Alma Hill Fire Tower

Location: 3 miles northeast of the Village of Alma.
Status: Still remains on private lands and is closed to the public.

The structure on Alma is an 80' Aermotor LS40 tower that was erected by the Conservation Department in 1950. In addition to the tower, a 1941 model observer's cabin was constructed at the same time.

This tower is one of the few remaining New York State towers to bear a manufacturers tag located on one of the legs. It reads "Aermotor Co. - Chicago Ill."

This, like many Southern Tier towers wasn't intended to be an extension of the close knit system of towers in the Adirondacks and Catskills but rather, most of these towers were located amidst large holdings on State Forest lands in order to protect those lands from fire. Additionally, the CCC's built many miles of truck trails and fire breaks and hundreds of water holes for better access, to prevent fire spread and to aid in extinguishment when fires occurred.

Many of these towers were only staffed on an as-needed basis by other Division of Lands and Forests personnel.

With the advent of aerial detection, the tower was officially closed at the end of the 1971 season and later offered for sale at public auction in 1973.

The high bidder was the landowner on whose land the tower stood. The tower still remains and is in "great shape" as reported by Paul Laskey, author of "The Fire Observation Towers of New York State", during a recent visit in 2002.

Jersey Hill Fire Tower

Location: 3 1/2 miles north of West Almond.
Status: Removed in 1987.

The CCC's completed the footers for this tower in 1934. The structure on Jersey Hill was 79' 6" International Derrick tower constructed by the CCC's in 1935. Occasionally referred to as Birdsall Hill, Jersey Hill Tower is located in the Town of Birdsall, Allegany County.

This, like many Southern Tier towers wasn't intended to be an extension of the close knit system of towers in the Adirondacks and Catskills but rather, most of these towers were located amidst large holdings on State Forest lands in order to protect those lands from fire. Additionally, the CCC's built many miles of truck trails and fire breaks and hundreds of water holes for better access, to prevent fire spread and to aid in extinguishment when fires occurred.

Many of these towers were only staffed on an as-needed basis by other Division of Lands and Forests personnel.

With the advent of aerial detection, this tower was closed, declared surplus and removed in August 1987.

Ingraham Hill Fire Tower

Location: 2 miles south of Binghamton.
Status: Remains but is closed to the public.

The structure on Ingraham is an 80' Aermotor LS40 tower erected by the Conservation Department in 1950. This tower was placed in service in 1951 reporting 6 fires and 39 visitors.

With the advent of aerial detection, this tower was closed at the end of the 1970 season. This structure was sold sometime in the 1970's to a local communications company, who removed the tower cab and is using the resulting platform to support communications antennas. The site is not open to the public.

Page Pond Fire Tower

Location: 7 miles northwest of Deposit.
Status: Remains but is on private property and is closed to the public.

The structure on Page Pond is a 79' 6" International Derrick tower erected by the CCC's in 1935. The tower was first operated in 1936 reporting 12 fires and 29 visitors.

This tower ceased operation at the end of the 1988 season. The tower was officially closed in early 1989 when the Department of Environmental Conservation determined that towers were no longer effective and decided to phase them out of service.

This tower was transferred to the existing landowner, the Girl Scouts Indian Hills Council in June 1992. As the tower and other improvements are now private property, the site is no longer open or available to the public.

In 2007 the New York Chapter of the Forest Fire Lookout Association began restoration work on both the tower and the cabin.

Hartzfelt Mt. Fire Tower

Location: 4 miles south of Olean.
Status: Removed in 1973.

Efforts were being made to establish a station here beginning in 1923.

The structure on Hartzfelt was erected by the Conservation Commission in 1924. The funds for establishment, which included a 60' Aermotor LS40 tower and cabin, were provided by subscriptions from local landowners and towns in the vicinity of the station.

In 1967, the Conservation Department realized the benefit of radio repeater stations to extend two-way communications and acquired the land where the tower stood for a repeater site serving Conservation Law Enforcement and others.

Hartzfelt was staffed regularly until the advent of aerial detection caused this tower to be closed at the end of the 1970 season. The tower was dismantled and removed in 1973.

McCarty Hill Fire Tower

Location: 5 miles northwest of Great Valley
Status: Removed in 1993.

The structure on McCarty was an 82' 6" International Derrick tower erected by the CCC Camp S-106, Salamanca in 1940. The tower was first staffed in 1941 reporting 4 fires and 980 visitors.

Early reference to this tower occasionally called it Irish Hill. That may have been the site initially proposed for this facility but was decided against in lieu of McCarty Hill. Irish Hill is 6 miles northeast of McCarty Hill.

