Résumé

Partner, Massachusetts Electrical Engineering Company, Boston, MA, 1890-1893. Stone and Webster had met each other at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1884, and by 1890 collaborated to form one of the first electrical engineering consultancies in the US. The firm was not simply content with designing electrical grids for power companies and businesses, but became active investors early on. Stone and Webster purchased control in the Nashville, TN, Electric Light and Power Company during the Depression of 1893, buying it for a fraction of its worth, and turned a large profit when the firm sold the utility a few years later.

General Manager, Stone and Webster, Boston, MA, 1893- . In 1901, Stone worked at 93 Federal Street in Boston. (See Newton, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1901, p. 532.) Stone and Webster were the General Managers a huge number of utility and electric railway companies c. 1900, including the Pembroke Street Railway in 1901-1902, Tampa, FL, Electric Company in 1901, Houghton County, MI., Street Railway Company in 1902, Houston, TX., Electric Company, in 1902, Blue Hill Street Railway Company, (Canton Junction, MA). (See "Pembroke Street Railway Company," Street Railway Reports, 01/1902, pp. 584-585; "Corporation Securities," Moody's Manual of Railroads and Corporation Securities, vol. 2. 1901, p. 441; "Gas, Water, Electric Light and Electric Railway Companies," Moody's Manual of Corporation Securities,1902, pp. 1046-1047; Massachusetts Board of Railroad Commissioners, Annual Report, 1903, pp. 198-203.)

During the period c. 1895-1920, a variety of commercial organizations, including designers, equipment manufacturers and managers of various industrial plants, railways and utilities leased space in the building at 93 Federal Street in Boston. In 1898, the Shawmut Fuse Wire Company were located here. (See "Street Railway Convention," Electric Review, 08/31/1898. p. 135.) In 1901, S. Homer Woodbridge Company, Heating and Ventilation and Sanitary Engineers, also leased space at 93 Federal Street. (See S. Homer Woodbridge Company advertisement, Architectural Annual of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1901, p. 7.)Until 1912, Stone and Webster shared space at 93 Federal Street with Lockwood, Greene and Company, architects and engineers of industrial plants. Lockwood, Greene and Company moved its offices from 93 Federal Street to 60 Federal Street in 11/1912. (See "Among the Manufacturers," Steam, 12/1912, p. 175.) In 1916, the Barnes and Pope Electric Company also had space here. (See Directory of Members of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association, January 1, 1916, p. 66.)

By 1912, the Stone and Webster holding company had developed three subsidiaries: Stone and Webster Engineering Corporation (formed c. 1906), Stone and Webster Management Association and Stone and Webster Investments. This investment company merged in 1927 with the investment banking firm of Blodgett and Company (established in 1886), to create "Stone & Webster and Blodgett, Incorporated." The Stone and Webster Engineering Corporation, which focused on "engineering, construction, and purchasing activities," profited from the rapid expansion of electric utilities across the US by 1910. According to one source, "Corporation activities underwent rapid growth, and by 1910 some 14 percent of the nation's total electrical generating capacity had been designed, engineered, and built by Stone & Webster." (See Reference for Business.com, "Stone & Webster, Inc. - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information," accesed 08/29/2022.)

Executive, American International Corporation, New York, NY, c. 1920. The firm had its main office at 120 Broadawy in 1920.

Partner, Stone and Webster Engineering Corporation, Boston, MA, 1893-1941.

Professional Activities

Member, American Water Works Society, elected 06/15/1894. (See Officers of the New England Water Works Association, 1902, p. 25.)

Member, Boston Society of Civil Engineers, c. 1903. (See Association of Engineering Societies Proceedings, vol. XXXI, no. 6, 12/1903, p. 22.)

College

B.S., Electrical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, 1888.

Relocation

The noted engineer and businessman Charles A. Stone was born in Newton, MA, on 01/16/1867. The US Census of 1870 found Stone and his family residing in Newton, MA. The household was financially comfortable, and consisted of his parents Charles and Mary, his elder brother Frederic W. Stone (born c. 1859 in MA), and two household servants, Margaret Smith (born c. 1848 in Ireland) and Margaret Murphy (born c. 1840 in Ireland). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts; Roll: M593_630; Page: 117B, accessed 08/29/2022.)

Stone attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA. A "Charles A. Stone" resided at 6 Prince Street in Cambridge, MA, in 1888, although it is unclear if this was the same man. (See Cambridge, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1888, p. 407.)

As a thirty-three-year-old electrical engineer, Charles continued living at home with his mother at 42 Bellevue Street in Newton, MA, in 1900. Others in this household included a boarder, Isabelle Holt (born c. 04.1860 in England), a nurse, Nellie McCaffrey (born 1860 in Canada) and two servants, Nellie Condry (born c. 08/1869 in Ireland) and Kate Wade (born 05/1866 in Ireland). His mother would die eight years later. In 1901, Stone continued to board at a house at 42 Bellevue in Newton. (See Newton, Massachusetts, City Directory, 1901, p. 532.)

