A talk with Brian Fowler and Inez McDermott
Free event, sponsored by the Carolina Crapo Education Fund, a Sugar Hill Improvement Association Fund
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 2 pm
Sunset Hill House, Sugar Hill, NH.
The collapse of The Old Man of The Mountain--in Franconia Notch in 2003--resonated far beyond New Hampshire to make national and international headlines. People mourned as if they had lost a loved one. Although the Old Man has fallen, it remains the official emblem of the State and endures as a symbol of New Hampshire's beauty and of the independent spirit of its residents, past and present. Today we continue to celebrate and explore the history of the Old Man's presence in New Hampshire and the remarkable stories of those who worked to preserve and protect the rocky profile.
This slide-illustrated talk describes the Old Man's geologic, human, and cultural history since his discovery in 1805 and then reviews the extraordinary continuing influence and lasting legacy that the Old Man has left for us.
Carolina Crapo Education Fund: This program is underwritten as a part of the Carolina Crapo Education Fund. This fund was established by Henry Crapo, in honor of his wife, Carolina shortly after the Sugar Hill School burned to the ground in 1948 The funds are administered by elected Sugar Hill Trustees for projects identified by the Sugar Hill Improvement Association for the betterment of the town of Sugar Hill. The Carolina Crapo Trust fund provides book awards for students pursuing their ongoing training or schooling in addition to bringing speakers to the town.
Brian Fowler is a semi-retired consulting engineering and structural geologist. He has authored more than 20 peer-reviewed geologic maps and professional articles with several on the rock mechanics of the Old Man of The Mountain. He is the current President of the Old Man of The Mountain Legacy Fund, Inc., is a Past-President and Life Trustee of the Mount Washington Observatory and is a 50+ year member of both the Appalachian Mountain and America Alpine Clubs.
Inez McDermott is Professor Emerita of arthistory at New England College. She is acurator of art and history exhibitions atvarious museums and galleries throughout New England including, most recently, An Enduring Presence: The Old Man of the Mountain at the Museum of the White Mountains at Plymouth State University (June-September 2023). Professor McDermott has lectured on various art history topics throughout New Hampshire with a special focus on American art. She has served as an arts councilor for the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, as a board member for New Hampshire Humanities, and currently serves as Exhibition Committee chair for the Saint-Gaudens Memorial and as a member of the Interpretation Committee for the New Hampshire Historical Society. She is a founding member of WCA New Hampshire.
