MARYLAND LOOKOUTS
WOODLAWN
Cecil County
February 22, 1935: "With the coming of the spring season of 1935, it is hoped that additional detection and prevention work will be accomplished by the erection of a 100 foot fire tower at Woodlawn. The construction of this tower is now underway." (The Midland Journal)
May 10, 1935: "On April 3 at 10:30 A.M. the new Woodlawn forest fire tower standing close to the old Baltimore and Philadelphia turnpike of colonial days, and near the ancient community of Battle Swamp, sighted its first threatening smoke in the vicinity of Childs, a distance of eleven miles from the tower. Upon investigation the smoke proved to be from a large field that was being burned off by the owners, but this marked the beginning of what is believed will be a long period of vigilance to be maintained during reoccurring dry seasons in an effort to detect fires that may threaten the forests of Cecil County.
The 47 foot tower erected on Foys Hill in 1924, located 5 miles to the southeast of the new structure, has been operated for more than ten years by Harry Hartenstine, Maryland's veteran towerman. While the Foys Hill tower has served the southwestern portion of the county in an efficient manner, it has always been at a disadvantage in sighting smokes along the Susquehanna River bluffs and between Conowingo and Rising Sun. The new 100 foot steel structure at Woodlawn provides excellent detection for the difficult section in northwestern Cecil County, and for a portion of northeastern Hartford County which was previously without detection services. Quite an impressive section of Pennsylvania in the vicinity of Quarryville, Oxford and Pleasant Grove is visible from the new tower. Mr. Hartenstine has taken up his new duties at the Woodlawn Tower and a new towerman is now on duty at Foys Hill.
The tower stands several hundred feet north of the Port Deposit-Rising Sun State road in a grove of birch and oak timber and is approached by a gently curving driveway which enters from the Woodlawn-Liberty Grove county road. The one-half acre tower site and driveway were purchased from Howard, Pearl and Olive Jackson of Woodlawn for the sum of $50. and no doubt the site would have been donated due to the interest of the property owners in project, if it had not been for the necessity of paying off an indebtedness against the property. The ridge on which the tower is located is 470 feet above sea level, enabling a splendid view of the surrounding country from the tower cab at 100 feet higher elevation.
Construction on the tower started on January 2, 1935, under the supervision of District Forest Warden Charles W. Bayles of Principio Furnace. The foundation layout was made the following day by assistant Forester Walter J. Quick, Jr. and District Forester Nelson H. Fritz. Pouring of cement for foundation piers started on January 14 and the first steel work was placed on the concrete abutments on January 30." (The Midland Journal)
November 10, 1944: "The fire tower at Woodlawn has been equipped with two-way radio and with this convenience can keep in constant contact with the two radio patrol trucks. Harry Hartenstine of Theodore, operates this tower." (The Midland Journal)