page_title: Canton Viaduct
section_title: Dedication Stone
hierarchical_section_title: Canton Viaduct / Design and construction / Dedication Stone
context_page_description: Canton Viaduct is a blind arcade cavity wall railroad viaduct built in 1834–35 in Canton, Massachusetts, for the Boston and Providence Railroad.
  At its completion, it was the longest and tallest railroad viaduct in the world; today, it is the last surviving viaduct of its kind. It has been in continuous service for 184 years; it now carries high-speed passenger and freight rail service.
  The Canton Viaduct's walls are similar to the ancient curtain wall of Rhodes with rusticated stone. It supports a train deck about 60 feet above the Canton River, the east branch of the Neponset River. The stream pool passes through six semi-circular portals in the viaduct, flowing to a waterfall about 50 feet downstream.
  The viaduct was the final link built for the B&P's then 41-mile mainline between Boston, Massachusetts; and Providence, Rhode Island. Today, the viaduct serves Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, as well as Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Providence/Stoughton Line commuter trains. It sits 0.3 miles south of Canton Junction, at milepost 213.74, reckoned from Pennsylvania Station in New York City, and at the MBTA's milepost 15.35, reckoned from South Station in Boston.
context_section_description: The capstone was laid in the south end of the west parapet.  This stone sat atop the Dedication Stone and it was the last stone to be laid in the viaduct.
  The Dedication Stone is actually two stones now held together with two iron straps on each end.  The overall dimensions are approximately 60" long × 36" high × 18" wide (golden ratio), and it weighs approximately 3,780 lbs.  The Dedication Stone was originally topped with a 63" long × 8" high × 24" wide capstone with double beveled edges, creating an irregular hexagonal profile.  Due to its breaking in 1860, the Dedication Stone is about 1" shorter today than its original height.  The damage obscured two directors' names, W. W. Woolsey and P. T. Jackson.  Woolsey was also a Director of the Boston & Providence Railroad & Transportation Co. (B&P RR&T Co.) in Rhode Island (incorporated  May 10, 1834) which owned the Rhode Island portion of the Boston and Providence rail line.  The B&P RR&T Co. merged with the B&P on June 1, 1853.
caption: The Canton Viaduct Dedication Stone was originally laid in the west parapet, south end.
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