Old stone Somerville boundary posts

[ron_newman]

A century or more ago, Somerville and Medford installed stone pillars at various locations to mark the boundary between the two cities. While planning the Somerville Bicycle Committee's upcoming Edge of the City Tour on October 13, I looked around for these markers -- both on the Web and on foot around the Tufts University campus.

So far, I've found seven of them, which I've plotted on a Google map. The map includes links to a photo of each marker -- one by Georgy Cohen (georgy), two by David Maze (dzm), one by Elizabeth Bolton, and three by me. Typically, the markers have S etched on one side, M on another side, and the marker number on a third side (or sometimes the same side as S or M). ETA 10/5/12: Thanks to your comments here, the map now has 10 markers, with more coming soon.

If you've seen one that isn't on my map, please comment here so that I can add it! I'd especially like to know if any markers remain for the Somerville-Cambridge or Somerville-Boston (Charlestown) borders.

Here's my photo of one on the west side of Packard Avenue, next to the Tufts tennis courts. (Click on the photo to see a larger version.)

Comments

[thespian.livejournal.com]

neat!

[dmaze]

At one point I visited all of the places where they should be, though I don't think I have more pictures than the two you already have. I remember finding a couple more in the neighborhood west of Tufts (and also assuming that the two markers that should, by rights, be inside Tisch Library were gone), and not finding the one inside the 38/93 interchange. The map I see up in places that deliver food actually has the boundary marker locations and numbers marked on it in tiny print.

The only Cambridge/Somerville marker I know of is #17, at White Street and Elm Street, but it's embedded in the sidewalk. I've looked for more in the Davis area, and while it's straightforward to use the parking permit signs to find the city line I haven't found more markers. The markers are also all over on the canonical biking routes through the western suburbs.

[ronhaha108.livejournal.com]

There's one on College Ave and William Street cut into the white fence unless that is a different type of marker... http://goo.gl/maps/aKJ4U

[nonelvis]

I seem to recall there was one on Warner Street, near the intersection with Pearson, just outside Powderhouse Square. Google Maps is showing something like that in front of 38 Warner.

[smammy]

There is one in the back yard of 11 Pearson Road, just beyond the head of the driveway. It definitely has the "S" and "M" marking, but I don't remember ever seeing a marker number.

[toporopi.livejournal.com]

There's a marker in the backyard of my old house, 11 Pearson Rd. Message me if you'd like me to connect you with current residents :)

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

(http://pearlythebunny.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/501/718)

Marker #2 at Main Street (across from Bow Street near the city line).

[rachelmello.livejournal.com]

Okay, wow. This is genuinely cool, Ron.

Just a heads up: the photo on 19H and 8 are the same photo.

Also, this says to me we need to start *now* a petition to the City to insist that they protect marker 3H when they build the T stop there. We should insist that it get protected *in its current location,* that they can build something around it a la Plymouth Rock if they have to. This is the kind of history you can never get back.

[pbockelman.livejournal.com]

In Massachusetts (and other New England) towns, State Law requires that the Board of Selectmen "perambulate the bounds" of the town. Usually, this was done with the selectmen from the neighboring towns. Specifically, Mass. General Laws, Chapter 42, Section 1 states that "the Selectmen shall perambulate, run and mark the boundary lines of towns every five years or appoint substitutes and erect monuments at angles on boundary lines, also where a highway crosses lines". I don't believe cities are required to do this. For many towns, this requires traipsing through woods to find the historic markers. I used to work for a town and the selectmen used to send out a runner in advance who would place certain libations on each bound to keep the selectmen going from bound to bound. We were always careful, though, to avoid deer hunting season...

[thewriterkate.livejournal.com]

My house's marker is on the map! We are on Broadway and Albion, and our backyard is in Medford though we're officially Somervillains. This is a great collection; thanks for posting!

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

(http://pearlythebunny.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/501/1146)

Marker #23 near the southern end of Victoria Street.