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

Waitt & Bond Waitt & Bond, Inc. was an American cigar manufacturer that was in operation from 1870 to 1969. During the early 20th century it was the largest cigar manufacturer in New England and one of the largest in the United States. Early years Waitt & Bo ...

, one of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

'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, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

Early life

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

Saugus, Massachusetts Saugus is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. The population was 28,619 at the 2020 census. Saugus is known as the site of the first integrated iron works in North America. History Native Americans ...

, 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 comprising 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 to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

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 Real estate is property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this (also) an item of real property, (more general ...

. 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 and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...

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'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

village, the Hotel Netherlands on

Boylston Street Boylston Street is a major east–west thoroughfare in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. The street begins in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood, forms the southern border of the Boston Public Garden and Boston Common, runs through Back Bay, and e ...

in Boston, and Brandon Hall in

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

. 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 in Boston's city center as a continuation of Cambridge Street, and forms the eastern edge of Boston Common. Continuing in a roughly so ...

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 fell almost 50% from ...

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 in the late 19th century. They steadily expanded, owning many theaters ...

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

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, 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 $3 ...

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 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and Nort ...

. The couple had two children. His second wife was Isabelle "Belle" Bacon of Washington, D.C. She and Bond had five children. 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 Ba ...

. 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 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 informally know ...

. Bond was a staunch member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. 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 or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

, 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 roles. She was noted for her beauty, acting ability, and "the intimate timbre of her voice." She had a large following a ...

. He was a member of the

Boston Art Club The Boston Art Club, Boston, Massachusetts, 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 conceived in Boston in 1854 with the co ...

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. It is the oldest independent music Music school, conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The ...

. 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. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...

, and

New Orleans University New Orleans University was a historically black college that operated between 1873 and 1934 in New Orleans. It was founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church and affiliated with a number of preparatory schools located in various parts of the stat ...

. He also aided students at St. Lawrence University.

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 suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer a ...

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'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' reported that Bond's dissatisfaction with the trustees' actions may have caused him to take his life. After his death, Bond's wife 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, United States, founded in 1907 by composer Edward MacDowell and his wife, pianist and philanthropist Marian MacDowell. Prior to July 2020, it was known as the MacDowell ...

Peterborough, New Hampshire Peterborough is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,418 at the 2020 census. The main village, with 3,090 people at the 2020 census, is defined as the Peterborough census-designated place (CDP) and ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bond, Charles Henry 1846 births 1908 deaths American real estate businesspeople American tobacco industry executives Deaths by drowning in the United States 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