St. Regis Mountain Fire Observation Station
Why it's listed
On the open, rocky summit of St. Regis Mountain in Santa Clara, New York, a 35-foot steel lookout tower marks one of the state's Forest Preserve fire observation stations. The state first staffed the site in April 1910 with an observer and a tent, since the cleared summit offered wide views. The tower, fabricated by the Aermotor Company, was added in 1918. It has a glass-enclosed cab and an integral staircase of five flights. An observer's cabin was built in 1925 and replaced by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939; only its site and foundation remain. A nine-tenths-mile section of original foot trail connects the cabin site to the summit and is part of the listed property. The station was decommissioned in 1990, though hikers still use the trail. It was listed for its link to the Forest Preserve's fire protection work and as a representative early-20th-century fire tower, with a period of significance from 1918 to 1954.
Significance in brief: The station is significant under Criteria A and C for its association with the New York State Forest Preserve and as an example of an early-20th-century forest fire observation tower with related resources. It belongs to the multiple property listing for fire observation stations of the Forest Preserve. The tower is typical of the heavier steel type built by the state between 1917 and 1950.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 05000163, listed March 15, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | St. Regis Mountain, Santa Clara |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | March 15, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000163 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1918-1954 |
| Architect / builder | Aermotor Corporation (tower manufacturer) |
| Architectural style | No style/utilitarian (fire tower) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Entertainment/Recreation, Conservation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The station was decommissioned by the state in 1990. The trail remains in active recreational use and is maintained by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. The observer's cabin was destroyed by vandals after 1990. |
| Acreage | 3.3 |
| Coordinates | 44.41402, -74.31476 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 05000163.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7591592
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.