In 1920, Charles and Mary Stone lived with their four children in a posh apartment residence at 907 5th Avenue on New York's exclusive Upper East Side, served by a domestic staff of seven, mostly Irish-born women. They included: Anna Carlson (born c. 1880 in Sweden), Elizabeth Cannan (born c. 1890 in Ireland), Catherine Tovey (born c. 1882 in Ireland), Kate Kalleher (born c. 1890 in Ireland), Nora McGrath (born c. 1894 in Ireland), Della Donalson (born c. 1892 in Ireland) and Margaret McCabe (born c. 1875 in Ireland). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Manhattan Assembly District 15, New York, New York; Roll: T625_1213; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 1080, accessed 08/29/2022.)

The Stones remained living in a $1,000-per-month apartment at 907 5th Avenue on New York City's Upper East Side in 1930. As this was the beginning of the Depression, the Stones had economized down to six servants, who included Marie Larson (born c. 1895 in Sweden), Elena M. Arvildson (born c. 1884 in Sweden), Florence Andrews (born c. 1877 in England), Hedwig Sundblad (born c. 1893 in Sweden), a woman named Davidson (no first name given, born c. 1875 in Norway) and Ada Lach (born c. 1880 in Sweden). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Manhattan, New York, New York; Page: 15A; Enumeration District: 0553; FHL microfilm: 2341302, accessed 08/29/2022.)

The 1940 US Census listed Charles and Mary Stone living in their $150,000 mansion, "Solana," on Duck Pond Road in Matinecock, Long Island, NY. They shared this residence with a nurse, Christina WIlliams (born c. 1910 in NC). For many years, the Stones summered on Long Island and spent the winters in the family apartment on the Upper East Side. See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Matinecock, Nassau, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02693; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 30-291, accessed 08/29/2022.)

Charles Stone passed away a year later in New York, NY, and was buried at Locust Valley Cemetery in Locust Valley, NY.

Parents

His father was Charles Hobart Stone (born 05/25/1827 in either Belmont or Watertown, MA-d. 06/12/1899 in Newton, MA). In 1870, Charles Stone worked as a produce dealer in Newton, MA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1870; Census Place: Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts; Roll: M593_630; Page: 117B, accessed 08/29/2022.)

His mother was Mary Augusta Green (born 02/26/1825 in Pepperell, MA-d. 12/26/1908 in Newton, MA)

Spouse

He wed Mary Adams Leonard (born 08/18/1873 in Hingham, MA-d. 10/06/1940 in Locust Valley, NY) on 06/03/1902 in Newton, MA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information: Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011., accessed 08/29/2022.)

Children

He and Mary had four children: Charles Augustus Stone, Jr., (born 02/02/1903 in Newton, MA), Margaret Stone Withrop (born 01/08/1904-d. 11/04/1985), Whitney A. Stone (born 04/24/1908 in Boston, MA-d. 10/21/1979 in Charlottesville, VA) and Janet Elizabeth Stone Jones (born 02/15/1911 in New York, NY-d. 03/30/1980 in Richmond, VA).

By 02/1942, Charles A. Stone, Jr., at age 39, had retired, as per his World War II draft registration card. He lived in Hyde Park, NY, at the time, and could rely on his family's substantial fortune to make work unneccessary. (See Ancestry.com Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147, accedsed 08/29/2022.)

Margaret married twice, first to Robert Colgate Vernon Mann (born 09/10/1901-d. 04/27/1996 in Sarasota, FL) on 06/19/1926 in Lattington, Long Island, NY and second to Robert Winthrop (born 01/21/1904 in Boston, MA-d. 09/25/1999 in Westbury, NY), on 04/25/1942 in New York, NY. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Brooklyn Daily Eagle: Publication Date: 28/ Apr/ 1926; Publication Place: Brooklyn, New York, USA and Source Citation New York City Department of Records & Information Services; New York City, New York; New York City Marriage Licenses; Borough: Manhattan; Year: 1942, accessed 08/29/2022.)

Winthrop Stone died of cancer at age 71. At his death, he was the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Stone and Webster, Incorporated. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Virginia Department of Health; Richmond, Virginia; Virginia Deaths, 1912-2014, accessed 08/29/2022.)

Jane Stone married twice, first to a man named Brewster and the second time to John George Jones of New York, NY.

Biographical Notes

Member, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (MIT) Society of Arts, Cambridge, MA, 1903. (See "List of Members," Technology Quarterly, vol. XVI, 1903, p. xx.)

Stone spent the year between 08/1910 and 08/1911 in England and France. This first passport was obtained on 08/05/1910.

On 05/29/1920, Stone departed from the Port of New York on "commerical business" in England, France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. He sailed aboard the White Star Liner R.M.S. Adriatic, one of the largest, speediest and more well-appointed ships of its time. He applied for his second US Passport on 05/06/1920. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; Roll #: 1203; Volume #: Roll 1203 - Certificates: 32626-32999, 10 May 1920-10 May 1920, accessed 08/29/2022.) He came back to New York via the White Star's R.M.S. Celtic via Liverpool, England, between 07/08/1920 and 07/17/1920. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Line: 12; Page Number: 19, accessed 08/29/2022.)

Life Member, Massachusette Institute of Technology Corporation, Cambridge, MA, c. 1924. (See Yearbook of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Technique, vol. 9, 1923, p. 18.)

Stone and his wife arrived in New York, NY, on 05/27/1925 from Cherboug, France. They listed their permanent residence as being in Boston, MA, on the manifest of the White Star Liner R.M.S. Olympic. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1925; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Line: 6; Page Number: 22, accessed 08/29/2022.)

SSN: 059146945.

• Newton, MA (Architect's Birth)
  Newton, MA

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