New Hampshire Architecture

If you find yourself northbound on Route 28 in Salem, New Hampshire some day, you'll eventually end up passing a huge, massive, bodacious Walmart. I suppose that's hardly new or unusual, but just past this Walmart, on the same side of the road, you'll see a rusting old historical plaque beside the road near an apartment complex declaring the existence of 'America's Stonehenge'. Now, after seeing this sign, you'll likely look around and puzzle whether the apartment complex is hiding this apparent historic wonder, or maybe it's behind one of the nearby tattoo shops. (<<< More on those tattoo shops another time.) The sign doesn't mention that the actual site of the alleged 'America's Stonehenge' is actually several miles away.

Now, once you manage to find the place and pay for your ticket -- it's a privately-owned tourist site nowadays -- you can trudge up the hill (with complimentary snow shoes in the winter!) to a true mystery. First of all, if you're expecting a bunch of massive stones arranged in some mystic circle, well, I'm afraid your little inner Druid is in for a cold splash of reality. 'Mystery Hill' as it's also (and more aptly) known is really a jumbled collection of stone shelters and pathways built into the side and top of a mountain. The question is, who built them? Now, Americans (with their European roots) have a long history of rummaging in the historical dustbin of their European ancestors out of sheer habit whenever confronted by some mystery, and indeed Mystery Hill has inspired all sorts of theories about ancient Celts, Phoenicians, Greeks, Egyptians and Hebrews somehow traversing the Atlantic Ocean and setting up shop in Salem, New Hampshire. For the longest time it was assumed that the Native Indians were too inept or under-developed to build this sort of thing, but early 20th century arrogance aside, the truth is local Indians didn't build with stone. Why bother, when wood -- a much easier material to use -- is plentiful? Archaeological digs have proven that Indians probably occupied the site for generations, but it seems unlikely they built it. Carbon dating has produced results ranging from 4,000 years ago to just 75 years old. There's also been some evidence unearthed that the local 18th and 19th century farmers are messing with us, that they built the stone works as a temporary shelter for certain seasonal activities. Decades of archaeologists and shucksters have studied the place and failed to come up with a plausible explanation. (Space aliens, anybody?)

Regardless, it's a fun hike on a nice and scenic mountain, so come take a look at a true mystery for yourself. Oh -- and the current owners also keep an alpaca farm, some bring the kids.