Stone Shelter

Stow is a town where much of its history reveals itself through quiet structures that still stand as part of the landscape. This stone shelter, marked simply “Stow“, is one of those features that draws my attention and makes me want to learn more.

In the early 20th century, Stow was connected to a much larger world by the electric trolley system. Lines running between towns like Hudson, Marlborough and Concord passed through here, part of a regional network that allowed people to move between communities with a regularity. Before the dominance of the automobile, this was how you traveled.

This shelter was built during the period between 1900 to 1920, when trolley travel was at its height. Structures like this were built to give passengers a place to wait, out of the rain, wind or snow.

A series of these stops existed along the route, spaced out to serve the surrounding community. Many of these have disappeared but this one is built of stone, with benches set into its walls. This one was meant to last.

By the 1920s and 1930s, this system began to fade. Automobiles and buses replaced the trolleys. Today, this structure no longer serves its original purpose, yet it continues to hold its place.