BELLEVUE HILL
Vermont - Franklin County
April 20, 1936 "The construction of a road one mile long was done by the Underhill Company. A combination stone caretaker's dwelling and public loggia was nearly completed. The development of a picnic area is in progress. A steel lookout tower was erected on Bellevue Hill." (The Burlington Free Press)
November 30, 1933: "The St. Albans Chamber of Commerce started Wednesday efforts to raise the $500 needed to turn over a clear title to 35 acres on the summit of Bellevue hill for improvement by the State after being notified that the State had accepted the hill for development as a park and picnic ground.
The State has already authorized the expenditure of $1,500 on the hill as a start toward landscaping the summit and erecting a lookout tower. A road is to be built to the top, branching off from the Fairfield road near the Keenan farm." (The Burlington Free Press)
July 13, 1938: "Some time ago the state forest service developed a park on Bellevue hill at St. Albans and included a lookout tower. The public reaction was not altogether satisfactory. Vandals smashed the windows, defaced the walls and otherwise did s much damage as they could. Recently State Forester Merrill appeared in St. Albans to announce that the tower would be removed. 'We can use it elsewhere,' he said. Referring to damage, he added, 'You know what has been done up there, both to the house and tower. It does make us rather sore.'
Perhaps the tower will be treated better somewhere else, though the forest service can't point to much evidence of general respect for its property. Most of the mountain towers are erected for the dual purpose of spotting forest fires and giving the public a good view, but few of them are spared by those who reward themselves for the climb by destroying something. Steel towers are not easily wrecked but window smashing is common. Glass-faced topographical map displays with pointers to help locate peaks, ponds and villages have been included in some, only to be smashed." (The Brattleboro Reformer)
1943: The steel tower with a 7x7 steel cab was removed to Spruce Mountain.