MA-CT Eastern Border at High Street - U.S. Historic Survey Stones and Monuments on Waymarking.com

At the border of Massachusetts and the eastern border of Connecticut, there is a marker on the north side of the road, known as High Street at this stretch, that marks the state boundary. This marker has the following on its sides: Eastern side (right side when looking from the road): D (upright - stands for the town of Douglas) Mass (in book spine orientation). Western side (left when looking from the road): T (upright - stands for the town of Thompson) Conn (in book spine orientation). On the back of the monument is the year 1906. The part toward the road appears to not have any engravings but was spray painted. On top, there is a small notch.

High Street is a rural road that extends from the Douglas border with Webster, Mass. (as Lower Gore Road), continues through Thompson, Conn. for no more than half a mile, then pops out through this border into Douglas, again until it meets SW Main Street about a quarter mile further east. What is more unusual is that there is no public road intersection while the road is in Connecticut. There is one gated private road, though, which is posted 'No Trespassing.'

On the Massachusetts side of the marker, the land is posted as being part of the Douglas State Forest, and, therefore, is public land (there are blue diamonds attached to trees). The land on the Connecticut side is not posted. Behind the marker, there are blue dots that are painted on trees in a northerly direction. These dots mark the line to the corner marker that marks the northeast corner of Connecticut about 1/8 mile into the woods.

According to the book, "How the States Got Their Shapes," by Mark Stein, the border was set in the 1663 charter issued by King Charles II, which contradicted the border set in the 1662 charter to Connecticut. The border follows the Pawcatuck River to its source, then continues straight north to the Massachusetts border (the diagram in the book is not clear, though). From there, the border continues until it meets the northern Connecticut border. Connecticut disputed the border and didn't formally ratify it until 1840.

Parking is tricky in this area, due to the fact that the road is narrow, has curves, and negotiates small changes in elevation. About 300 feet to the east is a turn out that is wide enough for a car. Be careful when walking back toward the marker. The best thing to do is to walk facing traffic and stop when cars are passing.

Source:
Stein, Mark. How the States Got Their Shapes. New York: Harper-Collins/Smithsonian Books, 2008.

Monumentation Type: Stone post Monument Category: State boundary marker Accessible to general public: yes Historical significance: This stone marker, placed in 1906, follows the border set in 1663 and finally ratified by Connecticut in 1840. County: Massachusetts - Worcester County; Connecticut - Windham County USGS Quad: Webster MA-CT-RI Approximate date of monument: 01/01/1906 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

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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Date Logged Log User Rating   08/19/2015 nutwhaley visited it