Iwalked Boston’s Zero Marker – The Boston Stone

Iwalkedaudiotours.com - If you glance at about ankle height you will find embedded in the brick wall a small hollow stone that measures about two feet long. This infamous stone is known as the Boston Stone which was brought over from London in the year 1700 by a painter named Tom Childs. No word on whether baggage fees were associated with bringing the stone stateside.

The Boston Stone

Mr. Childs formerly had a shop here and used the stone as paint grinder. Originally the stone was four times its current size before being broken on some four separate occasions. In 1737 the stone was embedded within the brick wall and a stone trough was added to keep carriage wheels from striking the location.

Many sites will have you believe that this stone was once the Zero marker—that being the point from which all distances to Boston were measured. This, in fact, has never been the case. The Massachusetts State House has served this purpose for years, either as the Old State House on Washington Street or its current home on Beacon Street.

• Website: http://www.celebrateboston.com/sites/boston-stone.htm
• Address: 10 Marshall Street, Boston, MA (Address is approximate)
• Cost: Free