Primus Parsons Mason (February 5, 1817 – January 12, 1892) was an African-American entrepreneur, and real estate investor in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Upon his death, a newspaper headline ("Our Aged Colored Citizen who Left most of Property for Charity") acknowledged his relative wealth and how he left most of his property or wealth to a charity organization he envisioned would be a home for aged men, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

With the reliability of steady income through odd jobs such as collecting old shoe leather which he sold to the Springfield armory which was used to harden rifle barrels, and other menial tasks, Primus was able to make the first of many real estate investments.

A Springfield newspaper commented: "In abolition days, Primus Mason was one of the useful underground railway agents, receiving notice from Hartford allies when an escaping slave was on the road to this city and conveying the information to the Rev.

However, he is most known and celebrated for his energetic business acumen, acquiring real estate (including undeveloped property in the Hill section which later became the McKnight neighborhood).

The local paper reported that William Sharp was to be tried in court for setting the fire but, apparently, there was a hung jury and the case was dismissed.

DuBois notes "[that] the foundation for a charity like this has been laid by one man, demands that some notice of his life be placed among our records".

His death notice in the paper stated: "It was a surprise to everybody that Primus Mason, who died last week, left a property, mostly in real estate, worth some $40,000.

That same article offers Mason the dubious honor of being a reliable businessman, "industrious and thrifty when so many were idle and slack, temperate and honest, but shrewd and calculating".

Today, the Mason Wright Foundation stands as the successor organization to the original trust, in the spirit of Primus Mason's will they note on their website "Our mission is to provide quality housing and daily living services to support the dignity and independence of seniors without regard for their ability to pay."

Today the foundation maintains a four-acre independent and assisted living campus, Mason Wright Senior Living, with 118 apartments, as well as a homecare service, Colony Care at Home, and a child care center, Bright Futures Early Learning Center that provides intergenerational activities for the residents of Mason Wright.

[citation needed] In 2019, the Foundation dedicated a memorial park to Primus Mason at the corner of Oak and Walnut Streets in Springfield.