Profile Rock
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Profile Rock (also known as the Old Man of Joshua's Mountain) was a 50-foot high granite rock formation located in Freetown, Massachusetts just outside Assonet village and near the Freetown State Forest. Local Wampanoags believe it to be the image of Chief Massasoit. The Wampanoags occupied the region of Rhode Island and Massachusetts bounded by Narragansett Bay to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and Chief Massasoit was a close friend to the early Pilgrim settlers.
Joshua's Mountain was named after Joshua Tisdale, who was the first to settle near the site. It was privately owned for several years by former Freetown Selectman Ben Evans, who sold it to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to be used as a state park tourist attraction. In recent years, the site has been frequently vandalized with graffiti,[1][2] despite an aggressive cleanup effort by the Bristol County Sheriff.[3] On June 19, 2019, at approximately 9:22 a.m., the Freetown Police Department, along with the Freetown Fire Department, responded to the Freetown State Forest “Profile Rock” Park for a report of recent damages to the historic rock formation. First responders and park officials discovered that a large portion of the rock formation had broken off.
State forest officials have closed the park until further notice due to the unsafe environment. The public is encouraged to stay away from the area.[4] As of July 31, 2023 you can go inside the park, but the inside is still a mess with graffiti all over the place.[5]
See also[edit]
- List of rock formations that resemble human beings
- Pareidolia
- Cydonia, location of the "Face on Mars"
- Old Man of the Lake
- Old Man of the Mountain
- Mount Pemigewasset
References[edit]
- ^ "Freetown Police search for suspects who spray painted their names on rocks". 7 News Boston. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- ^ Wagner, Jeffrey (16 April 2013). "Residents aim to fight Profile Rock vandalism". Taunton Daily Gazette. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
residents ... have noticed an uptick in debris and graffiti at the (Profile Rock) site
- ^ McCready, Dan (15 October 2015). "Cleanup Of Profile Rock Almost Complete". 1420 WBSM. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
the (Graffiti Unit) crew has made frequent trips out to Profile Rock ... and they'll keep making those trips wherever graffiti is found
- ^ Roy, Linda (19 June 2019). "Large chunk of Profile Rock in Freetown comes crashing down". SouthCoastToday.com. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ Richard, Barry (18 January 2023). "WHAT FREETOWN'S PROFILE ROCK LOOKS LIKE TODAY". WBSM. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
External links[edit]
- Frank W. Wing. "Profile Rock". Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- "Wampanoag". Retrieved 2008-07-18.
41°47′45″N 71°03′18″W / 41.79583°N 71.05500°W
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