Mount Grace, , is a prominent

monadnock An inselberg or monadnock ( ) is an isolated rock hill, knob, ridge, or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level surrounding plain. In Southern Africa, a similar formation of granite is known as a koppie, an ...

located in north central

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

in the town of

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...

, approximately two miles south of the

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

border. The mountain is rugged and largely wooded, but a

firetower A fire lookout tower, fire tower, or lookout tower is a tower that provides housing and protection for a person known as a "fire lookout", whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness. It is a small building, usually on the summit ...

on the summit provides expansive views of the surrounding rural countryside. Little Mount Grace, , is the southern summit of the mountain. Mount Grace supports a predominantly

northern hardwood forest The northern hardwood forest is a general type of North American forest ecosystem found over much of southeastern and south-central Canada, Ontario, and Quebec, extending south into the United States in northern New England, New York, and Penns ...

as well as stands of

red spruce ''Picea rubens'', commonly known as red spruce, is a species of spruce native to eastern North America, ranging from eastern Quebec and Nova Scotia, west to the Adirondack Mountains and south through New England along the Appalachians to wester ...

near its summit.''The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail Guide''. 9th Edition. The Appalachian Mountain Club. Amherst, Massachusetts, 1999 The north side of Mount Grace drains into the

Ashuelot River The Ashuelot River is a tributary of the Connecticut River, approximately long, in southwestern New Hampshire in the United States. It drains a mountainous area of , including much of the area known as the Monadnock Region. It is the longest tr ...

, thence into the

Connecticut River The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...

, then

Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a sound (geography), marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York (state), New York to the south. From west to east, ...

; the west side drains into the Connecticut River via Mill Brook; and the south and east sides drain into the

Millers River The Millers River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in northern Massachusetts, originating in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, Ashburnham and joining ...

, thence into the Connecticut River.

History

Mount Grace is named after Grace (Sarah) Rowlandson, the daughter of

Mary Rowlandson Mary Rowlandson, née White, later Mary Talcott (c. 1637January 5, 1711), was a colonial American woman who was captured by Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native Americans in 1676 during King Philip's War and held for 11 weeks before being ...

, a

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to rid the Church of England of what they considered to be Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should b ...

colonist of Massachusetts. Grace (Sarah) died after she and her mother were captured by Native Americans of the

Narragansett Tribe The Narragansett people are an Algonquian American Indian tribe from Rhode Island. Today, Narragansett people are enrolled in the federally recognized Narragansett Indian Tribe. They gained federal recognition in 1983. The tribe was nearly la ...

during

King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1678 between a group of indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodland ...

in 1676. The story that Mt. Grace is named after Mary Rowlandson's daughter named "Grace" and that her daughter is buried at Mt. Grace is a touching folktale, but it is not true. Mary's narrative names that her daughter is Sarah, not Grace. Sarah Rowlandson (not named Grace) is recorded in the Vital Records of Lancaster (p 12), born 15 Sept 1669, as named Sarah at birth. Mary's Narrative records that Sarah died at the Native encampment along the Ware River in New Braintree known as Menimesit or Wenimessett. Citation: "Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mary Rowlandson," written by Mary Rowlandson in 1682, edited by Henry Stedman Nourse, reprint 1953, footnotes on page 13. There is a memorial stone for Sarah in North Cemetery in New Braintree, near the former site of the Native encampment.

Picnic area

In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps built a picnic area on the west side of Route 78, at the bottom of the mountain, below the Gulch. The banks of the brook were walled with stone. The Corps also built a picnic area with stone fireplaces and grills, and road access to it. The hardwoods were thinned out, leaving only the White Pines. In the 1980s, the State ceased maintaining the picnic area. Brush grew up. The area started the transition back to forest. By the late 1990s many of the big White Pines were dead. The State logged the area, and left the slash on the ground to help new trees grow. The summit also has a small picnic area.

Recreation and conservation

Mount Grace is located within the

Mount Grace State Forest Mount Grace State Forest is a publicly owned forest with recreational features located in the New England town, town of Warwick, Massachusetts, Warwick. The state forest centers around Mount Grace, which at is the third highest point in Massac ...

Hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

backpacking Backpacking may refer to: * Backpacking (travel), low-cost, independent, international travel * Backpacking (hiking), trekking and camping overnight in the wilderness * Ultralight backpacking, a style of wilderness backpacking with an emphasis on ...

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

horseback riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the u ...

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

, and

snowshoeing Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footw ...

are enjoyed on the mountain. The 114 mile (183 km)

Metacomet-Monadnock Trail The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail (M&M Trail) is a hiking trail that traverses the Metacomet Ridge of the Pioneer Valley region of Massachusetts and the central uplands of Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Although less than from Boston an ...

traverses the summit. A lean-to on the east side of the mountain is available for primitive camping. In 2000, Mount Grace was included in a study by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

for possible inclusion in a new

National Scenic Trail The National Trails System is a series of trails in the United States designated "to promote the preservation of, public access to, travel within, and enjoyment and appreciation of the open-air, outdoor areas and historic resources of the Nati ...

; tentatively in 2007 the project was on course to be called the New England National Scenic Trail, which would include the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail in Massachusetts, and the Mattabesett and

Metacomet Metacomet (c. 1638 in Massachusetts – August 12, 1676), also known as Pometacom, Metacom, and by his adopted English name King Philip,Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, incorporated in 1986, is a non-profit organization whose mission is the conservation of woodland and agricultural land in north central and western Massachusetts. Based out of Athol, Massachusetts, the MGLCT is ...

, active in the area, takes its name from Mount Grace.

Warwick Fire Tower

Warwick Fire Tower is a fire lookout tower on the summit of the mountain. The first Warwick Fire Tower was a 40’ iron windmill type tower with a ladder and 6’x6’ cab built in 1911. It was replaced in 1920 with a 68’ iron tower that served until blown down by the 1938 hurricane. The present 68’ steel tower with 10’x10’ wooden cab was constructed in 1939. In spring of 2010, the fire tower was completely rehabilitated. It remains in service as an active state tower. It is staffed from March–May, and late August–October depending on fire danger. In 2004 this tower was listed on the

National Historic Lookout Register Established in 1990, the National Historic Lookout Register is a program administered by the United States Forest Service, the Forest Fire Lookout Association, the , the National Forestry Association, state forestry departments and United States ...

as US 628, MA 39.

References

External links

Mount Grace State Forest at MassParks

* Berkshire Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club * http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=428834 {{Mountains of Massachusetts

Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uni ...

Mountains of Franklin County, Massachusetts Civilian Conservation Corps in Massachusetts