The most southerly of Woodbury’s
Benjamin Franklin Milestones lies about 200 feet north of the Southbury / Woodbury town
line, part of the stone wall in front of Longwood Inn (formerly Merryvale), a
restaurant and bed & breakfast for many years. Its plaque is affixed to the
adjacent stone wall.
Sage (1932) observed that the
entire stone had been “whitened with paint or otherwise.” By the time of the
Bicentennial survey and my current photographs, the whitened surface had
returned to a natural stone finish. The lettering style differs from most of
the other stones in the series, using three lines: “L”, “XVII”, and “M”. The
layout and chiseling appears the same in each of the three photos, supporting
the assumption that this is the original inscription.
|
Sage (1922) |
Although a fracture line (between
the second and third line) is visible in the 1976 and 2013 photos, the
stonewall encapsulating the milestone seems to be protecting it from collapse.
The bubbles seen in the Bicentennial photo are the effect of the plastic
overlay and do not represent any alteration of the stone. The inscription remains clearly visible.
|
Bicentennial Report (1976) |
|
Hampton (2013) |
Lat: N 41° 30.565'
Long: W 073° 12.376'
Heading north towards Litchfield, you welcome the town line marker and
Milestone XVII, signaling your arrival in the mother town of Litchfield County,
having passed mile after mile of lonely woodlands and farms in the sparsely
settled Southbury and Oxford. Here you will find stores, businesses, and the
first true inn you’ve seen for several days, the Curtis
House. Perhaps the blacksmith can
attend to your horse’s loose shoe before disaster strikes. You should arrive at
Tapping Reeve’s Law School tomorrow, to begin your training. If you
report favorably about this country village, your sister hopes to become a
student at the Litchfield Female Academy.
In just over a year’s time, you’ll take an examination to be admitted
to the bar of Litchfield County, but you’re looking forward to a triumphant
southerly trip to your home state as an attorney-at-law! Of course, you’ll have
to take an additional bar examination at home, but with your letter of
reference from Judge Tapping Reeve, the legal world is your oyster.