Ferncroft, New Hampshire

Ferncroft, New Hampshire
Unincorporated community
Ferncroft
Ferncroft
Coordinates: 43°54′44″N 71°21′35″W / 43.91222°N 71.35972°W / 43.91222; -71.35972Coordinates: 43°54′44″N 71°21′35″W / 43.91222°N 71.35972°W / 43.91222; -71.35972
Country United States
State New Hampshire
County Carroll
Towns Albany, Sandwich
Elevation 1,148 ft (350 m)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Area code(s) 603
GNIS feature ID 871878[1]

Ferncroft is an unincorporated community lying mostly in the town of Albany in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States.[2] Some of the roads and houses in Ferncroft stretch into the towns of Sandwich and Waterville Valley.[3] The hamlet is a widely spaced cluster of houses centered on several fields lying along the Wonalancet River on Ferncroft Road.[3]

Ferncroft has about 50 seasonal residents and a few full-time residents residing in 11 houses and multiple barns and outbuildings.[2][3][4]

Ferncroft was named for the Ferncroft Family Inn which once stood in the area. The area became known as Ferncroft to differentiate it from nearby Wonalancet.[5][6]

Location

Ferncroft lies 7 miles (11 km) northeast of North Sandwich and 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Tamworth, off New Hampshire Route 113A.[3] Ferncroft is located in a glen, dale, or dell, known as Birch Intervale.[7] It lies south of a cirque known as "The Bowl".[7] Mountains surround the hamlet on three sides, and Ferncroft Road is the only way in or out, aside from hiking trails. This makes the village rather inaccessible. In fact the closest town center by road is Tamworth, 7 miles away. The center of Albany, Ferncroft's main parent town, is 18.5 miles (29.8 km) away.[8] Some of the houses in Ferncroft lie within the Waterville Valley town limits; however, the center of Waterville Valley is 47 miles (76 km) and 1.5 hours away by car.[9]

Recreation

Ferncroft is a popular hiking center in summer, with several major trails beginning from a parking lot on the east side of Ferncroft Road.[10] The trails travel into the Sandwich Range Wilderness and are maintained by the Wonalancet Out-Door Club and United States Forest Service.[7][10][11] Mount Whiteface, Mount Passaconaway, Mount Wonalancet and Mount Paugus are just a few of the peaks easily accessible from Ferncroft.

In winter many shorter trails in the area are maintained and groomed by the Tamworth Outing Club for Nordic skiing.[11] Every February a 10-kilometer (6.2 mi) classic style Nordic ski race is held in Ferncroft on these trails, called the Wonalancet Wander.[11]

Confusion with Wonalancet

Ferncroft can often be confused with the neighboring village of Wonalancet in the town of Tamworth. The general distinction is that the area within Tamworth is known as Wonalancet, while the area in the remaining three towns of Albany, Sandwich and Waterville Valley is known as Ferncroft.[2][5][12] The Wonalancet Chapel and post office are located at the beginning of Ferncroft Road.[2] This area is often labeled on maps as "Wonalancet" or "Wonalancet P.O." even though the real center of Wonalancet village is about 1 mile east along Route 113A,[3] built around the Wonalancet Fire Station and Chinook Kennels.[2] During the time when the Ferncroft Inn was operating, Ferncroft was considered a part of Wonalancet village.[5]

Hiking trails in the Ferncroft area

Many other trails begin in nearby Whiteface village, Wonalancet and Fowler's Mill, leading to other peaks such as Mount Chocorua, Sandwich Dome and Mount Tripyramid.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Ferncroft". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Johnson, Erin D., ed. History of New Hampshire Towns and Places. 2nd & 5th ed. Hanover, NH: Dartmouth Press, 1969-1999
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 MyTopo.com
  4. ↑ NH HomeTownLocator
  5. 1 2 3 Hunt, Elmur M. New Hampshire Town Names and Whence They Came. Peterborough, N.H.: Noone Falls Publishers, 1972.
  6. ↑ "Wonalancet". Dick & Sandy's World. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 Wonalancet Out Door Club
  8. ↑ Town of Albany, New Hampshire
  9. ↑ Town of Waterville Valley, New Hampshire
  10. 1 2 3 White Mountain National Forest official website
  11. 1 2 3 Tamworth Outing Club
  12. ↑ Town of Sandwich, New Hampshire

External links

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