Milestone XV

Located at the original site of the meeting hall built by the first European settlers in the 1600's, this milestone is near what is now known as the South Green and Soldiers Monument. The Meeting House for the Congregationalists was the first building, more closely resembling a fort than the popular image of a white colonial New England church. It was used for governmental operations (Congregationalism being the established church at the time) and as a defensible stronghold (although no battles were recorded there). When a new church building was being planned around the turn of the nineteenth century, a dispute arose about its location. Those favoring a more northerly location eventually split from the original church and formed the “Strict Congregational Church”, today known as the North Congregational Church. That church sits at the corner of Rtes. 6 (Main Street North) and 47 (Washington Road), at the location of Milestone XIV. Eventually, the "new" First Congregational Church was built halfway between the two milestones.

Sage (1922)

Bicentennial Report (1976)

Hampton (2013)

A comparison of the Sage (1922) photo of Milestone XV with the Bicentennial photo and the current day appearance of the milestone strongly suggests that the stone we see today has been recut (possibly by machine) with the appropriate markings to correct what Sage (1932) described as “so weather beaten that none of the original inscriptions appears.” The over shape of the stone in each picture seems to match, so this seems to be the original stone. Sage describes the white lettering shown in his photograph as “paint recently applied . . . which may account for the “M” being below the XV, instead of on a line with the number, as is the case in the originals.”

To the West of this milestone is the Hurd House and to the East, District No. 2 Schoolhouse, two historic buildings maintained by the Old Woodbury Historical Society.

Lat: N 41° 32.254'

Long: W 073° 12.426'