Hartford and Dedham Turnpike

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The Hartford and Dedham Turnpike was a turnpike in Massachusetts. It ran from Dedham southwest to West Medway, where it continued as the earlier Ninth Massachusetts Turnpike and Boston Turnpike to Hartford, Connecticut.

[edit] History

The turnpike was chartered on March 9, 1804 to close a gap in the turnpikes that were being built to replace the Middle Post Road between Dedham and Hartford. The rest of this path consisted of the Ninth Massachusetts Turnpike to the Connecticut state line and the Boston Turnpike in Connecticut to East Hartford. North of Dedham, the Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike continued to Boston.

The turnpike, built in 1807, was never a success. In 1821 it was closed to all but local travel due to its condition; it became a free road in 1830, with the rest of the route to Hartford becoming free in 1838.

The path of the road is now mostly covered by Route 109. The turnpike entered Dedham center using High Street, and in Westwood, Dover and Medfield the old turnpike exists as Hartford Street, while Route 109 uses the older alignment with better grades. Near the west end, Route 109 turns west towards Milford, and the turnpike continues southwest on Main Street to end at its merge with Route 126 and the Middle Post Road.