Great Barrington in Berkshire County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
Monument Mountain
The Melville Trail
On August 5, 1850, Stockbridge resident and publisher David Dudley Field invited several literary friends on a picnic hike at this site. Notable guests included Oliver Wendell Holmes, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. A thunderstorm forced the group to seek refuge in a cave where a lengthy and vigorous discussion ensued, inspiring powerful ideas for Melville's new book, Moby-Dick.
After climbing to the top of the mountain, the assembled drank a toast to Berkshire poet William Cullen Bryant, editor of the New York Post. Then they read aloud Bryant's poem entitled "Monument Mountain." The day concluded with a dinner at Field's home.
This famous excursion prompted a series of meetings beteen Melville and Hawthorne, which quickly developed into a close friendship between the two authors. Melville saw Hawthorne as a great inspiration for his work, and later dedicated Moby-Dick to his friend.
Erected by Housatonic Heritage; Berkshire Athenaeum; Berkshire Historical Society; City of Pittsfield; The Trustees of Reservations.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music
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Location. 42° 14.601′ N, 73° 20.128′ W. Marker is in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, in Berkshire County. It is on Stockbridge Road north of Lovers Lane, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 545 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington MA 01230, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Massachusetts’ Berkshires. It is also in the American Northeast and in New England. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Welcome to Monument Mountain, Sacred Site of the Mohican People (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Welcome to Monument Mountain (within shouting distance of this marker); Stockbridge Chime Tower (approx. 2.9 miles away); Stockbridge Korean War Monument (approx.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 27, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 27, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 11 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 27, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
