In 1911 the U.S. Congress passed the Appalachian-White Mountains Forest Reservation Bill, an act that founded the National Forest system of federally-owned forests. The was the opening bell for the White Mountain National Forest that spreads across the northern part of the state and into Maine. The law became known as The Weeks Act and it celebrates its centennial this year.
Massachusetts Senator John Wingate Weeks grew up in the north country of New Hampshire and, although he moved to Massachusetts, he kept a strong and life-long relationship with his home town. Just before the Weeks Act was passed by Congress, Senator Weeks, in 1910, began to buy up old farms on the sides of Prospect Mountain, just south of Lancaster New Hampshire. After buying several hundred acres he built himself a country mansion and called it Mount Prospect. Intended as a summer getaway, Senator Weeks called it “the lodge” and spent much of his free time there.
The stone tower and fire lookout
And a prospect it does have. In addition to the mansion itself the estate has a 56-foot-tall field stone tower, originally built as a water tower. Today it serves as a perfect place to see the forest for miles around. In times of clear weather visitors can see much of the Presidential mountain range in the White Mountains, the upper Connecticut River Valley, the Kilkenney range and even some of the Green Mountains in Vermont. A pleasant hiking trail, accessed from parking along Route 3, rounds the base of the mountain for about 3 miles. It takes about 3 hours and has an elevation gain of 480 feet. The Old Carriage Path Trail leads from it to the fire-observation tower at the top.
Senator Weeks’ lodge
“The lodge” was also useful to him as a place where he and his powerful friends could get away from public view and relax amidst the beauty of the northern forest. Many of the great men of his time period visited here. The list of Presidents alone is impressive. These included William Taft, Warren Harding, Herbert Hoover and Theodore Roosevelt. Local legend has it that the huge moose head mounted over the fireplace in the living room was given to Weeks by Teddy Roosevelt. And it was not only Americans who were invited here, Marshall Joffre, the head of the French army during the opening years of World War I, was also a guest at the lodge.
The mansion itself is a field stone and white stucco building of original design following the spirit of the Arts and Craft style of the early Art Nouveau but with north German “eyebrow” edges on the roof and unusually large non-mullioned windows. The most distinctive feature of the house is its massive living room, bracketed on either end by large stone fireplaces. Large windows and balconies take full advantage of the mountaintop location for expanded views over the surrounding forests and mountains. As was true of many country houses of the period, dark oak floors and trim. A large area formerly used as bedroom space in now used for exhibits.
Hours and how to get there
Mount Prospect is open Wednesday through Sunday late June through mid-October. Hours on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., Thursdays from noon until 5 p.m. It is also open on holiday Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. After Labor Day the gate is open but the lodge itself is closed.
To get there take Interstate 93 north to the Route 3 exit just north of Franconia Notch and the Cannon Mountain Recreation area. Follow Route 3 north through Twin Mountain and Whitefield to Lancaster. Look for the sign to Weeks State Park on the right as you approach Lancaster. Whitefield and Lancaster are enjoyable small towns to explore and mountain trails are all around. For lodging consider spending the night at the Mountain View Grand Hotel in Whitefield or perhaps at The Lion and the Rose B&B in Lancaster.
Stillman Rogers - Travel is an important method of learning about the rest of the world and finding our own place in it. Exposure to other culture enriches ...
Join the Conversation