DELAWARE LOOKOUTS
INTERSTATE
Sussex County, Delaware / Caroline County, Maryland
June 26, 1931: 'A new fire watchtower soon will be erected on the Maryland-Delaware line, about ten miles northeast of Federalsburg.
From its lofty platform, half of which will be in Maryland and the other in Delaware, fire wardens from both states will keep a lookout for danger signs.
The tower will make the sixteenth in Maryland. Others now are nearing completion near Hillmeade, in Prince George's county, and near Quantico in Wicomico county." (The Evening Journal)
From its lofty platform, half of which will be in Maryland and the other in Delaware, fire wardens from both states will keep a lookout for danger signs.
The tower will make the sixteenth in Maryland. Others now are nearing completion near Hillmeade, in Prince George's county, and near Quantico in Wicomico county." (The Evening Journal)
July 16, 1931: "With the co-operation of Delaware, the Maryland State Forestry Department has under construction a one hundred-foot observation tower on the State line near Woodenhawk, Sussex County, Del. Walter J. Quirk, Jr., assistant forester, said the States equally would share the cost--about $2,000." (The Evening Journal)
1931: "Work on the erection of the towers was started on July 29, 1931 and completed October 15 when the towers were opened for service. The towers are normally open but 2 1/2 months in Spring and 2 months in the Fall or a total of 4 1/2 months of the years; the length of each period being largely dependent on weather conditions and the possibility of forest fires.
All towers are of a steel construction with inside wooden stairway leading to a 7 foot square cabin; the upper half of which is enclosed in glass. They are 100 feet in height from the ground to the bottom of the cabin floor or 110 feet over all. The top is of beacon type construction providing a hurricane deck which not only shades the steel roof but may sometime serve for triangulation surveying or aeroplane beacon installation.
The Delaware-Maryland Interstate tower, as the name implies, is jointly owned and operated by the States of Delaware and Maryland. It stands on a 50-foot elevation along the Bridgeville-Denton highway and is built directly over the boundary line of the States. It views an equal area in both States and ties in with the Delaware and Maryland forest fire detection systems, the Department reimbursed the Diamond State Telephone Company for the cost of seven-tenths of a mile of line. Telephone communication with the Maryland system is obtained by separate Maryland telephone. Each state maintains telephone service at its own expense.
In accordance with the cooperative agreement between the Forestry Departments of Maryland and Delaware, Maryland reimbursed Delaware in the amount of $899.22 as that state's portion of the cost of constructing and equipping the Interstate tower."
Site and improvement ---------------------------------$68.65
Erection of tower--------------------------------------1,679.96
Equipment---------------------------------------------------95.30
Telephone connection-------------------------------------80.00
Total------------------------------------------------------- 1,923.91
+ Cost of tower----------------------------------------$8,103.98" (2nd Annual Report of the State Forester FYs 1931 & 32)
November 12, 1932: The five forest fire towers in the Eastern Shore district opened last week for the fall fire season, according to District Forester Kenneth J. Seigworth, Salisbury.
The Interstate Tower, near Hickman, opened Tuesday and the other four towers in Cecil, Dorchester, Wicomico, and Worcester counties were opened on Wednesday." (Denton Journal)
.
October 28, 1933: "The new towerman for Interstate Tower, Caroline county, is to be Emory Williamson, of Adamsville. Mr, Williamson will be placed on duty as soon as the weather conditions require." (Denton Journal)
October 28, 1933: "The new towerman for Interstate Tower, Caroline county, is to be Emory Williamson, of Adamsville. Mr, Williamson will be placed on duty as soon as the weather conditions require." (Denton Journal)
1933: "Except for additional grading of the grounds, no improvements were made at the Delaware-Maryland Interstate tower, situated at the State line immediately south of the Bridgeville-Denton road." (Annual Report of the State Forester to the State Forestry Commission, FY 1933)
1936: "The Interstate tower, having been repainted during the spring of 1935, was not in need of painting at this time." (Annual Report of the State Forester to the State Forestry Commission, FY 1936)
March 19, 1937: "Eight fire lookout towers on the Eastern Shore opened last Monday after having been closed since the fall season, Nelson H. Fritz, of Salisbury, district forester for the Easter Shore said today. Another, the Interstate tower on the Maryland-Delaware line, will open when its reconstruction is completed." (Denton Journal)
1937: "A joint agreement has been made with Maryland Department of Forestry which provides for the for the reconstruction and heightening of the Delaware-Maryland Interstate tower by the construction of new piers and the addition of a 20 foot bottom extension which will make the tower 130 feet overall. The work is proposed as a CCC project to take place during the next fiscal year." (Annual Report of the State Forester to the State Forestry Commission, FY 1937)
1938: "In keeping with a joint agreement with the Maryland Department of Forestry the 100' Delaware-Maryland forest fire lookout was dismantled and reconstructed on a 20' foot bottom extension during the winter months. Maryland supplied the materials and Delaware the labor through their respective CCC finance and facilities. The new tower is 120' to the bottom of the cabin floor or 130' over all; is more stable than the old one and the cabin has been improved by the installation of insulation to the side walls which same, prior to reconstruction, had been lacking in this unit. The increased height has improved the angle and range of visibility." (Annual Report of the State Forester to the State Forestry Commission, FY 1938)
March 10, 1938: "District Forester Nelson H. Fritz said all towers will be opened with the exception of the Interstate Tower on the Maryland-Delaware boundary lines as it is being reconstructed. Emery Williamson, towerman, will begin his duties at that post later in the fire season when the tower is completed." (The Daily Times)
March 29, 1938: "With 80 feet already completed in the reconstruction job being done on the Interstate forest-fire lookout, the tower is expected to be ready for service on the 1938 fire season within the next week, Nelson H. Fritz, district forester, said.
