Boston Stone

The stone, a flattened sphere about 2 feet (0.61 m) in diameter, hollowed out on one side, is embedded in the foundation of a building on Marshall Street (a narrow alley named for Thomas Marshall) in the Blackstone Block Historic District.

[1] The stone was originally displayed with a painted plaque including Child’s initials and the date 1701.

[1][5] According to Howe’s daughter, a Mrs. Green, their neighbor who had seen the famous London Stone proposed that the paint mill be made into a similar landmark by adding the inscription.

[3][6] The new building popularized the old artifact; in 1839, the Boston Courier reported that a replica of the stone made entirely of sugar was exhibited at a fair at Quincy Market.

[8][5] The 1921 Rand, McNally guide to the city suggested that it was probably set up to provide directions to nearby shops in imitation of the London Stone.