Boston Stone facts for kids
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The Boston Stone is a special stone found in Boston, Massachusetts. It is located close to the famous Freedom Trail and is a small, interesting spot for visitors. This stone is a flattened circle, about 2 feet (0.6 meters) wide, with one side hollowed out. You can find it built into the wall of a building on Marshall Street. Below the stone, there's another stone that says "Boston Stone 1737."
This stone is thought to be the oldest paint-grinding mill in the United States. It shows how people used to make paint a long time ago. Even though it's old and important, the Boston Stone doesn't have an official sign or special status.
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What is the Boston Stone?
The Boston Stone is a unique piece of history. It was originally a millstone, which is a heavy, round stone used for grinding things. People also called this type of millstone a "muller." Its job was to grind colorful powders, called pigments, into smooth paint. It did this by crushing the pigments in a long stone bowl.
This special stone came all the way from England around the year 1701. A painter named Tom Childs brought it to Boston. When it was first displayed, it had a painted sign with Child's initials and the year 1701.
History of the Boston Stone
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The story of the Boston Stone began with Tom Childs, the painter. After he passed away, John Howe bought his property. In 1737, while building a new structure, Howe discovered the stone. He moved it to the corner of his land. He wanted to protect his new building from wagons and carts that might hit it.
Later, in 1835, James Davis rebuilt the building. He placed the Boston Stone into the brick wall. Below it, he added another stone with the words "Boston Stone 1737." John Howe's daughter, Mrs. Green, said that a neighbor suggested this idea. The neighbor had seen the famous London Stone in England. They thought the old paint mill could become a similar landmark in Boston.
How the Stone Became Famous
The new building helped make the old stone more popular. In 1839, a local newspaper called the Boston Courier reported something fun. A copy of the Boston Stone, made entirely out of sugar, was shown at a fair at Quincy Market. This shows how well-known the stone was becoming.
In 1879, a famous poet named John Greenleaf Whittier even mentioned the stone. In his poem "Landmarks," he talked about losing some of Boston's old important places. He wrote about the Boston Stone as a key landmark.
Is it Boston's Center Point?
There's a popular story that says the Boston Stone is the exact center of Boston. People believed that in colonial times, surveyors used it as a starting point. They would measure distances to other towns from this stone. However, this story is probably not true. There are no old records that prove this idea.
It's possible that this idea was a clever advertising trick. In the 1800s, an inn called the Marshall House used to promote itself. They might have made up the story to attract more visitors. A city guide from 1921, by Rand, McNally, suggested another reason. It said the stone was likely put there to help people find nearby shops, just like the London Stone.
See also
- List of individual rocks
