Wender·Vista
Profile Lake Franconia
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileNew Hampshire
at the foot of Cannon Mountain in Franconia Notch

Profile Lake Franconia

— — the still water that used to hold the face.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A small lake in Franconia Notch, source of the Pemigewasset. The cliff above is Cannon Mountain. For two centuries the granite ledges held the Old Man's profile until they let go one night in May 2003. The lake still gathers the cliff in its surface, in the early morning before the wind starts. From the studio.

from the studio
Profile Lake Franconia
— bring it home

Profile Lake Franconia, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Profile Lake Franconia

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Profile Lake is a small natural lake in Franconia Notch State Park, in the town of Franconia, New Hampshire. It sits at about 1,860 feet above sea level at the foot of Cannon Mountain and is the headwater pond of the Pemigewasset River. The lake takes its name from the Old Man of the Mountain, the granite profile that looked out from the cliff above the eastern shore until it collapsed in the early hours of May 3, 2003.

— informed by Wikipedia, NH State Parks
— the water

The lake is small, about twenty acres, fed by springs and snowmelt off Cannon Mountain and the surrounding ridge. Outflow at the south end forms the Pemigewasset River, which runs forty-some miles south to join the Winnipesaukee and become the Merrimack. The water is cold and clear; New Hampshire Fish and Game manages it as a fly-fishing-only catch-and-release pond for brook trout.

— informed by NH Fish and Game
— the visit

Profile Lake is reached from the Profile Lake parking area off the Franconia Notch Parkway, near the Cannon Mountain tramway base. A short paved path leads to the shoreline and the Old Man of the Mountain Memorial Plaza, where steel profilers frame the spot on the cliff where the face used to read. The park is open year-round; the parkway, the tramway, and the visitor centre run through every season.

— where
United States · Franconia, Grafton County, New Hampshire
— within
Franconia Notch State Park
— elevation
567 m · 1,860 ft
— position
44.1607° N · 71.6839° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
at the lake
Cannon Mountain
mountain and ski area
at the lake
Old Man of the Mountain Memorial
memorial plaza
2 km N
Echo Lake
lake
8 km S
The Flume Gorge
river gorge
N
Profile Lake Franconia
Cannon Mountain
Old Man of the Mountain Memorial
Echo Lake
The Flume Gorge
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Profile Lake Franconia — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

In Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire, at the foot of Cannon Mountain. It sits about 1,860 feet above sea level and is the headwater pond of the Pemigewasset River.

It was named for the Old Man of the Mountain, the granite profile that looked out from the cliff above the eastern shore until the ledges collapsed in the early hours of May 3, 2003.

No. The granite profile fell on May 3, 2003. A memorial plaza at the lakeshore uses steel profilers that, viewed from marked spots, frame the place on the cliff where the face used to read.

Yes. New Hampshire Fish and Game manages Profile Lake as a fly-fishing-only catch-and-release pond for brook trout. Seasons and rules are posted at the parking area.

The Pemigewasset River. It flows south through Franconia Notch and the White Mountains and joins the Winnipesaukee at Franklin to become the Merrimack.

Yes. Franconia Notch State Park is open year-round. Cannon Mountain ski area runs through the winter and the parkway, the tramway, and the visitor centre operate every season.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The Old Man and Profile Lake are at the centre of the state's identity; the granite face is on the state quarter and the highway signs. A Medium or Large carries that recognition for any Granite Stater.

Mountain-modern, alpine-traditional, and warm minimalist rooms. The granite-and-spruce palette pairs with wool, leather, and unfinished oak in a study, lodge room, or stair landing.

Yes. Mountain-modern is moving away from antler-and-plaid toward quieter granite, slate, and lake-water palettes, which is exactly where Profile Lake lives.

Above a sofa, a single Large or a four-tile Mural. A Medium reads well above a console at eye height. A nine-tile Mural carries the cliff face across a tall lodge wall.

Yes. Choose Dura Satin or Matte for steam and splash zones. Both are scratch-resistant and clean with a microfibre cloth and water.

A soft microfibre cloth with plain water. No abrasives, no ammonia. The colour lives in the ceramic surface and stays bright with light, regular cleaning.

Yes. Wender Studios is a single family studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio and is not licensed from any third party.

— if this one stayed with you

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