Whiteface Mountain Fire Tower - Blue Mountain Lake, NY, USA
N 43° 52.193 W 074° 25.958
18T E 545587 N 4857577
This fire tower was removed from Whiteface Mountain in 1972 and now resides as a educational display at the Adirondack Experience Museum in Blue Mountain Lake, NY.
Waymark Code: WM18DYQ
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 07/15/2023
Views: 8
Whiteface is New York State's fifth tallest mountain and the only fire tower mountain over 4,000 feet in elevation. When this observation station was established in July 1909, no tower was immediately erected, as an unobstructed view was available due to the lack of tree cover on the mountaintop. All that was initially provide was a pole frame structure with a canvas tent stretched over it so that the observer could get in out of the weather.
In 1909, the State acquired a temporary easement on the summit of Whiteface, which was then privately owned. Whiteface was one of the first mountains in the Adirondacks used for forest fire detection in response to devastating forest fires that occurred across the region in 1903 and the early part of 1909. It was also the most expensive to construct due to the need to construct 7.5 miles of telephone line. The log pole station was replaced by a 22 foot tall Aermotor LS40 tower in 1919. The steel tower proved to be too small to accommodate ever increasing use and was supplanted by the current, much larger stone observation tower that was constructed in 1935, after the 4.1 acres comprising the summit were gifted to the State of New York.
On ?May 24, 1972, the fire tower was disassembled atop Whiteface Mountain. It had over 200 pieces (not counting nuts and bolts). 16 men participated in the disassembly.
It is not known when the tower was re-erected at the Adirondack Experience Museum, but my guess it would be around the mid 1970s. The Adirondack Experience Museum was opened in 1957, and having a historical fire tower there was probably a major attraction.
Address:
On the eastern edge of the Adirondack Experience Museum, close to the parking area
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