Ordination Rock

Ordination Rock, originally uploaded by lehcar1477.

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Here's some history on the rock:

In 1792, fresh from Dartmouth College, young Samuel Hidden was ordained as minister of Tamworth atop a two-story glacial rock that would fill a large living room. Hidden was a progressive, a musician, and a fan of the arts. In his 40 years in Tamworth the congregation swelled from a dozen to over 300 members. The symbolism of the rock (the nickname Jesus gave to his disciple Peter who launched the Christian church) and the dramatic ceremony were not lost on the Tamworth villagers. In the mid-1800s, a white marble obelisk was built on top of the rock that is now reinforced with giant iron staples. Visitors climb a crude moss-covered stone stairway to read the inscription at the top. Rev. Hidden, whose descendants still live in Tamworth, is buried just up the hill from Ordination Rock. Balanced loosely on six granite legs, his tombstone looks more like a kitchen table than a grave.