Replacing New Hampshire's Old Man of the Mountain 162
Holdstrong writes "New Hampshire's iconic natural rock formation, the Old Man of the Mountain, fell from its mountain-side perch back in 2003. Award-winning architect Francis D. Treves is proposing a monument to replace it. His idea would feature a replica of the Old Man made out of 250 suspended glass panels and would allow visitors to enter the structure in order to gain views of the valley below. The design has received harsh criticism from the public, in part, Mr. Treves believes, due to the fact that quality images and accurate information about his design have been hard to come by. Replacing a beloved natural monument with a man-made one is sure to bring out emotions. Will a clearer understanding of the design help sway public opinion?"
|You wouldn't know it was gone... (Score:5, Interesting)
I was in New Hampshire as a tourist from England with a friend from San Diego. She knew NH had this Old Man rock formation thing, and so we went to see it. We parked the car, and wandered along the track towards the lake, eyes up on the skyline waiting for this rock formation to appear round the corner from the hillside. But it didn't. It was September 2007. We'd got all the way to the viewpoint before we saw any mention of the fact it had fallen off four years earlier.
There were quite a few visitors there pointing at the empty space where the Old Man used to be.
Re:Just what I was looking for (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Just what I was looking for (Score:4, Interesting)
It didn't make me sad at all when it fell, I actually laughed because the state put that image on everything, coins, badges, logos, anything state related had the tied old man on it. Now they have to be a bit more creative when thinking up new state symbols. The face was slowly sliding apart for YEARS before it fell, there was a small crew that would add hooks and cables to the damn thing every year to keep it from sliding off, really it was just postponing the inevitable.
Personally I like NH, the cost of living is relatively cheap, taxes are some of the lowest in the country, and the state politics (while no where near perfect) are a lot more pleasing than nearly all the other states out there IMO.
I think the proposed glass replacement is a great idea I'd like to see more modern architecture here in the state, a visitors center would be good for tourism and a glass replacement would make the face look like a ghost, certainly better than the shapeless lump that sits up there now. I don't know why people would oppose this for ascetic or historical reasons, I mean it's not like the the old face will grow back. If you wait much longer people will forget the damn thing even existed, honestly I hadn't even thought about it for years until I saw this article.
Re:Just what I was looking for (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Just what I was looking for (Score:2, Interesting)
A lot of the respect and appeal of the Old Man comes from Daniel Webster's quote "Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the Mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men." Daniel Webster and his ability to debate and orate is historically more respected and revered then any other person in New Hampshire's history, including the one NH-born president Franklin Pierce, and Gen. John Stark (who is responsible for the source of the state motto "Live Free or Die: Death is not the worst of evils"). That has a great deal to do with why the Old Man was such a significant source of pride and interest in New Hampshire, and not just a coincidental pile of rocks.
In terms of its structure, if you've ever seen it, it's pretty clear that the rocks comprising the Old Man's face protrudes from a sheer granite rock face and looks completely un-natural compared to the rest of the landscape of the White Mountains. It's un-natural appearance makes the fact that it was naturally formed by receding glaciers at least a little interesting and significant. Additionally, it's gradual decay over the decades since it was discovered has made for a well recorded indicator of how the mountains of NH are evolving and changing over time. Since NH's greatest asset is it's environmental resources, it's important!
Even if you consider the only positive aspect of the Old Man to be it's contribution to the NH tourism industry, that contribution has been playing a major role in keeping me free of sales tax, income tax, excise tax, excessive tolls, and every other kind of bureaucratic fee known to man for about 30 years now. You know what I pay for a $0.99 pack of gum? F@#*ing $0.99! I use three Old Man of the Mountain quarters and whatever coins I find under the seat of my cheaply insured car. The money it's saved me in my lifetime is more then enough for me to want a tribute to it erected. MA, CT, NY, NJ, and Canadian tourists will be paying for it anyway. Even since the Old Man fell, NH's tourism industry hasn't seen a serious decline (excluding the current world-wide recession).
As far as the proposed replacement, it's much better then previous home-brew ideas [oldmanofth...cyfund.org]. The article referenced in the main post also doesn't make mention of just how visitors will get to the new monument. Cannon Mountain, which abuts Profile Mountain's peak, in any season or condition, is a pretty brutal climb, with no current trails leading to the rock face where the old man was. If they successfully address that issue, there's a lot more of an overall experience to visiting this monument then is immediately apparent, which may bring even more interest in the site then before where the average tourist just stopped by the side of the road, looked at it, bought a magnet, and moved on.
Greatest state in the union. Deal with it.