Southern Massachusetts Telephone Central Office Sign

An unusual sign and an unusual telephone company located in Massachusetts.
Southern MA Telephone Company started as an independent in 1878, three years after the telephone was invented. It served a wide area of Southern MA including Cape Cod and portions of RI. New Eng Tel & Tel took control of Southern MA Telephone in 1899, through a stock purchase but the company kept its identity and signing through 1912. This sign may well be the only example known. Measuring 21"x 27" it is double faced and was contained in an iron frame. Southern MA Telephone provided exchange service to 66 communities during 1912.