Rindge: Memorial Sites, Campus and Nature

Rindge offers everything from memorial sites and local history to university campuses, trails and nature observation. To plan your stay, you can first decide which focus will shape your visit. The following examples show different sides of the town—from an interfaith outdoor cathedral to a lake that spans two states.

Remembrance and Art at the Cathedral of the Pines

The Cathedral of the Pines is an interfaith outdoor cathedral in Rindge that honors the service of American men and women. Its Women's Memorial Bell Tower is dedicated to American women, both civilians and women in the military. Bronze plaques are displayed in the tower's four arched openings: Norman Rockwell designed them, and his son Peter created them. The Booras Museum at the Cathedral invites visitors to explore history, sacrifice and national service. At this memorial site, the general dedication, the special recognition of women, the design of the plaques and the museum's themes come together. If you are interested in remembrance, these different aspects give your trip planning a specific thematic focus.

Historical Connections in Rindge

The Freeborn Stearns House was built around 1815 by Freeborn Stearns, a farmer and blacksmith who moved to Rindge from Winchendon, Massachusetts, in the early 19th century. The Second Rindge Meeting House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The builder and the story of the house's origins shape its connection to local history, while the Meeting House's 1979 register listing is its clear historical reference.

Campus and Trails

The Franklin Pierce University campus covers 1,000 acres and lies between Pearly Pond and Mount Monadnock. This setting gives the campus a distinctive landscape. The university offers personalized, student-led tours of its campus in Rindge. Tour arrangements may change, so check the latest information if you want to make a tour a firm part of your plans.

The trails also differ in character. The 236-acre grounds of the Cathedral of the Pines include two trail systems that visitors can use free of charge. Maps and conditions may change; if you plan to use the trails, check the latest information before your visit. Annett State Forest in Rindge has trails and roads built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. The trails also have a historical dimension: the CCC's work is part of their origins.

Nature at Lake Monomonac

Lake Monomonac is in Rindge, New Hampshire, and Winchendon, Massachusetts. Loons have successfully nested and raised chicks at the lake since 2022. A family of bald eagles has also made the area around Lake Monomonac its habitat. These natural features offer different points of interest for planning your trip: the loons' nesting behavior and the habitat of an eagle family.

Explore more destinations: Keene, Fitzwilliam, Chesterfield, Jaffrey, Swanzey, Harrisville.

Return to the regional travel overview: Cheshire.