Historic Worcester Roadway Marker To Be Restored By MassDOT

WORCESTER, MA — Over 20 historic roadway markers in the state are being restored by MassDOT and one of them are in Worcester. The markers were installed in 1930 to celebrate 300th anniversary of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. There are 21 markers in total being restored.

Aside from Worcester, the markers located in Bernardston, Brimfield, Deerfield, Greenfield, Hadley, Hatfield, New Braintree, Northfield and West Brookfield.

The markers were installed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Works, which was one of the predecessors to MassDOT. MassDOT has identified 174 of the original 275 markers that were put in place, mainly in the northeast and central parts of the Commonwealth, as well as in Plymouth County and the Connecticut River Valley.

The markers are made of cast iron with the background painted aluminum, the letters and the trim in black, and the coat of arms of the Commonwealth in blue and gold. All of the markers are 36 inches wide and between 35 and 45 inches high, not including the post, and weigh between 165 and 200 pounds. They highlight past events and figures and provide facts and stories about local communities, and the text is the same on both sides of the markers so that travelers from either direction may read the inscriptions.

Work has included cleaning and repainting these 21 markers, and conservators will also be restoring or replacing the original hexagonal posts. The full project is currently expected to be completed by winter 2019.