Old Man of the Mountain - Salem, NH - Unique Weathervanes on Waymarking.com

Just after crossing the state line into New Hampshire from Massachusetts on I-93, this rest are and welcome center greets visitors. With a large volume of traffic between Boston and New Hampshire and points north (Vermont and Maine, Canada beyond), this is a popular stop.

The main building features this weather vane with a silhouette of the Old Man of the Mountain. With the weather vane rotated in the direction, the appearance is a little odd, as the Old Man is almost always picture facing left.

The Old Man of the Mountain was a rock formation that captured the imagination of New Englanders for many years. Sometimes called Old Stone Face, this granite formation became the official symbol of the state of New Hampshire, the "Granite State," in 1945. It has appeared on a U.S. postage stamp and was chosen to represent the state on the U.S. quarter series.

The nature of New Hampshire granite, however, is to split and crumble with the action of the elements, particularly the freezing and thawing of water in the cracks. So, this was always a precarious outcropping and warnings of weaknesses were reported as early as 1906, and constant efforts were made to repair and maintain the Old Man of the Mountain, as beloved as he was by the state's residents.

But, despite all efforts, during the early morning hours of May 23, 2003, the entire formation collapsed into a heap of rubble. Emotions ran high, with a deep sense of loss on the part of many. Debate began about reconstructing the Old Man, erecting memorials, trying to find the most appropriate way to maintain the memories. Exactly what will be the result of all this is yet to be seen, nearly ten years later.

Reference: Wikipedia: Old Man of the Mountain

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/12/2019 elyob visited it