The tower was staffed regularly until it ceased operation at the end of the 1988 season. It was officially closed in early 1989 when the Department of Environmental Conservation determined that towers were no longer effective and decided to faze them out of service.

Since 1987, it also served as a repeater site for the Cattaraugus Co Sheriff's Department. The Department allowed the County to place an antenna on the tower and the related equipment in a small building at the base. A chain-link fence was also authorized for security reasons.

In 1993 the Department entered into a Concurrent Use and Occupancy agreement that allowed the Sheriff's Department to erect a free standing tower on the site where the fire tower stood. The dismantling and removal of the fire tower and the erection of the new radio tower took place at the same time.

Summit Fire Tower

Location: On the Allegany State Park, 2 miles south of Salamanca.
Status: Remains and is being restored by the Allegany State Park Historical Society.

The structure on Summit is a 60' standard LS 40 Aermotor tower erected by the Allegany State Park Commission in 1926. The Conservation Department took over operation of the tower, as well as several other State Parks towers in 1931.

With the advent of aerial detection, this tower was closed at the end of the 1971 season.

The Allegany State Park Historical Society has restored the tower. More information on Summit Tower can be found on the web at: http://www.asphs.org.

According to the Historical Society's Web Page "at present, there is one other fire tower in the park. It is located on Mt. Tuscarora in the Quaker area and is in very poor condition. A third tower, once located at Mt. Irvine in the Rice Brook area was moved to a location near the Bradford entrance. Then in the early 1970s it was taken down by park personnel and reassembled by an Ellicottville BOCES class near their school. The school has now decided to remove the tower and we are urging that the Park reclaim and store it for spare parts."

Additional information gleaned from Conservation Department records indicate that there were actually five towers on Allegany State Park at one time. The others, erected in 1928 were "30' steel towers; one on the mountain back of the administration building and one on Bova Mountain.... When this tower system is completed the ranger force will be able to observe the entire park area."

Berry Hill Fire Tower

Location: South side of Rt 319 at East Pharsalia.
Status: Remains and is open to the public.

The structure on Berry Hill is a 59' 3" International Derrick tower provided to New York State by the US Forest Service and erected by the CCC's in 1934.

This tower was first manned in 1935. It was built to look over many thousands of acres of State Forest lands that had been reforested and were considered to be susceptible to fire.

This tower ceased operation at the end of the 1988 season. The tower was officially closed in early 1989 when the Department of Environmental Conservation determined that towers were no longer effective and decided to phase them out of service.

This is one of only a few New York State towers that bears a manufacturers identification tag. It reads: "THE INTERNATIONAL DERRICK & EQUIPMENT Company (IDECO) Columbus, Ohio Los Angeles."

This tower was placed on the National Historic Lookout Register in 1993. It still remains and the site is accessible but the tower is not. The stairway is gated to prevent access by the public.

Chenango Lake Fire Tower

Location: 4 miles east of Norwich on the south side of State Rt. 23
Status: Removed in 1948.

The structure on Chenango Lake was a 79' 6" International Derrick tower that was provided to New York State by the USFS and erected by the CCC's. The footers was completed in 1934 and the tower completed in 1935. The tower was first operated in 1936 reporting 2 fires and 49 visitors.

The tower was located about 4 miles northeast of Norwich in the Chenango County. The tower was staffed from 1936 through 1943 and again in 1946. In 1948 the tower was dismantled and moved to a site near Brookfield.

Morgan Hill Fire Tower

Location: 3 1/2 miles north of Truxton.
Status: Removed in 1978.

The structure on was an 82' 6" International Derrick tower and was begun by the CCC Camp S-103, DeRuyter in 1940 and completed in 1941.

With the advent of aerial detection, this tower was closed at the end of the 1970 season. The tower was removed in November 1978.

Brookfield Fire Tower

Location: 5 miles southwest of the Hamlet of Brookfield.
Status: Removed in 1983.

The structure at Brookfield was a 79' 6" International Derrick tower moved to this site by the Conservation Department in 1948. It was originally erected by the CCC's on hill near Chenango Lake in 1934-5.

With the advent of aerial detection, this tower was closed at the end of the 1971 season. This structure was sold and removed in 1983.

Georgetown Fire Tower

Location: 3 1/2 miles north of the Village of Georgetown.
Status: Removed.

The structure at Georgetown was 67' 6" International Derrick tower erected by the CCC Camp S-103, DeRuyter in 1940.

It's actually located on Morrow Mt., which rises to 2,142 and is the highest point in Madison County.

It's located near the center of the 1,290 acre Morrow Mountain State Forest and only two miles from the Hamlet of Georgetown, where it got its name.

With the advent of aerial detection, this tower was closed at the end of the 1970 season and later removed.

