Dawson Tower

Dawson Tower (Sinhala: ඩෝසන් කුළුණ Dosan Kuluna), is located on Kadugannawa in the Kadugannawa Pass next to the Colombo - Kandy Road, the first modern highway in the island. Work began on the Colombo - Kandy Road in 1820 under the direction of Captain William Francis Dawson who died during the project. The Dawson Tower was erected in memory of Dawson.

Dawson Tower
Dawson Tower as of January 2013
General information
StatusPreserved
Architectural styleMonument
LocationPahala Kadugannawa
CountrySri Lanka
Completed1832

History

Under the direction of Governor Edward Barnes, Captain William Francis Dawson initiated the construction of the Colombo-Kandy road project in 1820. Unfortunately, he died on 28 March 1829, before the completion of the construction work. It is said that he had been bitten by a venomous snake. Dawson Tower was erected in 1832 as a posthumous memorial to Dawson’s exemplary service to the country.[1]

The tower location was selected as it was few metres away from the Kadugannawa pass which stands witness to Dawson’s technical expertise and engineering skills.

Images
Captain Dawson Tower Kadugannawa. Date Range c.1860-c.1880
Captain Dawson Tower Kadugannawa-Early 1900s
Kadugannawa Pass from top as of February 2007.
Kadugannawa Pass from bottom as of February 2016.

See also

References
  1. "Kadugannawa the gateway to Kanda Uda Rata". ft.lk. 29 July 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
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