Henry Sheldon, a Historian and Freemason
To understand the Sheldon museum, it is important to understand Freemasonry, as Sheldon himself was a member. The watch made of ivory, specifically, exemplifies his commitment to the brotherhood. In a page from an 1866 Rutland Weekly Herald, a Simeon Holton is listed right under Henry L Sheldon in an article about the new Masonic officers in the area (Rutland weekly herald, 20 Sept. 1866). It’s plausible that Sheldon would be interested in any object that was tied to Masons and their values given the clock’s presence at the original museum. His brotherhood was very important to him; as evidenced by the way he wanted to spread knowledge to all and document American history.
The Freemason values are as follows: “Improving Yourself and Those Around You”,“Giving Freely of Yourself and Asking Nothing in Return” and “Having Friends Wherever you Go” (Marshall). A quote from Sheldon that directly emphasizes these charitable values is as follows: “…I have spent all my leisure the past year trying to benefit future generations by preserving the handiwork of the articles representing all the different occupations of the early pioneers which I have called a Museum” (Henry Sheldon).
The Sheldon Museum’s staff writes about the late Henry Sheldon with immense gratitude, as he is responsible for making Middlebury “the best-documented community in America” (Henry Sheldon). Sheldon’s charitability and work ethic wasn’t without reason. He had his own goals and agenda, closely related to his Freemason values. His museum was a way of expressing these.