MA-RI Border Marker at Route 152 - Seekonk, MA - East Providence, RI - U.S. Historic Survey Stones and Monuments on Waymarking.com

At the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border, where Route 152 (same number on both sides of the border), is a stone marker in the trees south of the road.

The marker is located across the street and about 50 ft west of the intersection of Route 152 (Newman Avenue) and West Street on the Seekonk side. It is about 20 ft from the edge of the road and is about ten feet north of a path on a raised ridge. Entrance to the path is at one end of the road barrier. Along the road, there are signs that state which state you are entering.

The marker is about a foot tall and four sided, with an indented mark at the top. On the west side is "RI." (yes, there seems to be a missing period), while the on the east side is "Mass." (partially covered)

The border between Massachusetts and Rhode Island was unsettled for a long time. This particular region, once part of Rehoboth. Seekonk was formed in 1812, which at the time included land to the west of the current town. In 1862, Seekonk was split - the portion to the west of the Ten Mile River became East Providence in Rhode Island. The border has remained the same, since. It is not easy to determine when the marker itself was installed. I suspect that it was installed in the 20th century. Thus, no date is entered.

I also would categorize this as a road stone rather than an actual state boundary cornerstone. This is based on a layer for town boundaries on the MassGIS OLIVER viewer. There is no point at the location of the marker. Thus, it is not an 'official' corner. The link is below.

Mass GIS "OLIVER" Viewer:
(visit link)

Monumentation Type: Stone post Monument Category: State boundary marker Accessible to general public: yes Historical significance: This marker delineates the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border, which was finally settled in 1862 with the dividing of Seekonk to form East Providence, RI. County: Bristol County, MA-Bristol County, RI USGS Quad: East Providence, RI Monumentation Type (if other): Not listed Monument Category (if other): Not listed Explain Non-Public access: Not listed Monument Website: Not listed NGS PID: Not listed Other Coordinates: Not Listed Other Coordinates details: Not listed Approximate date of monument: Not listed

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

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.