KIDS & NH HISTORY

Fifth graders at the Rye Elementary School were only 3-years-old when the Old Man of the Mountain fell from his perch in Franconia Notch on May 3, 2003, making them part of the first generation who will never see the New Hampshire icon as he once was.  "My parents were sad that I didn't get to see it and that a lot of people didn't get to see it," said Sarah Brandon, a fifth grader.  (Continued below)

But this spring, a reminder of the Old Man will return to Franconia Notch, about 150 miles from the seacoast town of Rye, when the first phase of a memorial is completed. Funded entirely by private donations, the project has stirred fond remembrances and sentiment among many people and, in the case of the Rye students, creativity and a bit of nostalgia.  

Little Rocks Honor Big Rock Star

After hearing about the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund and its effort to build a monument to remember the Great Stone Face, the students decided to raise money to purchase a large granite stone engraved with the school's name. 

The Old Man would be especially pleased with how they are invoking a geological fad from the mid-1970s in their efforts.  

"They've made pet rocks to sell," said Rye Elementary Schoolteacher Jacqueline DeFreze.          

On the first night of sales, during a spaghetti dinner earlier this month, the class earned $204 selling the array of rocks, painted and decorated with all kinds of adornments.          

"We decorated them with the googley eyes and the pipe cleaners," said student Henry Ekstram.         

While some of the children say their parents had brought them to Franconia Notch before the fall of the Old Man, no one can remember seeing him. They have, however, read about and heard stories of the wondrous profile and said they feel sad for its loss.          

Sarah Brandon said her parents were frequent visitors to the Granite State years ago and often went to see the Old Man before she was born.          

"My parents didn't live here when it fell, so they received the news later," said Sarah Brandon, "but they were sad because they knew it was a symbol of New Hampshire."          

DeFreze said the youngsters read about the fall of the Old Man and watched a video about efforts to preserve his memory produced by the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund.  

"They became excited about being a part of it," she said. "The generation coming up that didn't see the Old Man will now be able to see what it was like and remember the importance of it. One of the things they are looking forward to is going there with their children to see the stone they bought with their pet rock sales."  

The students said they look forward to visiting the engraved stone that will be laid with nearly 200 others later spring, when the first phase of the Old Man memorial is finished.  

Rye Elementary won't be the only school represented in the memorial plaza. The senior class at St. Francis Xavier Prep School in Hyannis, Mass., has also raised money to purchase an engraved stone. Headmaster Robert Deburro said he brought students north to see the Old Man during the 20 years he was at the school.  

"I began my teaching career in Deerfield, NH and my principal, Mr. Fred Champion, always took our eighth grade class," he said. "I am proud to have continued the tradition he began for me as a young teacher and even more proud to be a part of preserving the legacy."  

As planned, this phase will consist of putting up seven "profilers," a series of stainless-steel rods of varying heights mounted on granite bases, which will be aimed at the cliff where the Old Man could be seen high above Profile Lake. Visitors will select a rod according to their height and then align their sight to "see" the profile looking out over Franconia Notch once more.          

The profilers will be surrounded by the granite stones that have been purchased by people from across the country to remember loved ones and happy times they've had in the shadow of the Old Man.          

"This project really is for the youngsters, like the students from Rye, who never saw the Old Man, but know of it through their parents and grandparents," said Dick Hamilton, president of the Old Man Legacy Fund. "It's a memorial for the ages, that will give future generations an understanding of what it was like to see it there in Franconia Notch, why so many people through time were inspired by it and how it came to be the symbol of New Hampshire."          

Paver stones for the Profile Plaza are still available for sale and those purchased before May 15 will be laid in time for a celebration on June 12, which will include presentation of the annual Profile Awards.          

For more information and an order form, visit www.NHOldMan.org or call 603-505-8447. For information about purchasing a pet rock from the Rye Elementary School students, email DeFrese This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..