Rock Point sits right above Lone Rock, making their history’s the same. This area is very nutrient rich because Vermont used to be near the equator about 4 million years ago. Because the sea by the equator at the time was shallow, many rocks that formed near this land was infused with calcium carbonate from the fossils of carbon-rich sea creatures. This created an abundance of Dunham Dolostone at Rock Point. The Champlain Thrust Fault provides a unique history for this place, making it a popular attraction in Burlington. This feature is so interesting because the younger shale sits below the older dolostone. This phenomenon is due to the collision of two land masses that are now Maine and New Hampshire colliding against Vermont. This created the Green Mountains and the intense heat and pressure of this event occasionally buckled the bedrock, causing slips and fractures that push one plate below the other (Burlington Geographic). The Champlain Thrust Fault is not the only place where this has occurred, but the Champlain Thrust Fault is unique in that the exact point of the two rock types involved in this event are exposed at eye-level; the entire fault spans 200 miles, from Canada to the Catskill Mountains.
Much of Rock Point is composed of sandy soil and sandy loams. This can be explained by Lake Vermont, a lake that used to cover much of Vermont and was far bigger than Lake Champlain. Lake Vermont was formed from the melting glacier that preceded the lake. Rivers from Lake Vermont eventually flowed with immense power, depositing sand and slits at their deltas. One of these deltas was located where Burlington sits today, which is why Rock Point has very sandy soil. The soil type seen at Rock Point makes it very well drained, which formed what we now see at most of Rock Point: Mesic Maple-Ash-Hickory-Oak Forest, a forest type uncommon to Vermont. It is similar to a Northern Hardwood Forest, but contains more species that are typically found in central and southern Appalachia.
Because Rock Point is located at the shore of Lake Champlain, historical human activity of this place was high. Archeologists categorized Rock Point as having “high prehistoric sensitivity” due to the Abenaki people using Rock Point for a variety of activities. There is evidence of this because multiple chert projectile points were discovered along North Beach, which is located south of Rock Point. Rock Point’s south side was cleared for logging, while the northern peninsula remained covered. The peninsula then remained covered with its native evergreen species which was mainly hemlock.
Bishop John Henry Hopkins purchased Rock Point and on it he built the Diocese of Vermont. The land transformed from Hopkin’s family farm to a center for Episcopal education and a home for future bishops. It is now owned by the Trustees of the Vermont Episcopal Institute. Unfortunately, the Institute burned down in 1979 and all that remains is a set of lone stairs on one of Rock Point’s trails.
Hopkins Hall, unlike the Institute, remains standing today under a different name, Rock Point School. Hopkins Hall was built to be an all girls school to accompany the all boys school already located on the Rock Point property. The school was originally opened in 1888, then had to close a little over a decade later due to financial difficulties. It reopened in 1913 only to close again for the same reason as before in 1929. This time, financial struggles were born out of a rising tuition that Vermonters could not afford. So when it reopened, the school had a new mission of helping destitute local girls. The school then became co-educational in 1972. Today, Rock Point School remains in operation for students who have not found educational success in traditional school settings for students in grades 9-12.
Please see “Phenology Spot Citations” for citations.