{"nrhp_refnum":"08001144","name":"Loon Lake Mountain Fire Observation Station","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Summit of Loon Lake Mountain","address_restricted":false,"city":"Franklin","county":"Franklin County","state":"NY","lat":44.56022214500007,"lon":-74.15139308999994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2008-12-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Conservation","Engineering","Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 35-foot steel fire observation tower with a nine-foot cab on the summit of Loon Lake Mountain (3,355 feet) in the town of Franklin, Franklin County, New York, built in 1917 on state-owned land.","why_significant":"The tower is significant under Criteria A and C for its association with the New York State Forest Preserve and as an example of an early twentieth century forest fire observation tower. It is a typical AerMotor 'Heavier Type' tower with an integral staircase, built for the Conservation Commission. It is part of the multiple property group Fire Observation Stations of the NYS Forest Preserve.","narrative":"Rising from the summit of Loon Lake Mountain in northern Franklin County, this 35-foot steel fire tower was erected in 1917 to replace an earlier lookout built around 1911-1912. Fabricated by the AerMotor Company, it is a typical 'Heavier Type' tower, with a riveted and bolted angular steel frame, five flights of stairs with wood treads, and a glass and steel cab under a hip roof. Its legs are anchored to concrete footings set on bare bedrock. The station was part of the state's effort to spot fires in the Forest Preserve after repeated blazes and logging around Loon Lake in the early 1900s. Observers lived in a nearby cabin, replaced in 1928, and a Civilian Conservation Corps crew cut a new trail in 1934. Winter winds toppled the tower in 1927-1928, and it was restored that spring. The state closed the station in 1971. The tower is significant for its link to forest conservation and as an example of early twentieth century tower design.","period_of_significance":"1917-1956","architect_builder":"AerMotor Corporation (mfr.)","architectural_style":"Utilitarian/firetower","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"The state closed the station in the fall of 1971 and the tower has been abandoned but remains standing. There is no public access because the surrounding land is privately owned.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:52.580591-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/08001144.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08001144/5d1d3e56ea-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/08001144/5d1d3e56ea-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Marc Wanner","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fire_Observation_Tower_on_the_summit_of_Loon_Lake_Mountain,_Loon_Lake,_New_York,_Franklin_County.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Marc Wanner</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fire_Observation_Tower_on_the_summit_of_Loon_Lake_Mountain,_Loon_Lake,_New_York,_Franklin_County.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75312970","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loon_Lake_Mountain_Fire_Observation_Station","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6675645"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/franklin-county/loon-lake-mountain-fire-observation-station-08001144/"}