Mount Washington State Park Celebrating 50 Years
The first reported sighting of Mount Washington happened in the 16th century by mariners on the Atlantic Ocean, but it wasn't until the mid-1800s that Mount Washington became a popular summer destination. Wealthy urban New Englanders sought the cool, fresh air of New Hampshire's White Mountains with its stunning natural scenery. Passenger trains made the mountains accessible and helped turn Mount Washington into a must-visit place for early tourists.
Local entrepreneurs, recognizing the lodging needs of mountain visitors, built the first summit house in 1852. With increased visitation, the tip-top house was added a year later. The construction of the Mount Washington Carriage Road, as well as the completion of the Cod Railway in 1869, brought more and more people to the summit.
In 1873, another summit house was built to accommodate the increased visitors. After that burned to the ground, the Cog Railway, in 1915, opened a third summit house and took over ownership of the summit from timber baron David Pingree, who owned most of the mountain at that time. The devastating hurricane of 1938 destroyed much of the Cog Railway, and they were only able to rebuild with financial help from Dartmouth College.
When the owner of the Cog passed a few years later, he willed the property to Dartmouth College as repayment for the loan. New railway owners then bought the track and base back from Dartmouth, while the college retained ownership of the summit and buildings, which they leased to private hotel operators. The popularity of Mount Washington continued to grow in the mid-1900s, especially among hikers and visitors using the Mount Washington Carriage Road, which later became the Auto Road.
In the 1950s, visitors were surveyed and felt the summit experience was anticlimactic and an overall disappointment. Facilities such as restrooms and shelter space were filthy and inadequate. Modern water and sanitation services were non-existent.
It was at this time that many close to the mountain encouraged the state of New Hampshire to become owners of the summit. In April of 1964, the state bought the 52 acres on the summit from Dartmouth College. The state had two immediate challenges to overcome when it took over.
The first was how to operate the aging summit house, which was badly in need of repair. The second was to create a master plan for this new state park. Governor Peterson appointed the Woodbury Commission, which developed a short-range plan that included making improvements to existing buildings to be ready for public use by 1969.
Then, in 1969, Governor King appointed the Mount Washington Commission to formulate a long-range plan for the summit. Along with former Governor Sherman Adams, representatives from the Appalachian Mountain Club, Observatory, U.S. Forest Service, Auto Road, Cog Railroad, and general public drafted a 10-year master plan, which was approved in 1972. Work began on the new summit building in 1976, and the building was dedicated in 1980.
The facility was named in honor of Governor Adams for his tireless efforts to fund and construct this visitor center. Today, visitors of the Sherman Adams Summit Building enjoy amenities such as restrooms, cafeteria, hikers' pack room, and even a small U.S. post office. The facility is also home to the Mount Washington Observatory and its newly renovated Extreme Mount Washington Interactive Museum.
The old tip-top house is still next door and serves as a museum to give visitors a taste of summit life 150 years ago. The Sherman Adams Building was designed to withstand winds in excess of 200 miles per hour and temperatures as low as negative 47 degrees Fahrenheit since atmospheric phenomena on the summit generates savage storms and much of the severest weather is recorded during winter months. On a clear day, visitors can see more than 100 miles from the viewing deck, north to Canada, east to the Atlantic Ocean, south to Massachusetts, and west across Vermont to New York's Adirondack Mountains.
More than 300,000 visitors make the trek here every year. They come up on the Cog Railway, Auto Road, or on one of the many hiking trails leading to the peak. 50 years ago, New Hampshire became owners of this summit, establishing Mount Washington State Park, the crown jewel of the White Mountains, surrounded by more than 800,000 acres of national forest.
As guardians, the state's mission then was to preserve and develop the unusual scientific and recreational features of the mountain for public use and enjoyment. Looking ahead, the mission will continue guiding the state and its public and private partners as we work together to ensure future generations will be able to come to experience, explore, and enjoy this magnificent mountain for years to come.
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