MAINE LOOKOUT NEEDS HELP!

Pennsylvania is very interested in trying to do something to preserve or protect the Harris Mountain Fire Tower. The tower, a 50 foot-tall wood beam lookout with a large cab, approximately 15' X 15' square, was originally located in Pennsylvania on a site in the Allegheny National Forest. It was taken down in the 1940's and sold to the State of Maine by efforts of then Forest Commissioner, Austin Wilkins.

Just how the lookout was dismantled, moved and rebuilt at that time still is unknown. However this was done, it certainly involved a monumental effort. The structure employed what were known at the time as "alligator" fastenings, which secured the beams of the tower together. It is said these were the first such employed in construction of this type of wooden lookout.

At its new site atop Harris Mountain, outside of the small village of Dixmont, the fire lookout was used and so operated by the Maine Forest Service for the purpose of detecting wildfires in that region. It was last operated some years ago when the MFS phased out its fire lookout operations. Since that time, the lookout was said to be a preservation project of nearby Unity College. However, it has been learned that very little actual maintenance and caring has been done, and today the fire lookout is in a bad state of disrepair. After a recent trip, Chris Haartz (New Hampshire Chapter FFLA) reported that severe damage has been done to one entire wall of the lookout cab and that the bottom ladder way is gone. An earlier visit by Bob Spear (New Jersey Chapter FFLA) discovered rampant environmental damage being done by foul-wheelers and vandals.

While still intact at that time, it was found that one of the guy cables was ripped from the ground and a large campfire had been built at the base of one of the cement footings with char marks reaching to the wooden leg of the tower. These facts were reported at the FFLA Conference in Massachusetts. The question remains as to how the Harris Mountain lookout can be saved and preserved. One way is to encourage local help in the area to keep a watch on the lookout and perform some stabilization of it for preservation. This presents a problem, since the small village of Dixmont and surroundings are very rural in nature, with low population and few businesses.

The tower road has been roughly graded in recent years to allow access to hunting camps on the mountain. All vestiges of ownership by the State of Maine Forest Service have been removed and the watchman's cabin was demolished some years ago. The site is basically in a state of abandonment and is suffering degradation as a result.

Another option would be to dismantle and move the lookout to another location where it eventually could be re-erected and serve as an interpretive center. As a former Pennsylvania Lookout, Harris Mountain's original name as it was in the Commonwealth may be researched, and its former history and true age be ascertained, thus adding to the value of the structure. These efforts at this time would not he possible unless a benefactor could be found or some type of grant could be obtained for this purpose. The job of dismantling would in itself be a great concern for volunteers to do without the aid of experienced help.

The lookout's construction is of heavy timber beams, bolted together at right angles for the entire height of fifty feet. The stairs are also of wood construction and would need to be removed piecemeal. The observation cab is quite large and architecturally sound and would be a real challenge to disassemble and likewise, reassemble. Projects of this magnitude have, however, been done with success in the western U.S. Harris is one of the few remaining stoutly built, all-wood construction, National Forest-type lookouts remaining in the eastern U.S.

Some years ago it was nominated to the National Historic Lookout Register and so listed (NHLR #66 ME #02), but this fact has had little effect on the State of Maine’s decision to close the station and abandon it. All the window glass is now gone from the cab and much graffiti is in evidence from vandals and no doubt even at the writing of this report, more damage this past year (1998) has probably been done. It is a sad state of affairs that such an impressive example of lookout memorabilia as this tower represents is found in its present state and possible demise.

At this stage, the Harris Mountain Lookout is an historic site as evidenced by its listing on the National Historic Lookout Register. Its age is over fifty years (1940s) and may well be considerable older than that, if its original location and Pennsylvania name could be found. The Forest Fire Lookout Association's "Keystone Chapter" in Pennsylvania and other concerned people are trying to come up with alternatives to saving the Harris Mountain Fire Tower. The preference is to keep the lookout in Maine, where it is. Anyone who may be able to help or assist with answers to this effort can write to one of the following:

Keith Goodrlch, Maine Chapter FFLA, RR 01 Box 3230, Springvale, ME 04087.

firetower@pop3.cybertours.com

 

Steve Cumminqs, Keystone Chapter FFLA, PO Box 74, Arcola, PA 19420

 

Bob Spear, New Jersey Chapter FFLA, 33 Village Drive, Hamburg, NJ 07419