Committee plans celebration of Viaduct’s 175th anniversary

By Dan DeBlasio

With the help of the newly formed Viaduct at 175 Committee, plans are currently in the works to commemorate the 175^th 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.

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.”

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Posted by Canton Citizen on May 20 2010. Filed under Canton History, Features, News. Both comments and pings are currently closed.