{"nrhp_refnum":"01001031","name":"Snowy Mountain Fire Observation Station","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Snowy Mountain","address_restricted":false,"city":"Indian Lake","county":"Hamilton County","state":"NY","lat":43.70199760300005,"lon":-74.33457648799998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2001-09-23","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Engineering","Entertainment/Recreation","Conservation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A fire observation station at the 3,904-foot summit of Snowy Mountain in Indian Lake, Hamilton County, New York, in the Adirondack Forest Preserve. It includes a 45-foot steel lookout tower erected in 1917, a 3.9-mile jeep trail, an observer's cabin ruin and spring housing reportedly built by the CCC in 1936.","why_significant":"The station is significant under criteria A and C for its association with the New York State Forest Preserve and as a representative example of an early twentieth century fire observation tower. It began as a 15-foot wooden tower in 1909, one of the first five stations in Hamilton County. The 1917 steel tower was among the first of the heavier type with integral stairs.","narrative":"Snowy Mountain Fire Observation Station occupies the 3,904-foot summit of Snowy Mountain in the Adirondack Forest Preserve, in the town of Indian Lake. The nominated property includes a 45-foot steel tower, a 3.9-mile trail up the mountain, the ruin of an observer's cabin and a spring housing, both reportedly built by the CCC in 1936. A station was established here in August 1909 with a 15-foot wooden tower and a telephone line to Indian Lake. In 1917 the Aermotor Corporation's prefabricated steel tower replaced it, initially 22 feet tall with steel stairs. It was extended by about 20 feet in 1933 as surrounding trees grew taller. The station was abandoned in the 1970s, and a 1983 request to surplus the cabin and tower was rescinded after protests. The tower survives largely intact, minus its roof and wood elements, and the trail remains popular with hikers. The station is significant for its link to forest fire protection and as an example of early twentieth century fire towers.","period_of_significance":"1917-1950","architect_builder":"Aermotor Corporation (tower manufacturer)","architectural_style":"No Style/Utilitarian (fire tower)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Listed as not in use as a fire station; the tower is intact except for its missing roof and other wood elements. The station was abandoned in the 1970s, and the trail remains in active recreational use.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:50.448066-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/01001031.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75313102","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowy_Mountain_Fire_Observation_Station","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7548748"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/hamilton-county/snowy-mountain-fire-observation-station-01001031/"}