Historic fire tower ‘still standing’ after renovations

Published 1:07 am Friday, October 30, 2015

FORT MOUNTAIN — As he made his way up the mountain, naturalist Bob Spear spoke about the newly-renovated fire tower at Fort Mountain State Park as if he were there when it was first built.

“This tower was built as a fire tower by the (Civilian Conservation Corps), but the young man who was put in charge of building it put a special dedication into it because of his girlfriend and later on his wife,” Spear said. “He put a heart-shaped stone on the side of the tower, which was a highly unusual thing. But he did it for his sweetheart.”

Approximately 30 people made the journey up the half-mile trail on a rainy and foggy Thursday. Georgia State Parks administrators and Murray County residents were present as the park held a ribbon-cutting for the tower which is now open for tours.

The four-story tower was built in 1934 by Arnold Bailey, who was a “local experience man” and was put in charge of building the tower because of his experience in masonry. Bailey was a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a public work relief program started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to get Americans back to work during The Great Depression.

Young men who had a difficult time finding a job were offered a position in the CCC. They were provided with a room and board and were paid $30 a month, $25 of which had to be sent home to their families.

“It’s probably one of the happiest days of my life,” said Maggie Anderson, one of Bailey’s daughters. “I feel like we’ve been able to preserve something that is very dear to us, of course, but something that is worth preserving in our history.”

Anderson was present at the ribbon cutting along with two of her siblings. She believes The Great Depression is an era that has almost been forgotten by younger generations.

“(The tower) is something they can come out and see,” Anderson said. “Daddy had a hard life. This saved his life. He told me many times that Roosevelt’s CCC saved his life.”

Spear said when it was originally built, the tower had a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. Men who were stationed at the tower were able to see wildfires as far as 50 miles away. Then, along with other fire towers in the area, the men were able to triangulate the location of the blazes for firefighters.

The tower was vandalized and burned down in 1971 and remained in that state until recently.

“When we started rebuilding that tower, they had built it so well, we didn’t have to do much to the outside of it,” said Spear. “It was mostly the inside and the apartment on top that needed to get repaired.”

Larry Blankenship, chief of operations for Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, said the renovation project took about 18 months and cost around $189,000. It was paid for with state-level bonds.

“We’ve had a tireless group of folks getting ready for the grand opening,” said Blankenship. “They’ve done a great job getting everything ready even in the wet weather. I would like to tip my hat to the Fort Mountain (State Park) staff.”

Brad Ballard, manager of Fort Mountain State Park, said the tower was built to the same specifications it had back in 1934.

“When the CCC workers constructed any projects, they often had to quarry the stone and cut down the trees themselves to make the building materials,” said Ballard. “In keeping with this tradition, the stone used to restore the tower all came from the trail we all hiked up.”

Ballard said the tower will now be open for tours to the public. He said anyone who is interested in planning a trip to see the tower can call the park (706-422-1932) or visit www.gastateparks.org/FortMountain.

“It was very difficult to get the project finished because the weather threw a lot of curve balls at the carpenters and the construction workers,” said Ballard. “Having it done really means a lot to the park and to the people of this area.”

Anderson and her siblings all agreed that if anything came out of the renovation of the tower, it would be that those who visit it will learn more about the Depression era and the CCC.

“I suspect the men from that time just aren’t around anymore,” Anderson said. “That breaks my heart. Those men are gone and they can’t tell us their stories any more.”

She said she tries to visit sites all over the country where CCC workers built parks and structures.

“People don’t really know about them, but they’re out there,” Anderson said. “They’re out there and they’re still standing.”