Dawson Tower
# Dawson Tower

Dawson Tower (Sinhala: ඩෝසන් කුළුණ, romanized: 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.

## 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 meters away from the Kadugannawa pass which stands witness to Dawson’s technical expertise and engineering skills.

