1973 Cathedral of the Pines, New Hampshire - Vintage Family Photo Friday

When I was growing up, my Dad loved to take "mystery rides" in the old Chevy.  He would pack us all in the car for an hour, or for the whole day.  One of these rides took us to Rindge, New Hampshire to visit the Cathedral of the Pines.  This is an open air chapel on 236 acres of gardens and forest, with views of Mount Monadnock behind the altar (see above).  It is a popular spot for meetings, ceremonies, religious services and weddings. 

In 1937 the Sloane family purchased this property, but in 1938 a huge hurricane hit New England and knocked out many of the trees on this property.  However, when the Sloanes saw the trees knocked down, they also saw the beautiful view of Mount Monadnock revealed by the fallen pines.  Then in 1944 one of their sons was killed in World War II. The Sloane family held a memorial service at the clearing overlooking the mountain view, which was the beginnings of the Cathedral in the Pines. 

Mr. Sloan was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, and he requested that each state society send a stone to build an altar at the location where they held the memorial service.  The first Easter Sunrise service was held in 1946 at this altar assisted by the Rev. Roger Floyd of the Baptist Church of East Jaffrey, New Hampshire.  Over 100 townspeople attended.  Later gardens, a bell tower, chapels, and a military cemetery were added to the grounds.  It is a non-denominatinal shrine to military used by people of all faiths. 

In 2008 a huge ice storm devastated New Hampshire and more than 200 pine trees were lost at the Cathedral of the Pines.  They have never been replanted, and it looks very different from these photographs from 1973.  

Cathedral of the Pines
10 Hale Road
Rindge, New Hampshire
https://www.cathedralofthepines.org/ 

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "1973 Cathedral of the Pines, New Hampshire - Vintage Family Photo Friday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 11, 2019, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/10/1973-cathedral-of-pines-new-hampshire.html: accessed [access date]).