Gunstock preservation society looking for lost weathervane

GILFORD — Shortly after the formation of the Gunstock Mountain Historic Preservation Society in December 2009, the board of directors began to work on a design for the organization’s logo. With fate giving a push in the right direction, it didn’t take long for the perfect logo to be created.

At the time, Gunstock Area Commissioner Bob Durfee had been working to organize and categorize the hundreds of historic blueprints that were rolled up and stored in the attic of the main lodge at Gunstock Mountain Resort. He was also trying to determine if all the items represented in the blueprints had been constructed.

The prints offer a visual history of some of Gunstock’s original structures, including the ski jumps, the main lodge and smaller items such as doors, fireplace andirons, signs, and one which shows the design of a weathervane for the top of the then 60-meter ski jump.

During one of the first board meetings held by the preservation society, the blueprint showing the ski jumper weathervane became a topic of discussion, and once members of the board had a chance to view the print, a quick decision was made to incorporate that design into the organization’s logo.

It became a mission for members of the society to find out if the weathervane had actually been made. Through interviews, and through photographs and old films in Gunstock’s archives, it was determined that not only had the weathervane been created, it proudly sat high atop the start house of the 60-meter jump during the very first championship meet held there on February 28, 1937.

Over time, the ski jumper that faithfully showed the direction of the wind was something that became difficult for collectors to ignore. The weathervane disappeared a few times, only to mysteriously reappear and be returned to the top of the jump.

The start house of the big jump was permanently removed in 1976 and at that point, the weathervane no longer had a place to call home, and its fate is unknown. Rumors have hinted at possible new locations, but to date, the weathervane has not been found.

The organization’s members are trying to learn the location of the long lost weathervane or whether it is still in existence. Although the weathervane can be duplicated, nothing can ever take the place of the original. If anyone should have information about this symbol of Gunstock’s history, the society can be contacted through its' website or by calling 737-4360.

For more information about the Gunstock Mountain Historic Preservation Society, visit the organization’s website at historicgunstock.org.

Photo Caption

This photo from the archives of Gunstock Mountain Resort shows the 60-meter jump at Gunstock after it was constructed in 1937, complete with a weathervane in the design of a ski jumper. The Gunstock Mountain Historic Preservation Society is hoping to locate the weathervane, which disappeared when the start house was removed in 1976. (Courtesy photo)