King's Chapel

Ever wonder why native New Englanders call the island nation in the Caribbean, “Cuber”? Well, it may be for the same reason that in the 18th century they spelled the old Portuguese name, DeCosta, as DeCoster. Many Sephardic Jews, persecuted in Portugal and Spain in the seventeenth century, came to Newport, RI seeking religious freedom. The name migrated with this particular family and so became DeCoster in Newport, or at least in Boston where in the eighteenth century we find a man named Temple DeCoster building churches! Jews could not step foot in Boston in the 18th century let alone build churches. What’s the hitch?

It turns out that Temple was the son a Sephardic Jew from Newport, named Isaac, who came to Boston, became Christian and married Mary Temple in 1699. Temple was born in 1712, and by the time he was 30, is listed in historical records as  the housewright for two sites of Boston National Historical Park; Old South Meeting House (1729) and Faneuil Hall (1742). If that were not enough, he is found in the records of King’s Chapel as housewright for that magnificent church building on the Freedom Trail, completed in 1754. By that time he seems to have been a master housewright.

A master housewright in the eighteenth century was what today we would call a general contractor. What is more, he interpreted and executed a general design given to him by an architect who did not do the detailing and finely drawn blueprints as architects do today. He was a master builder, and oversaw a building’s construction from start to finish.

Quoting from a record dated April 10, 1753, the Annals of King’s Chapel states, “It was agreed to pay Temple DeCoster, housewright, ‘for his Services as an Overseer or Director, and as a Draftsman for the Workmen, for £13 6s. 8d. lawful money….’ “

It is interesting to note that Temple DeCoster bought a tomb from Ebenezer Messenger in 1756. Ebenezer is found in those same records on January 21, 1754 as having agreed “to turn in a neat {sic} and handsome Manner all the Palasters {sic} that shall be wanted to go round the Communion Table.”

These clever builders of ancient Boston probably cut themselves pretty good deals.