Spur Quest to the Brownington Prospect Hill Observatory

Written by campers at the Time Travelers Day Camp at the Old Stone House Museum,

July, 2006

Face the white church in the old churchyard

Follow the path on your right; it isn’t hard.

Up the hill and around the bend,

Your journey has not met its end.

Before you stands the observatory

And you are about to learn its story!

The original was built in 1890 by William Barstow Strong

In his location choice, he sure didn’t choose wrong!

On Prospect Hill the observatory sits

And what a great view all visitors get!

A beautiful place, though not in its original condition

In fact, what you see now is the third edition.

Built once more in the year 1976

To celebrate 200 years of independence;

Again for Brownington’s Bicentennial, 1996 was the date,

And it has not needed to be rebuilt of late.

Follow the steps right up to the top

Then feast your eyes all around when you stop.

Views to be seen in every direction-

Spectacular! Breathtaking! It’s quite a collection!

Past the museum, to Willoughby, Southeasterly seeking

Between Mt. Pisgah and Mt. Hor, Burke Mountain is peeking!

Then keep turning eastward, past the Haystack Mt. knob--

Bald Mt. with its fire tower is the next lob.

Keep turning counterclockwise --- the water in the Bay

Is Lake Memphremagog, lying both Canada and the U.S. of A.

And beyond, in the Northwest, you’ll spot trails on Jay Peak

Where in the winter skiers perfect their technique!

There’s many more peaks and valley we could show you…

Owl’s Head, the Black Hills, and Little Jay to name but a few…

But we fear you may be running short on time

And we are, frankly, running short on rhyme!

Look up when you spy Lake Willoughby,