No. 5218 Painting of th Ward Macondray King House on the face of a brick from the house
Edward A. Huebener, a former Board member of the Dorchester Historical Society, was a collector of materials relating to Dorchester history including a very large collection of graphic materials, including prints and photographs, now owned by the Society. His very own contribution to this group of materials was the idea of taking a brick from a house that had been demolished and asking a local illustrator to paint a picture of the house upon the brick. The painted bricks may be viewed at the Dorchester Historical Society.
The Ward-Macondray-King House, named Rosemont, was a three-story Federal manson, built on Adams Street about the year 1800, opposite Lonsdale and Mallet Streets.
The property at the top of the hill commanded a noble view of the harbor, of Wollaston Heights, Quincy, the long chain of hills around by Canton, Roxbury, Cambridge, the Tri Mountain, the beautiful islands in the bay, and so completing the circle back to the starting point, was built a Chinese Pagoda, which was the wonder of all, and to see which, many pilgrimages were made. It was many feet high, and made a magnificent observatory. A summer house, the remains of which are still standing, was built farther down the hill.
Nothing seems to be known of Ward, the first owner. The second owner was Captain Frederick William Macondray, who lived from 1803-1862. He was born in Raynham, Massachusetts, in the year 1803. While Frederick was yet an infant his father died, leaving two children to the mother?s care. She moved the family to Dorchester, but Frederick, who was asthmatic, had difficulty with his breathing. At a very early age he showed a decided interest in a sea-faring life, and before he was ten years old, in the year 1812, during the war, he went to sea in the care of Captain William Austin.
After eight years of training Frederick, still under the command of Austin, set out on his longest journey, as Clerk and Fourth Officer on the sailing ship Panther on a two-year voyage to California to collect hides and tallow. Among his jobs was keeping a detailed log of the voyage. One year after the eventful trip on the Panther, the young Macondray was himself assigned in charge of a vessel and received the title of Captain. Just after he had attained his majority, Captain Macondray was called to the command of a vessel which plied between South American and China. At the age of 28, on September 22, 1831, he married Lavinia Capen Smith in Taunton, Massachusetts. Soon after their marriage, they set sail for China on the sailing vessel The Hamilton, and they lived in Macao for 8 years. Concern for the health and education of his growing family made it desirable for Captain Macondray to take his family back to Massachusetts on a journey that took more than two months.
No. 21929 The Clipper Ship Panther on which Frederick William Macondray traveled in his early years as Clerk and Fourth Officer.
The Captain purchased the home called “Rosemont” in Dorchester in 1842. The six-acre estate stretched from Dorchester Avenue to Neponset Avenue and from a line 15 to 20 rods south of the mansion to Mill Street. He built a Chinese pagoda on the crown of the hill in back of the house. It was many feet high and made a magnificent observatory.
No. 5329 Frederick William Macondaray
The estate was known for its beautiful gardens. Macondray was a practical horticulturist, and for years the exhibition of his fruit and flowers at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society were highly honored.
About 1849 Captain Macondray sold the house and large estate to Mr. Edward King of Boston.
No. 2360 Macondray’s estate
Although Macondray seems to have been already quite well off, when he heard the news of the gold excitement in 1849, he sold the house in Dorchester and the large estate to Mr. Edward King of Boston and went to California. Within one month of his arrival, he established, with James Otis and Mr. Cary, F.W. Macondray Co. It began as a commission house receiving the greater part of its merchandise from Boston. It became the largest commercial house in San Francisco, and in 1852, after its first shipment of tea, soon became the main importer of fine teas from China. In its infant stage, Macondray & Co. Also functioned as one of the first banking facilities in San Francisco and served as agents of North China Marine Insurance Co., and the Yang Tsze Marine Insurance Association, insuring hulls and cargo.
He became enormously rich. Among his other accomplishments Macondray is credited with bringing Zinfandel vines to California in the period 1852-1857.
No. 5334 Photograph of Rosemont on Adams Street, the home of Captain Frederick William Macondray and later Edward King.