Shrewsbury
Historical Society
Established 1898
Mario - Fats - Caruso
1928 - 1993
Mario - Fats - Caruso
1928 - 1993
Balanced Rock
One of Shrewsbury’s most enduring landmarks is the “Balanced Rock,” sometimes known as the “Rocking Stone,” or for some reason “The Old Poet.” Located on a small knoll, where a glacier placed it eons ago, it can still be viewed from Rte. 140, looking to the west if traveling north, just after the intersection with Hill Street.
Once a popular spot for picnics and school field trips, the rock is now almost completely forgotten, with most townspeople not even knowing it exists.
Years ago, it was said the large boulder could be rocked with the touch of a hand. At some point, someone had the (not so) bright idea of trying to pull the rock over with a team of oxen – all they succeeded in doing was setting it more firmly into place. Here we have a couple of young men paying a visit to the good old Balanced Rock, sometime around 1900.
Michael Perna Jr., Balanced Rock (Wicked Local, January 30, 2015) shrewsbury.wickedlocal.com