Carriage House Records, 1926-1939

When the Office of the Sovereign Grand Commander moved out of the Statler Building in Boston in the late 1960's, many of the older records were stored in the “Carriage House,” an outbuilding near the new headquarters in Lexington, Massachusetts. It was not until the mid-1990's, when the Carriage House was repurposed, that these records were moved to storage at the Museum & Library. The records were in poor condition, many of them loose and unfiled, with no way to discern original order. Using the example of the Subject Files, the records were reorganized according to subject, given derived folder names when applicable, and arranged alphabetically. The records in this series document Johnson's early years as Sovereign Grand Commander. The bulk of the records are in the form of correspondence from state Deputies and other Freemasons relating to the business of the Supreme Council, the Scottish Rite, and fraternal relations with Freemasons in other countries. Some correspondence documents other areas of Johnson's life, such as Dementia Praecox (Schizophrenia) research and his role of Dean at Boston University School of Law. Other records include press releases, travel arrangements, invitations, and financial statements. Some records of note in this series include the will of the previous Sovereign Grand Commander, Leon Abbott; a folder labeled “Autographs” which contains signed letters from prominent Freemasons; details of a trip to San Francisco to attend the Grand Encampment of the Knights Templar; a letter of recommendation written by Johnson's father in the “Personal Correspondence” folder; and the Supreme Council proceedings from 1934, Johnson's first as Sovereign Grand Commander. Note: Some files contain materials in Spanish and French.