Dawson Tower ( si, ඩෝසන් කුළුණ, Dosan Kuluna), is located on

Kadugannawa Kadugannawa is a town in Kandy District in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. It is located along the A1 road west of Peradeniya. The town is served by Kadugannawa Railway Station and has the Kadugannawa Central ...

in the

Kadugannawa Pass Kadugannawa Pass is a mountain pass located near Kadugannawa town in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It is located along the Colombo-Kandy A1 highway. It is a common roadside stop for tourists to enjoy the vistas to the Kegalle valley bel ...

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.

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

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References

{{Reflist Monuments and memorials in Sri Lanka Towers in Sri Lanka British colonial architecture in Sri Lanka Archaeological protected monuments in Kandy District Buildings and structures in Kandy District

History

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