A New Hartford resident recently purchased the dismantled parts of the tower and hopes to re-erect the fire tower at his camp in Oppenheim, NY. 20 miles northeast of Johnstown.

Sugar Hill Fire Tower

Location: 7 miles west of Watkins Glen.
Status: Remains, has been restored and is open to the public.

In 1940 a tower was being secured for a site near Prattsburg. However, "the District Ranger wanted a tower on Sugar Hill hoping to see from one tower to the next and intersect fires in the Corning-Painted Post area" according to CCC Camp Monterey Superintendent Clarence Breckenridge. Consequently, the tower purchased for Prattsburg was diverted to this site.

The structure is a 67' 6" International Derrick tower erected by CCC's in 1941 on Sproul Hill, 2.5 miles NNW of the actual location of Sugar Hill. It was named, not for the hill on which it was erected, but for the reforestation area on which it is located.

This, like many Southern Tier towers wasn't intended to be an extension of the close knit system of towers in the Adirondacks and Catskills but rather, most of these towers were located amidst large holdings on State Forest lands in order to protect those lands from fire. Additionally, the CCC's built many miles of truck trails and fire breaks and hundreds of water holes for better access, to prevent fire spread and to aid in extinguishment when fires occurred.

Many of these towers were only staffed on an as-needed basis by other Division of Lands and Forest personnel.

The tower ceased operation at the end of the 1988 season. The tower was officially closed in early 1989 when the Department of Environmental Conservation determined that towers were no longer effective and decided to phase them out of service.

It appears on the National Historic Lookout Register.

This, like many Southern Tier towers wasn't intended to be an extension of the close knit system of towers in the Adirondacks and Catskills but rather, most of these towers were located amidst large holdings on State Forest lands in order to protect those lands from fire. Additionally, the CCC's built many miles of truck trails and fire breaks and hundreds of water holes for better access, to prevent fire spread and to aid in extinguishment when fires occurred.

Many of these towers were only staffed on an as-needed basis by other Division of Lands and Forest personnel.

The tower still remains, is available to the public and is maintained by DEC Operations Unit in Region 8.

Erwin Fire Tower

Location: 4 miles west of Corning.
Status: Removed.

The structure, on the Erwin Game Management Area, was an 82' 6" International Derrick tower erected by CCC Camp S-123, Beaver Dams beginning in 1940 and completed in 1941. This tower was first staffed in 1943 reporting 65 fires and 90 visitors.

Erwin was staffed regularly until 1972 when the advent of aerial detection caused this tower to be closed and placed on the "Inactive" list. It was maintained for flood emergency communications until 1978.

This structure was declared excess, no longer needed for either fire or flood emergencies, and was sold in 1979.

Prattsburg Fire Tower

Location: 2 miles northwest of the Village of Prattsburg.
Status: Removed in 1973.

A tower was purchased for this site in 1941 but was diverted to Sugar Hill by the local District Ranger.

The structure ultimately erected near Prattsburg in 1950 by the Conservation Department was an 80' standard LS40 Aermotor tower. It was on private land and was per an easement with the owner, a Mr. Harold G. Shults.

This, like many Southern Tier towers wasn't intended to be an extension of the close knit system of towers in the Adirondacks and Catskills but rather, most of these towers were located amidst large holdings on State Forest lands in order to protect those lands from fire. Additionally, the CCC's built many miles of truck trails and fire breaks and hundreds of water holes for better access, to prevent fire spread and to aid in extinguishment when fires occurred.

Many of these towers were only staffed on an as-needed basis by other Division of Lands and Forest personnel.

The tower was staffed only sporadically during its 30 years and, with the advent of aerial detection, was closed at the end of the 1970 season. The tower fell into a bad state of disrepair due to vandalism and was dismantled and removed by the Department in October 1973.

In May 1974 the Department executed a Release of Easement with a Mr. Girolmo, the new owner of the Prattsburg site, giving up all rights to the site.

Padlock Hill Fire Tower

Location: 12 miles southeast of Ithaca.
Status: Removed.

The structure on Padlock Hill was a 67' 6" International Derrick tower erected by the CCC Camp S-125, Slaterville Springs in 1940. The tower was first staffed in 1941 reporting 52 fires and 705 visitors.

This tower was closed in 1976 and sold at auction in 1977 to the landowner of the property on which it stood. In 1985, Padlock was donated to the State by the new owner. It was taken down and erected at the NYS Fairgrounds by Capt. Ed Pierce and the Region 7 Forest Rangers with the assistance from the local steel workers union and a local crane owner and operator. The tower is now a part of the permanent DEC exhibit at the New York State Fairgrounds.