Monadnock Moment No. 171

Era 7: Emergence of Modern America - 1890 to 1930

The Horatian Tower

During the fall foliage season of 1890, one of Keene's most popular tourist attraction was built at the summit of Beech Hill. In October of that year a thirty-five foot wooden observation tower was built there and given the name Horatian Tower. It was named for its owner Horace L. Goodnow. The tower was only one mile from downtown Keene, but was 600 feet higher in elevation, thus offering a spectacular view of the village.

Goodnow also constructed a six bedroom summer hotel on his 300 acres on the hill. He hoped that his observation tower and Beech Hill Cottage would be the centerpieces of an important vacation home subdivision overlooking the city. The development was known as Horatian Park. Goodnow laid out several streets and walking trails through the park and planned to subdivide the property into hundreds of building lots.

Although very few vacation homes were built, a visit to the tower became a popular pastime for local residents and visiting tourists. Thousands of guests signed the tower register over the next ten years. Visitors were offered views of the Green Mountains to the west, Mount Monadnock to the east, and the activity of Keene 600 feet below. Although hundreds of guests from fifteen states and one foreign country climbed the tower during the autumn of 1899, no further visitors were ever recorded in the guest book after November.