Taunton-Raynham Roadstone at MA Route 104 and South Street West - U.S. Historic Survey Stones and Monuments on Waymarking.com

At the border between Taunton and Raynham along Mass. Route 104 is a stone marker next to a town line sign.

The marker is located about a tenth mile north of the intersection of Mass. Route 104 and US 44, and on the west side of the T-intersection with South Street West (if that wasn't confusing...). The marker is next to a large sign with "Entering - Inc. 1639 - Taunton" on the north side, and "Entering - Inc. 1731 - Raynham" on the other.

The stone marker is about 6 ft tall and about 10 inches by 6 inches wide and roughly hewn. Near the top on the south side is 'T' (for Taunton) then '1880.' On the north side is 'R' (for Raynham).

This is considered a roadstone since the MassDOT (Massachusetts Department of Transportation) web site for geodetic control monuments does not have a symbol at this location marking the location of a corner stone. The line representing the town border in the viewer is very close to where the marker is located, however. In fact the historical atlas that has a link on the left side of the viewer has a drawing that shows the line from R-T 7 WM (Raynham-Taunton 7 Witness Mark - this has since been renumbered to R-T 5) through the road intersection and this marker shown as a 'line stone.' It is also listed as a Road and Line Stone within the same document. The line was first established in 1731 (see below), but in 1866, the historical atlas contains text indicating that the line was straightened between corners 7 and 8 in 1866.

As indicated by the town line sign, Raynham and Taunton were separate towns by 1731. Taunton is the older of the two. Raynham, however, has, within its present bounds, the site of the oldest iron works in Plymouth Colony (also known as Old Colony), which is located up this street. Thus, the marker is much younger than the border, though, based on the engraved year, has been at this location for over 123 years.

Other Source:

Wikipedia (Raynham, Massachusetts):
(visit link)

Monumentation Type: Stone post Monument Category: County/Municipal boundary marker Accessible to general public: yes Historical significance: Marks the boundary between the city of Taunton and the town of Raynham, which split from Taunton in 1731. Monument Website: [Web Link] County: Bristol USGS Quad: Taunton Approximate date of monument: 01/01/1880 Monumentation Type (if other): Not listed Monument Category (if other): Not listed Explain Non-Public access: 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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