Windham’s Most Famous Boulder

Butterfield Rock

Funny thing, how in Victorian times, you could turn a rock into a tourist attraction. There was (is) the famous “Frog Rock” in Mont Vernon NH. Then there was (is) Madison Boulder, in Madison NH., which is thought to be the largest glacial erratic boulder in North America. Butterfield Rock is also an erratic boulder which is a certain type of rock that was transported by glacial ice and deposited on bedrock of different type of rock. Of course the most famous “rock” in New Hampshire is more of a rock face, which was a huge tourist attraction until it crashed to the ground on May 3, 2003. The demise of the “Old Man of the Mountain” was truly a sad day for all of us who grew up in New Hampshire. The photograph of Butterfield Rock was taken by Baldwin Coolidge in the late 1800’s. The gentleman in the photograph is unknown. Looking at this photograph it hit me that the Victorian tourist promoters in Windham, could of done much better, if they had just called Butterfield Rock, Monkey Rock instead!