Holt Hill - Solstice Stones

In 1917 Charles W. and Mabel Saunders Ward purchased the Holt farm. Mable Ward visited Stonehenge in 1911 and was so impressed that she had a set of solstice stones built on her property. The stones align with the sunrise on the first day of each season. They are on Holt Hill in the Charles W. Ward Reservation. Holt Hill is 420 feet high, the highest point in Essex County. It was on this spot on June 17, 1775 that townspeople climbed to watch the British burn Charlestown. In 1940, 7 years after the death of Mr. Ward, his widow gave 107 acres to the Trustees of Reservations, dedicating it to her husband's memory. Over the years, Mrs. Ward added another 169 acres to her gift. The site now encompasses 700 acres.

See article below

• "Light is gold, the vistas wide: Ward Reservation," Boston Globe, November 2, 1997.
• "Solstice in Andover Herald Summer," Eagle Tribune, June 20, 2006.
• "The surprise and beauty of Holt Hill," Andover Townsman, January 22, 2008.

“Solstice in Andover Herald Summer, Eagle Tribune, June 20, 2006, page 1.....click to enlarge

“Solstice in Andover Herald Summer, Eagle Tribune, June 20, 2006, continued on page 4.....click to enlarge

--Eleanor 10:49, June 20, 2006 (EDT)
--Kim 15:07, November 25, 2013 (EST)

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