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Committee plans celebration of
Viaduct's 175th anniversary
By Dan DeBlasio
Citizen Staff
With the help
of the newly formed Viaduct at 175 Committee, plans are
currently in the works to commemorate the 175th
anniversary of the completion of the Canton Viaduct. The
committee’s chief goal is to celebrate this great achievement
and erect a monument in memory of the Freemasons who helped
build the grand structure. Viaduct at 175 is made up of members
of the Canton Historical Commission and Canton Public Library
Trustees.
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Canton’s world
renowned Viaduct is pictured in this aerial photo. |
The Canton
Viaduct is the only such structure in the United States and was
the first ever viaduct in the world. It was built in 1835 by
Scottish Freemasons to allow transportation for B&P, the Boston
and Providence Railroad Corporation. The viaduct is also the one
and only blind arcade Cavity Wall Bridge in the western
hemisphere. The bridge has been in incessant service for 174
years and is now used for high-speed passenger and freight rail
cars.
The Blue Hill
Lodge in Canton is sponsoring a Masonic memorial, which will be
placed in the Canton Viaduct Park to honor the Freemasons. The
memorial itself will be an eight-foot-tall granite obelisk and
will serve as a large sundial and a mile marker to the Grand
Lodge of Masons in Boston. Underneath the monument a time
capsule will be buried with plans to be opened 125 years later
at the Canton Viaduct’s 300th anniversary celebration in 2135.
The
celebration will be in honor of the Freemasons who built the
bridge in record fashion. The viaduct was miraculously built
start to finish in only 15 months and was something no one had
ever done before. The builders worked around the clock to make
the impressive configuration without any past experience in
viaduct creation.
“The real
story is the men who worked for 15 months to build a structure
that has no equal then or now,” said George Comeau, the Viaduct
at 175 Committee’s co-chairman.
The viaduct
not only served as a connector between Providence and Boston; it
was also a major factor in getting the town of Canton on the
map. In addition to being the first of its kind in the world, it
also brought Canton countless opportunities.
“It was built
to bring the railroad closer to Canton,” said Wally Gibbs,
co-chairman of the Viaduct at 175 Committee. “It also gave
people access to the copper mills and was a real money-making
thing for the town.”
The viaduct
spans 70 feet high, 30 feet wide, and 615 feet long and was
built with granite and reinforced concrete. The overpass looms
massive and is one of the undeniable cornerstones in the town of
Canton.
“It is the
most prominent structure in the town, and it brought industry to
this part of the state,” said John Ciccotelli, a member close to
the project. “I think if it had not been built Canton would not
be the town it is today.”
The Scottish
Freemasons, who built the bridge, were thought of as some of the
best and have been said to be members of the Rising Star Lodge
in Stoughton. The road bed, however, was formed by Irish
Freemasons, who also camped in Canton but at a different
location. Each Freemason put a particular mark or symbol on
every brick that was laid, which now creates an incredibly
diverse landscape, but at the time was just a way to identify
each stone so the workers could get paid.
The viaduct
cost $93,000 to build in 1835, which equates to $2.4 million in
2009. The first rail car, called the “Whistler,” was reported by
the Boston Advertiser to pass over the viaduct on June 6, 1835.
Amazingly, the first trips over the bridge going from Boston to
Providence cost only $2 one way.
The Viaduct at
175 Committee is shooting for an October dedication, but plans
are still in the works and nothing has been finalized yet. The
committee is working to get permissions, but more importantly,
is still searching for funding toward the project. A public
meeting is being held to discuss such topics on Thursday, May
27, at 7 p.m. in the Community Room at the Canton Public
Library.
“The viaduct
is an important local and national historic site,” said Gibbs.
“We need people to join us as we plan the public celebration.”
People who do
decide to donate will be able to leave a lasting mark on the
viaduct and contribute a personal item to the celebration.
“It is a
great incentive to give,” said Ciccotelli. “We are offering
anyone who donates $100 or more the opportunity to put a 3”x2”
document into the time capsule, and anyone who donates $1,000 a
8.5”x11” document.”
May 20, 2010
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