Mount Holyoke, located in Hadley Massachusetts, is a mountain with an elevation of 935 feet, featuring a summit house which is historically known as the prospectors house. The mountain was named after Elizur Holyoke, who discovered it in early colonial times. Firstly, the mountain is geologically old, with rock formations going back 200 million years. This would easily make it much older than the Rocky Mountain Range out West which in comparison is about 80 million years old.
Historically the mountain featured many events and advances. Mount Holyoke had a summit house which was built in the early 1800s. It featured wealthy dining, lodging and prospects, this is where the name “prospectors house” was earned. In its early days, the building also featured a telescope room, where you view the surrounding areas. However, the lodge that stands today is only around half what it used to be as the orignial lodge was destroyed during a hurricane that hit the area in 1938. Nowadays, reaching the summit is possible by car or by hiking. But years ago, it was done by ferry and a railway that is similar to that of Mount Washington’s cog railway. This rail system was constructed in the 1800s to transport supplies and people up and down the mountain.
Today, the mountain remains a great place for hikes. The most walked path, which is the autoroad, is a multi-mile walk that features great views of the area. Halfway up the mountain you will come across a house, which use is unknown but it could have been used as a lodge for people visiting the mountain during the 1900s. From the summit, North and East Hampton and its nearby airport are highly visible, and you are able to see aircraft take off and land. Hadley is also visible to the North. Looking northwest on a clear day you can see Mount Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts. And to the southwest is Mount Tom, which is right across the Connecticut River. Lastly, from its southern parking lot, the Springfield skyline is seen in the distance.
References
Manz, D. B. (2017, November 10). Denise Barstow Manz. Barstow’s. https://www.barstowslongviewfarm.com/history-of-the-summit-house/
