Old Man of the Mountain "Restoration"

I am going to call this the stupidest thing I have heard in a long time. An architect has a plan to restore the edifice of the Old Man of the Mountain with a steel and glass structure, complete with interior catwalk and a waterfall "from diverted rainwater." Wow. Get the details from the Boston Globe story today: A New Age Vision for the Old Man

Kind of thought we had heard the end of them trying to "restore" the old man shortly after it fell. I remember it had been suggested and people were really against the idea.

Something like this plan came up soon after the rock face fell, but I thought it had been shot down as rubbish immediately. Hard to understand why some humans just can't leave things in the natural world as they are and somehow think that we can fabricate and improve upon the natural order of things. Sigh .....

Fat Chance

What do you think the odds are of the flinty citizens of NH letting some fancy-pants intellectual from New Joisy ( with a summer home, no less) stick a garish monument to his own ego on their mountain? (Outside of the people who would benefit from it financially, of course)

I am guessing this goes nowhere.

The last quote pretty much sums it up for me...

"We always took pride in it being a natural wonder," said Jill Roy, who runs the gift shop at the Tramway. Anything else on the cliff, she mused, "would just take away from that."

Yea, lets spend millions on something that's probably gonna fall back down in a few years, great idea. I'm sure it wouldn't be a big fat lawsuit for the state when it takes people inside it down with it. Figures this originated in New Jersey. Walkway and a waterfall? Come on. I'm with Tim, this is going nowhere. At least I hope so!

Never happen. Forget it. Even the fancy-pants interllectuals from New Hampsha won't buy it. Especially the fancy-pants interllectuals from New Hampsha. Ask Justice Souter.

The Old Man stood sentinel over the Notch for many years. His work is finished, let him rest in peace.

It's not remotely practicable. The days of man's delusion that he can manipulate nature are passing and a competent site assessment would rule it out, anyway.

When ideas like this come around, I find the sudden urge to read the Monkey Wrench Gang

Friggen fancy pants intellectual from Joisey! Why doesn't he just go back home and mess around with his own thousands of square miles of protected forests, swamps and wilderness areas!

TDawg said:

The last quote pretty much sums it up for me...

"We always took pride in it being a natural wonder," said Jill Roy, who runs the gift shop at the Tramway. Anything else on the cliff, she mused, "would just take away from that."

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I totally agree.

And, if some sort of memorial is to be built, I like the one proposed by Maggie Stier of the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund -- simple and not freakishly outlandish like the Francis Treves proposed design.

(I know Stier -- she works for the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance and the National Trust for Historic Preservation -- and is a good egg.)

Merit Award for Unbuilt Architecture

Juror Comments: This is a very interesting, creative concept—a thoroughly investigated and carefully designed intellectual piece. The idea of putting people inside the structure to look out is original and deals with what the stone face is now... in people’s memory. It is not trying to put the past back, but helps one understand it. We are not in a position to, nor do we want to, comment on its appropriateness as a real project, but the idea represents a new way of thinking and helps to continue the dialogue about memorializing the site. This is a clear, iconic, strong presentation and very well drawn.

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There are a few pictures of models of the project on the page, about 1/2 way down.

Creative project...stupid idea.

They should make a miniature version of that and put it in some museum. I would def go and see that.

grouseking

The Leisure section of the M.U.L. had a photo-ID question today which was (obviously) the former Old Man site. Even my kids, who never met the Old Man knew it.

Tim

RIP.

Move on.

This is almost as bad as some huckster saying, "I can contact your dead relative".

Hey, if it keeps more of the citiots away from the ridges I might be for it.

Maybe a smaller project to start...how about a giant styrofoam boulder,like a movie prop, and we can jam it in the Flume where the original one was washed out?

I know there's other pics out there, but here's the general idea:

http://whitemountainart.com/OnePageImages/flume_jfk_105.htm

Just think though, with the passing of time, someone, somewhere out there will be the last living person to have seen the OM with their own two eyes. Just like the oldest living confederate widow.

Heyduke Lives!

roadtripper said:

When ideas like this come around, I find the sudden urge to read the Monkey Wrench Gang

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.............................

Would this be the world's largest and most expensive facelift?

Tim Seaver said:

fancy-pants intellectual from New Joisy

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In defense of our flatlander friends...I know of two individuals from New Jersey that have transplanted themselves to New Hampshire. One is a published writter and knows more than anybody (no hyperbole) about the White Mountains known by most VFTTers. The other is a scientist and devotes much of her time to conservation in the area.

Also, as pointed New Jersey has a lot of its own natrual beauty. (even though my wife doesn't live there anymore)