Norumbega Tower

A postcard with art depicting the Norumbega Tower

Closeup view of the plaque at the base of the tower

The Norumbega Tower is a stone tower erected by Eben Norton Horsford in 1889 to mark the supposed location of Fort Norumbega, a legendary Norse fort and city. It is located in Weston, Massachusetts at the confluence of Stony Brook and the Charles River. The tower is approximately 38 feet (12 m) tall, composed of mortared field stones with a spiral stone staircase.

Eben Norton Horsford was convinced that the Algonquin word 'Norumbega', which has been taken to mean the general region that is now coastal New England, was derived from 'Norvega', meaning Norway. A prominent stone plaque on the tower relates to Norse explorers from the Icelandic sagas. Horsford believed Norumbega to be Vinland. The construction of the tower was accomplished four years before Horsford's death.

Horsford's beliefs and tower influenced the naming of Norumbega Park, a well-known recreational complex located across the river in Newton that operated from 1897 to 1964.

References

• Eben Norton Horsford, "The Discovery of the Ancient City of Norumbega" (November, 1889) full text

Coordinates: 42°21′12.20″N 71°15′43.6″W / 42.3533889°N 71.262111°W / 42.3533889; -71.262111