Take A Short Walk To A Massachusetts Stone Tower That’s Like The Tower Of An Old Stone Castle
By Melissa Mahoney|Published February 07, 2022
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Melissa Mahoney
Author
I'm an east coast girl living in a west coast world. I grew up in New England before moving to SoCal for several years. I then lived in NYC or a year before moving to AZ in 2009. I worked in the entertainment industry for many years of my adult life and have a deep love for photography, writing, and traveling around the U.S. as well as to far-flung locations around the world. Travel is my life and writing about it is a dream!
There are many places around the state we may find enchanting. From a hike through an enchanted forest to some of the most majestic castles around the state, we can let our imaginations take us into a fairy tale world. There is one particular stone tower in Massachusetts that looks as though it’s part of a castle, and it’s an enchanting place you will want to visit.
Lawson Tower is a charming stone tower that was built in 1902. It is found behind the First Parish Unitarian Church in Scituate.
The origin story of this tower is a fascinating one. It all began in the early 1900s when a wealthy man by the name of Thomas Lawson, along with his wife Jeannie, moved to Scituate.
The couple loved everything about living here, that is until the Scituate Water Company built a massive 153-foot tall steel tower with a capacity to hold over 276,000 gallons of water. The unwelcome tower was an eyesore, so they decided to do something about it.
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Mr. Lawson hired an architect to design a European-style tower to hide the water tower and funded the project himself. By 1902, the tower you see today was built to surround (or hide) the steel water tower.
With characteristics of a typical European castle turret, one would never guess what was once hiding behind the walls. Today, most of the steel from the original water tower is gone.
In addition to the castle-like tower, Mr. Lawson had also paid for a set of 10 bells to be placed at the top. They are controlled by a console that makes them go off at a certain time, and it's quite enchanting to hear them chime.
During a scheduled tour, visitors will be able to ascend the 123 stairs that lead to the belfry. This historic tower is not only an American Water Landmark but is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it is maintained by the Scituate Historical Society.
If you would like to take a tour of the tower and its surrounding gardens, follow the Scituate Historical Society's Facebook page where open house dates are posted. Tower tour dates are posted on the page as well.
Have you visited this stone tower in Massachusetts before? Please tell us about your experience and share any photos of the tower you may have. For more information, visit the Scituate Historical Society website and follow the Facebook page for tower tour dates.
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