Natick (Middlesex County) - Wellesley (Norfolk County) - MA - U.S. Historic Survey Stones and Monuments on Waymarking.com

Along the town line between the towns of Natick and Wellesley is this corner marker designated N-W 1 (Natick-Wellesley 1). It also defines the boundary between Middlesex and Norfolk Counties.

The marker is about 50 ft of Fox Hill Drive, about a 70 ft north of Ingleside Road, which becomes Manor Avenue on the Wellesley Side. It is set on the top of a rise about 10 ft. The north and east side is the most clear - in fact, there is evidence that this side was recently cut back. Behind it (from Box Hill Drive) is a wood railing fence, with a post right next to it. The marker is surrounded by private land so all observations were from the sidewalk on Fox Hill Drive.

The object is a stone post roughly cut standing approximately 4 ft tall and about 7 inches on a side. If this is the same stone that has stood when the Harbor and Land Atlas (the primary reference for location of town boundaries in Massachusetts), the letter 'N' is on both the northwest and southeast sides. In the the atlas is a detailed drawing of the corner, town lines, and the surrounding area. The book was published in 1904. The land was all woods, though the description did mention fences and walls nearby. It is about 700 ft southwest of the corner of Natick, Wellesley, and Weston - which is surrounded by private land.

Natick is an old community by U.S. standards. It was established in 1651 as a "Praying Indian" town, established by the Reverend John Eliot. Some of the land came from the Dedham Plantation, established in 1638. Wellesley was also part of land originally part of the Dedham Plantation. It split from Needham in 1881, which had split from Dedham in 1711. The line was defined in 1797, when it was Natick and Needham (hence the two 'N's).

Sources:

Wikipedia

(Natick):
(visit link)

(Wellesley):
(visit link)

Monumentation Type: Stone post Monument Category: County/Municipal boundary marker Accessible to general public: no Explain Non-Public access: It is visible from the sidewalk along Fox Hill Drive. Historical significance: This corner defines the boundary between two counties of Massachusetts. Natick was established in 1651, while Wellesley broke from Needham (est. 1711) in 1881. Monument Website: [Web Link] County: Middlesex and Norfolk Counties USGS Quad: Natick Approximate date of monument: 01/01/1904 Monumentation Type (if other): Not listed Monument Category (if other): Not listed NGS PID: Not listed Other Coordinates: Not Listed Other Coordinates details: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
1. A closeup photo of the monument is required.
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2. A 'distant' photo including the monument in the view is highly recommended. Include the compass direction you faced when you took the picture.

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