Ethos

Black Mountain of Maine: the Chisholm Ski Club's home since 1924

Rumford, ME

Part of Skiing New England

Per Wikipedia's "Black Mountain of Maine" article, the Chisholm Ski Club was organized in Oxford, Maine in 1924 and "soon after built a ski jump in town followed by cross country trails and eventually a small ski slope." According to Wikipedia's "Chummy Broomhall" article, Rumford native and two-time Olympian Chummy Broomhall donated 300 acres of land to the club after returning from World War II, land used to create skiing facilities in the Rumford area; the club's current cross-country trails there, which he also designed, are now named Broomhall Stadium. In 1962, per the Black Mountain article, the Chisholm Ski Club opened all-new facilities at Black Mountain.

  1. A non-profit alpine and Nordic ski area run by the Chisholm Ski Club since 1924, home to national-championship Nordic events.

  2. A 1903 Carnegie-funded library by architect John Calvin Stevens, National Register-listed in 1989.

  3. A 1906 Beaux Arts building by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh, National Register-listed in 1980.

  4. An 1865 church noted for original trompe-l'oeil frescoes, National Register-listed in 1985.

  5. A cataract on the Androscoggin River described by 19th-century historian George J. Varney.

An Olympic trail designer

According to Wikipedia's "Chummy Broomhall" article, Broomhall designed the cross-country trails for both the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley, California, and the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, serving as chief of competition at both Games. Per Wikipedia's "Black Mountain of Maine" article, the venue has since held the 1976 NCAA Cross Country Championships, the 1991 US National Biathlon Championships, the 1993 U.S. Masters Cross Country Championships, the 1996 U.S. Junior Olympics, and USSA Cross Country National Championships in 1993, 1999, 2003, and 2004.

Maine Winter Sports Center and independence

In 2003, per Wikipedia, the ski area was purchased by the Maine Winter Sports Center, after which a new double chairlift was installed, and in early 2005 a triple chairlift to the summit opened along with a new 13,000-square-foot lodge. Black Mountain of Maine's own "About Us" page now describes it as "a 501(c)(3) independently owned & operated ski area" dedicated to "inspiring people of all ages to choose healthy lifestyle options through skiing, winter and outdoor activities," at 39 Glover Road, Rumford, Maine 04276. On July 19, 2022, per StormSkiing, the Indy Pass added Black Mountain of Maine as a full downhill partner for the 2022-23 season, with Black's separately-operated Nordic center joining the pass as its own entity.

The Chisholm Ski Club today

The Chisholm Ski Club's own website lists its motto as "It's only a little club . . . but we do big things," attributed to Chummy Broomhall (1919-2017), and lists Black Mountain as the site of the "2025 MPA State Nordic Championships" and the "2026 Maine Nordic Qualifier."

In Rumford

The Rumford Public Library, built in 1903 to a design by Portland architect John Calvin Stevens and funded in part by a grant from Andrew Carnegie's foundation, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 5, 1989, per Wikipedia's "Rumford Public Library" article. The Rumford Falls Power Company Building, a two-story Beaux Arts building designed by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh and built in 1906, was listed on the National Register on May 13, 1980. The Rumford Point Congregational Church, built in 1865 to a design by Jonathan Adams Bartlett, was listed on the National Register on June 20, 1985, noted for original trompe-l'oeil frescoes. Per Wikipedia's "Rumford, Maine" article, the town "is the site of Pennacook Falls, called by historian George J. Varney 'the grandest cataract in New England,' where the Androscoggin River drops... over solid granite," citing Varney's 1886 "Gazetteer of the State of Maine."

Frequently asked questions

Who operates Black Mountain of Maine?
The Chisholm Ski Club, organized in 1924, operates it as "a 501(c)(3) independently owned & operated ski area," per the operator's own "About Us" page, following the Maine Winter Sports Center's 2003 purchase and later exit.
When did Black Mountain of Maine join a multi-mountain pass?
Per StormSkiing's reporting, the Indy Pass added Black Mountain of Maine as a full downhill partner on July 19, 2022, for the 2022-23 season, with Black's Nordic center joining separately as its own entity.