Charles Henry Bond (1846–1908) was an American businessman who was president and general manager of Waitt & Bond, one of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

's largest real estate holders, and a

patron of the arts Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

Early life

Bond was born on July 13, 1846, in the Cliftondale neighborhood of

Saugus, Massachusetts Saugus is a New England town, town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. The population was 28,619 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Saugus is known as the site of the first integrated iron work ...

, to Charles Milton Bond Jr. and Mary (Amerige) Bond. During his youth, Bond developed a love for music which would last throughout his life.

Cigars

In 1863, at the age of seventeen, Bond entered the cigar business. In 1870, he and Henry Waitt established Waitt & Bond in a small shop in Saugus. The business grew rapidly, and it was relocated to a large factory in Boston. Waitt & Bond eventually became the largest cigar manufacturer in

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

and one of the largest in the United States.

Real estate

With a fortune accumulated from his cigar business, Bond became involved in real estate. He was one of the most active dealers and largest holders of real estate in Boston. He became especially involved in real estate during the final year of his life. Among the properties Bond owned were the Oceanside Hotel in

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...

village, the Hotel Netherlands on

Boylston Street Boylston Street is a major east–west thoroughfare in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and its western suburbs. The street begins in Boston's Chinatown, Boston, Chinatown neighborhood, forms the southern border of the Public Garden (Boston) ...

in Boston, and Brandon Hall in

Brookline Brookline may refer to: Places in the United States * Brookline, Massachusetts, a town near Boston * Brookline, Missouri, a village * Brookline, New Hampshire, a town * Brookline (Pittsburgh), a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania * Brookl ...

. In 1908, Bond began work on the construction of a theater on

Tremont Street Tremont Street is a major thoroughfare in Boston, Massachusetts. Tremont Street begins at Government Center, Boston, Massachusetts, Government Center in Boston's city center as a continuation of Cambridge Street, and forms the eastern edge of ...

in Boston, which was to be known as the Lyric Theatre. The project struggled as a result of the financial hit Bond took in the

Panic of 1907 The Panic of 1907, also known as the 1907 Bankers' Panic or Knickerbocker Crisis, was a financial crisis that took place in the United States over a three-week period starting in mid-October, when the New York Stock Exchange suddenly fell almost ...

and remained unfinished at the time of Bond's death. In the spring of 1909 the project was taken over by

The Shubert Organization The Shubert Organization is a theatrical producing organization and a major owner of theatres based in Manhattan, New York City. It was founded by the three Shubert brothers — Lee, Sam, and Jacob J. Shubert — in the late 19th century. T ...

, and the theater was renamed the Shubert Theatre. Bond also owned a number of properties in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, including the

Bond Building The Bond Building is an historic office building located at 1400 New York Avenue, N.W., in downtown Washington, D.C. It was designed by architect George S. Cooper in 1901. The building was constructed by Charles Henry Bond, for an estimated ...

Personal life

Bond was twice married. In 1872 he married Martha A. Morrison of

Lawrence, Massachusetts Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen, Massachusetts, Methuen ...

. The couple had two children. His second wife was Isabelle "Belle" Bacon of Washington, D.C. She and Bond had five children: Edith Louise (Stearns), Mildred Mary (Rogers), Kenneth Bacon, Charles Lawrence and Priscilla Isabelle. He maintained a residence in Cliftondale until 1899, when he moved to a home on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston. He also owned Peacehaven, a summer estate in

Swampscott, Massachusetts Swampscott () is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located up the coast from Boston in an area known as the North Shore. The population was 15,111 as of the 2020 United States census. A former summer resort on Massachusetts ...

. A Unitarian, Bond and was a member of the Second Church of Boston. For many years he was a member of the church's standing committee as well as its music committee. During his later years, Bond became interested in

Christian Science Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices which are associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes in ...

. Bond was a staunch member of the Republican Party. He was occasionally involved in politics, but never held elected office. He was also a member of numerous clubs and fraternal organizations, including the

Freemasons Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

, the Tedesco Country Club, and the Sons of Colonial Wars.

Philanthropy

In 1885, Bond founded the Cliftondale Public Library. He served as the Library Association president and was a member of Saugus' first Water Board and a trustee of the Saugus Public Library as well. Bond also gave Saugus land to construct the Cliftondale School. His donations to the Saugus camp of the

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) is an American congressionally chartered fraternal organization that carries out activities to preserve the history and legacy of the United States Armed Forces veterans who fought during the Civil ...

were credited for its success, and the camp was named in Bond's honor. A patron of the arts, he provided funding for the training of many vocal artists, including

Geraldine Farrar Alice Geraldine Farrar (February 28, 1882 – March 11, 1967) was an American lyric soprano who could also sing Dramatic soprano, dramatic roles. She was noted for her beauty, acting ability, and "the intimate timbre of her voice." In the 191 ...

. He was a member of the

Boston Art Club The Boston Art Club is an arts organization in Boston, Massachusetts, which serves to help its members, as well as non-members, to access the world of fine art. It currently has more than 250 members. History The Boston Art Club was first conceive ...

and served on its entertainment committee. Bond was also a trustee of the

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a Private college, private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. The conservatory is located on Huntington Avenue along Avenue of the Arts (Boston), the Avenue of the Arts near Boston Symphony Ha ...

. Bond offered an award known as the Bond Speaking Prize to the most proficient students at Saugus High School,

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the Methodi ...

, and

New Orleans University New Orleans University was a historically black college that operated between 1869 and 1935 in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It was founded by Freedmen's Aid Society and the Methodist Episcopal Church. It merged with Straight College in ...

. He also aided students at

St. Lawrence University St. Lawrence University is a private liberal arts college in the village of Canton in St. Lawrence County, New York. It has roughly 2,100 undergraduate and 100 graduate students. Though St. Lawrence today is nonsectarian, it was founded in 1 ...

Death

On July 3, 1908, Bond was found dead in a bathtub in his summer residence. Medical Examiner Joseph G. Pinkham ruled the cause of death as

drowning Drowning is a type of Asphyxia, suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Submersion injury refers to both drowning and near-miss incidents. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where othe ...

and that the death was accidental. However, it was reported that Bond left a note in his bedroom which read, "I have been killed by my friends and enemies. It is more than I can bear. I can stand it no longer. My heart is broken. I leave everything to my wife." At the time of his death, it was believed that Bond's real estate ventures threatened his fortune. One month before his death, all of Bond's properties were placed in the hands of trustees. ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' reported that Bond's dissatisfaction with the trustees' actions may have caused him to take his life. After his death, Bond's wife, Bella Bacon Bond, donated money for Bond Hall to be built in his honor at the

MacDowell Colony MacDowell is an artist's residency program in Peterborough, New Hampshire. The program was founded in 1907 by composer Edward MacDowell and his wife, pianist and philanthropist Marian MacDowell. Prior to July 2020, it was known as the MacDo ...

Peterborough, New Hampshire Peterborough is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,418 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The main village, with 3,090 people at the ...

. In 1933, his daughter Edith Louise founded The Peterborough Players, a professional theatre arts company in Peterborough, NH.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bond, Charles Henry 1846 births 1908 deaths American businesspeople in real estate American tobacco industry executives Deaths by drowning in Massachusetts Massachusetts Republicans American art patrons Businesspeople from Boston People from Saugus, Massachusetts People from Swampscott, Massachusetts Philanthropists from Massachusetts 19th-century American philanthropists 19th-century American businesspeople