Halfway Area Historical Sign, Mt. Holyoke - Hadley, MA
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 42° 18.080 W 072° 35.368
18T E 698695 N 4686047
This sign is located at the halfway area, along the mountain road to the summit of Mt. Holyoke, is next to an open shed and explains that this was part of an old funicular that went to the hotel at the summit.
Waymark Code: WMC2D5
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 07/17/2011
Views: 5
In Hadley, within the J. A. Skinner State Park, is a sign next to an open shed near a parking area designated as the 'Halfway Area.' This sign states the following:
"The Halfway Area, 365 feet below the summit of Mt. Holyoke, was the main entrance to the resort during the era of mountaintop hospitality. The steam generator directly in front of you powered the tram, or "funicular," from 1856 to 1937. Where you are standing was part of the loading shed where visitors began their five-minute ride to the top. Those who preferred a leisurely approach to the summit could climb aboard a horse-drawn buggy here, or people who enjoyed exercise could choose the 522 stairs that ran alongside the tramway. No matter how you ascended to the top the proprietor charged a 25 cent fee. A broadside posted on the road explained that 'The 25 Cents Gives the Visitor the Use of the Path, House, Grounds, Telescope, and Water."
There are two pictures on the sign. The top one is a small insert that shows a picture of a house. The caption explains that the house still stands to the left of the sign (now the ranger station) and was built by proprietors John and Fanny French in 1851. bottom one shows a large building that was associated with the funicular. The caption explains that this was the passenger station, which burned down in 1960, after the funicular had long since closed. In the bottom right corner are two logos, one for The Friends of the Holyoke Range and the other for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
The sign is in good condition, though the surface is becoming opaque and has spalling.
The steam engine under the shed appears to be complete - with a large flywheel and a single horizontal piston on an iron and rock foundation.
The park web site states that the first structure on top of Mt. Holyoke was a cabin, built in 1821. In 1849, John and Fanny French bought 10 acres on top of the mountain, including the cabin, and built their hotel, the Prospect House as it was first called, which later was known as the Summit House. Around 1908, Joseph A. Skinner with L. Treadway and Christopher Clarke bought the property and the hotel continues to operate, evetually as a Treadway Inn. Since then the hotel withstood a fire and the ravages of Hurricane 1938. The hotel and land are handed over to the state in 1940 as the J. A. Skinner State Park.
Today, the summit house building is closed to the public. The web site states that it should be reopened in the Fall of 2011 as a recreational facility.
Agency Responsible for Placement: Other (Place below)
Agency Responsible for Placement (if not in list above): Friends of the Holyoke Range and Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
County: Hampshire
City/Town Name: Hadley
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
Year Placed: Not listed
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