The tramway from the Halfway House to the summit

Of all John French’s entrepreneurial accomplishments, his tramway is unarguably the most famous.  John, an inventive soul, built the first tram in New England in 1854 out of an old sleigh, with a wooden track, a two-inch diameter rope and gears.  A horse provided the power. Its original purpose was to bring water and supplies to the hotel.  John quickly realized that the tram could also transport people, who were soon being carried from the Halfway Area to the summit.  Gaining 360 feet in elevation over its 600’ length, riders had the sensation of rising almost straight up the precipitous north face of the mountain.    

Evidently this arrangement was successful, for just two years later John expanded and improved it to a double-track, funicular tram system, powered by steam. By 1867 the tram was enclosed with roof and walls.  Tourists could choose to ride a smaller tram from the river to the halfway area or ascend the mountain by foot, horseback, or coach.  From the Halfway Area they could board the main tram to the summit  — they disembarked right in the hotel – or they could climb a 522-step wooden stairway that ran alongside the tram track. Interestingly, the cost to climb the stairs was the same as the cost to ride the tram!  The system remained basically unchanged throughout the rest of its life, save that Joseph Allen Skinner switched to an electric Otis Elevator engine in 1927.  

The electric motor burned out in 1941. Heavy snows collapsed the tramway's roof.  From time to time, state funds were allocated to restore the tram, but the amount was never sufficient,  and the deteriorating tram created a safety hazard. Over the years most vestiges were removed. In 1965, state workers burned what was left of the wooden track.

All that remains now are sections of the steam engine at the Halfway Area, the loading platform and gearbox inside the Summit House, and the Otis Elevator engine in the basement.  But for 75 years, the tram was an unforgettable part of the experience of visiting Mt. Holyoke, an innovative means of transporting tourists to the summit of one of the region's best-known peaks.