill.
Why did the guys make a decision to go back and forth to the us?
The Edinburgh stonemasons are really a part of a particularly unique moment in heritage. In 1783 the Anglo-French warfare was being fought and there turned into a ban placed on immigration, so our seven stonemasons weren’t actually allowed to travel to the united states. however as a result of the struggle, they weren’t capable of get the elements they vital to comprehensive jobs such as the on-going work in the New city, which had extra or less halted.
The White residence builders provided very generous phrases, including decent wages and purchasing the workers’ passage, so they defied the ban and travelled anyway.
It indicates there in fact is an extended standing history of the Scots being rather defiant!
Did the masons affect the design of the constructing?
Our researcher for the exhibition discovered that the thought in the back of the White house turned into to make a testomony in stone to a new democracy. it’s full of bespoke decorations and ornate carvings, which makes it a extremely interesting building. It may be American but there were overseas influences, and Scottish stonemasons had been no small part of that.
what’s the Double Scottish Rose?
The Double Scottish Rose is a extremely enjoyable image, and became carved in a number of places across the White house, together with above the north entrance portico. It become in the beginning based on the White Rose of Scotland. In round 1780, a brand new rose was cultivated in the Royal Botanic backyard Edinburgh, and it turned into regarded to signify Scots who migrated to other international locations, and stands for homecoming.
The design grew to become the Scottish stonemason’s calling card, because it’s very diverse and the American masons didn’t tend to work in that form of ornate style.
Did the stonemasons live in the usa?
part of the story that is still a little bit untold is what took place to the stonemasons after they finished worked at the White apartment. but we do understand two brothers, John and James Williamson, additionally worked on 66 Queen road in Edinburgh, and that they were two of the primary to to migrate and work in the united states.
what’s a mason’s mark?
These guys were considered to be grasp masons and experts at their craft. although, some had been illiterate and for this reason relied on a mason’s mark. This small carving allowed individuals to recognize work and attribute it to a particular mason – it changed into used to assess the excellent of somebody’s work, calculate their wages, and spot how a lot they carved throughout a shift.
once they did fix works at the White apartment they in fact unearthed loads of mason’s marks, and some of them are actually on reveal for company.