Now walk back through the herb garden and toward the front of the house. When you arrive at the front, pay attention again to the stones themselves. We already discussed the unique stone construction of the Rock House, but there is much we don’t know, and may never know, about these stones. On these stones are at least six separate carvings, likely carved by freemasons like Hezekiah Alexander upon completion of the structure. You can see close-up photos of some of these carvings in photo [8].
For example, look closer at the keystones above the front door and two bottom windows. The keystones are the larger trapezoidal stones at the center of the arches above the windows and doors. Starting above the bottom left window, you will notice an “S” shaped carving next to a small circle, above a symbol that looks like the number “7” or perhaps a page of a book.
Above the front door is a carving that is much more difficult to make out. It appears to some as an anchor, a stick-figure man with a bow and arrow, or perhaps a character from an unknown alphabet. Next, on the keystone above the bottom right window are the numbers “1-7-7” above a large X and the number 4. This may be a reference to the year 1774, the year the house was constructed, and the X may mean “10” or October (the tenth month). Some also speculate the “X” could be a reference to a Saint Andrew’s Cross which is also featured on the Scottish flag.
Moving up to the second story of the house, there are more carvings as well. Start by looking at the top right window. Look at the bottom window sill and imagine that a line from the bottom of the window extends all the way to the right edge of the house. On the corner stone, there is a heart shape carved into the stone, alongside a shape that appears somewhat like a crown. An obvious interpretation might be that the stone carver was signaling their support for the British crown, but we have no way to confirm this theory.
Now, look at the window sill on the second story left window, and follow that toward the left edge of the building. On that cornerstone, the left carving is a crude square and compass, and the carving that appears like a loop is a sketch of a trowel. Given that both of these tools are essential stone mason tools, they are the carvings most directly associated with Hezekiah’s freemasonry.
Last, look at the bottom left of the structure where there is a large cornerstone with an X and the year 1774 carved into the stone. This carving on the cornerstone is quite typical for structures from this period, especially those inhabited by Freemasons. Many freemasons speculate that there may be objects hidden behind that stone, which would have been placed there during an official dedication of the home, though we have no records of this occurring. In fact, an analysis of the Rock House’s stones did find a location where items may be hidden behind the stones, but that was on the opposite side of the house.
These many carvings must have had meaning for the Alexander family. Though Freemasonry is closely associated with symbology and secrecy, it is quite rare for Masonic buildings to be adorned with carvings like this home. Some masons argue this building might have served as a meeting place for local masons before an official lodge was established in the area. We do not have records of an official lodge in Charlotte until 1790, and we know there were masons like Hezekiah in the area well before that date, so this theory may be correct.
In any case, it is unlikely that we will ever know exactly what each carving meant to Hezekiah Alexander, who used this grand structure to signal his wealth, political associations, masonic affiliations, and more to the townsfolk of Charlotte.
