BRODIE MOUNTAIN
HANCOCK
Berkshire County
1923: The tower structure from Berlin Mountain was moved to this site.
March 18, 1952: "Four lookout towers will continue regular operation this year, while a fifth tower, previously abandoned, will be returned to service. This tower is atop Brodie Mountain in Hancock. The others are located on Spruce Hill in Savoy, Lenox Mountain, Mount Wilcox in Monterey and Mount Everett in the town of Mount Washington." (Pittsfield Berkshire Evening Eagle)
April 21, 1954: "A brush fire that started on the Turner property in Hancock yesterday afternoon swept over 33 acres of land along Route 43 toward the Williamstown line before it was stopped.
Francis Mahoney of Lenox, county fire warden, who directed his own crews and members of the Hancock Volunteer Fire department, indicated that the fire would have been much less serious if the Brody mountain fire watch tower had been in service. As it was, the blaze, obscured by hills from the Savoy and Pittsfield stations, got a strong head start.
The state Natural Resources department has been endeavoring to re-establish the Brody mountain tower but a right-of-way dispute has held up the project." (North Adams Transcript)
May 14, 1954: "A couple of Russians behind the Iron Curtain are causing what state forestry officials describe as 'a serious break in the chain of fire-watch towers in western Massachusetts.'
Involved in the matter is a fire-watch tower, closed since before World War II, which the state wants to reopen but can't because it doesn't own the right of way.
The land around the tower was owned by the late Gregory Makaroff, a native of Russia, who operated a ski area here before his death in 1949.
Atty. Paul A. Tamburelloe, of Pittsfield is public administrator for Makaroff's estate, but in order to sell the property he needs the power of attorney from Makaroff's brother and sister in Soviet Russia.
He's been involved in a series of negotiations with the Soviet government--But so far, no luck." (The North Adams Transcript)
1967: A 50-foot tower was built.
2009: A new tubular steel tower was erected.