“The Profile was a natural rock formation that was formed by a series of geologic happenings that began an estimated 200 million years ago. Hovering majestically 1,200 feet above Profile Lake, the Old Man was made of five separate granite ledges arranged horizontally to form a man's profile. From chin to forehead, the Profile measured about 40 feet high and 25 feet wide.”

“The Old Man of the Mountain has been the State Symbol for New Hampshire and was chosen as representation for the New Hampshire Quarter.”

“Old Man of the Mountain Collapses”
(Release Date: May 3, 2003)
(Concord, N.H.) “The Old Man of the Mountain, the enduring symbol of the State of New Hampshire, is no more. Some time between Friday evening and Saturday morning, the stone profile that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to Franconia Notch State Park each year collapsed. On Saturday, May 3 at approximately 7:30 a.m., two Franconia Notch State Park employees noticed that the Old Man of the Mountain had collapsed. At this time it appears as though the forehead and the nose are missing.”

“The citizens of New Hampshire are mourning the loss of this familiar icon and appreciate the many expressions of condolence that have been pouring in to the New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation.”