Although all work may not be completed--that part of the tower where the towerman's sighting equipment and records are kept. The post is located at Wooden Head on the Maryland-Delaware line, alternately supported by each state every two years." (The Daily Times)
March 16, 1939: "The Interstate tower located at Wooden Head, on the Maryland-Delaware line, alternately supported by each state for two-year periods, will be financed by Maryland again this season. Towerman there is Emery Williamson." (The Daily Times)
November 3, 1944: "The thirty-two fire towers operated by the state are manned to a great extent by women. The women are good spotters, Buckingham thinks.
There is another tower on the Maryland-Delaware line called the Interstate tower which the two states take turns manning for two year periods." (The Cumberland News)
April 11, 1948: "The Spring Fire season is on and Inter-State fire tower has been opened and anyone doing burning is requested to contact the tower by calling Federalsburg 3458 or Greenwood 2604 and notify towerman of your intention and getting his advice as to fire danger reading for the day." (Denton Journal)
DESIGNATION - FOUNTAINVILLE INTERSTATE LOT
PID - HU1980
STATE/COUNTY- DE/SUSSEX
USGS QUAD - HICKMAN (1993)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1962 (RWT)
THE STATION IS THE TOP AND CENTER OF THE CAB OF THE INTER-STATE
LOOKOUT TOWER. LOCATED ABOUT 6.0 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF
GREENWOOD, DELAWARE, 7.0 MILES NORTHWEST OF BRIDGEVILLE,
DELAWARE, 2.5 MILES SOUTH OF HICKMAN, MARYLAND AND ALONG THE
SOUTH SIDE OF STATE HIGHWAY 404 AND AT THE VILLAGE OF
FOUNTAINVILLE. IT IS A 4-LACED STEEL COLUMN LEGS WITH A GLASS
INCLOSED CAB MOUNTED AT THEIR APEX. THE LEGS OF THE STRUCTURE
ARE PAINTED GRAY. THE CAB IS PAINTED SILVER. THE OVERALL
HEIGHT OF THE STRUCTURE IS APPROXIMATELY 115.0 FEET. THE
STRUCTURE IS LOCATED ON THE MARYLAND AND DELAWARE STATE
LINE.
PID - HU1980
STATE/COUNTY- DE/SUSSEX
USGS QUAD - HICKMAN (1993)
STATION DESCRIPTION
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1962 (RWT)
THE STATION IS THE TOP AND CENTER OF THE CAB OF THE INTER-STATE
LOOKOUT TOWER. LOCATED ABOUT 6.0 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF
GREENWOOD, DELAWARE, 7.0 MILES NORTHWEST OF BRIDGEVILLE,
DELAWARE, 2.5 MILES SOUTH OF HICKMAN, MARYLAND AND ALONG THE
SOUTH SIDE OF STATE HIGHWAY 404 AND AT THE VILLAGE OF
FOUNTAINVILLE. IT IS A 4-LACED STEEL COLUMN LEGS WITH A GLASS
INCLOSED CAB MOUNTED AT THEIR APEX. THE LEGS OF THE STRUCTURE
ARE PAINTED GRAY. THE CAB IS PAINTED SILVER. THE OVERALL
HEIGHT OF THE STRUCTURE IS APPROXIMATELY 115.0 FEET. THE
STRUCTURE IS LOCATED ON THE MARYLAND AND DELAWARE STATE
LINE.
