Historic Westport mileage marker gets new home

A historic mile marker that stood at the intersection of Sodom Road and America Legion Highway (Route 177) since 1842 has a new home a few miles to the south.

The stone, a massive granite boulder weighing several tons, points to New Bedford (11 miles away), Howland Ferry in Tiverton (xxx miles) and "The Pointe," eight miles. Though those weathered and faded inscriptions have long been difficult to read and are now a bit inaccurate, John Bell, Westport's Deputy Chief of Police, said that's preferable to what would likely have been the stone's fate had it stayed at its original location.

Over the past two years, Deputy Chief Bell said the stone has been clipped and cracked by a passing tractor trailer, spray-painted yellow by vandals — and even had a car land directly atop it in an accident a few years ago.

"The whole purpose (of the move) was to protect the stone," said Bell, who is also the department's safety officer.

"We've been lucky it hasn't been more damaged. But eventually it's going to get broken in half."

Deputy Chief Bell and his family have been trying to care for and protect the stone for several years. Two years ago his daughter, Molly Bell, appeared before and received permission from the Historical Commission to have the stone cleaned of a thick coat of yellow paint left by vandals. The stone was cleaned soon after with help from a New Bedford monument company, but a few months later sustained damage when it was clipped by a passing tractor trailer, which didn't have a tight enough turn radius to avoid hitting it at its center island.

Though a large chunk was broken off, "we were lucky none of the inscriptions were lost," he said.

So the Bells went before the commission again, this time to have it moved to a safer spot nearby. Though the request was approved, the work took some time with the onset of the COVID pandemic.

This month, Dave Palmer  agreed to donate his  time and equipment to help move the heavy stone, and it was gingerly picked up and moved to its new home, on a larger plot of land than the original, just before Christmas. Deputy Chief Bell said he is happy with the new location, as there is a guard rail there that should protect it well from the future threat of collision.

The next step is to install an interpretive sign laying out the stone's history, noting its original location and spelling out the mileages and landmarks on its weathered inscriptions. Bell said he has been speaking to a Westport resident who has agreed to pay for the sign.