Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory - Canton-Milton, MA
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 42° 12.723 W 071° 06.885
19T E 325440 N 4675485
This castle sits on top of Great Blue Hill, overlooking the Boston Metropolitan Area, and is where the oldest continuously maintained weather/climate record in the country is kept.
Waymark Code: WMHJTD
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 07/16/2013
Views: 7
On the Canton-Milton line, within the Blue Hills Reservation, is the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory, which is within a small castle overlooking the Boston Metropolitan area on top of Great Blue Hill.
The building is a two to three story structure, with a roofed structure to the south and a three-story turret at the north end. Around the structure is a barrier made with an iron fence on the east side and a concrete wall elsewhere, further giving it the impression of a castle.
The building was built for Abbott Lawrence Rotch, and designed by his brother, well-known architect Arthur Rotch. It was built to be Abbott Rotch's weather observatory. It was built at a cost of $3500, with a small living area and the observation tower, all made of stone. This tower was two-stories tall. AT midnight on January 31, 1888, the observatory started with the launching of fireworks. Since then, it has been altered three times. In 1889, the east wing was added, which included a vault for the records. In 1902, the west wing was added, which became the new library. In 1908, the two story tower, which had many problems, was torn down, and a new three-story concrete tower was added - one of the first reinforced concrete structures in the country. The concrete wall and fence were added in 1905.
Today, the building still is the site where weather observations and other research has been conducted continuously since that first day in 1888. The tower is open for tours - check the web site for details (the base tour is $4 - 2013). The tour includes access to the observation deck above the trees, which has a great view of the Boston Metropolitan Area, including Boston Harbor. On a day with excellent visibility, you can see to Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire, about 70 miles away.
The observatory is located on Great Blue Hill, at a height of 620 feet above sea level, wholly within the Blue Hills Reservation, operated by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (MassDCR). There is an access road to the observatory, but it is NOT open to the public. Park in one of the parking lots along Mass. Route 138, on either side of the Trailside Museum, then consult the kiosks to see the best trails to hike for you.
Accessibility: Partial access
Condition: Intact
Admission Charge?: yes
Website: [Web Link]
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