MOUNT ASCUTNEY
Vermont - Windsor County - Ascutney State Park
February 13, 1919: "The third tower probably will go up on Mount Ascutney. Commercial clubs in the towns surrounding this mountain are interested in having this tower erected. The forestry department will furnish the men to man these towers during summer months." (Burlington Weekly Free Press)
June 5, 1919: "A.J. Eaton, of the Vermont forestry department, has been here to make arrangements for a lookout tower on Ascutney mountain. The plan now is to have a man stationed on the mountain during the summer and early fall months." (Vermont Standard)
1921: "A cabin and tower were built on Ascutney Mountain in the town of West Windsor." (11th Biennial Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture)
June 15, 1921: "W.G. Hastings, state forester, has arranged for the construction of a lookout tower on the top of Ascutney Mountain. There has never been one there. There is a telephone station on the mountain, but it is not close to where the lookout will be placed. The mountain is flat on top so that a circuit of points is made by the caretaker each day in watching for fires." (The Monitor)
1938-40: "A steel lookout tower 54 feet in height has been erected on Ascutney Mountain by a side camp from the Plymouth CCC Camp. This camp is also building a telephone line 3.5 miles in length to the lookout tower." (Report, Department of Conservation and Development, term ending June 30, 1940)
June 20, 1940: "Ernest Aschenbach, who has been transferred to Ascutney and is putting a telephone line up to the fire tower, was with his family for the week-end." (Vermont Journal)
July 9, 1940: "A fire lookout in the form of a steel tower has been erected recently by the Vermont Forest Service in the Ascutney State Forest for the purpose of Vermont fire prevention. The tower is on the topmost point of Mt. Ascutney. It rises 54 feet from its 25-foot square base to the floor of the cabin, which is seven feet square. Six flights of stairs, with a total of 72 steps lead to the cabin.
According to Officer Simonds, of the Vermont State Forest Service, who is in charge of the reserve, a watchman will be stationed in the tower during periods when there is greatest danger of forest fires. He also said that the tower, which may be used at all times by visitors, has increased considerably the number of sightseers going to the top of the mountain. The tower was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. A hard-surface road leads from the foot of the mountain to within a 25 minute walk of the peak and tower." (Rutland Daily Herald)
July 25, 1940: "Popular is the new steel, fire lookout tower in the Ascutney state forest. The tower is on the topmost point of Mt. Ascutney and is 54 feet high. A considerable increase in the number of sight-seers going to the mountain top has resulted. A hard-surfaced road leads from the foot of the mountain to within a 25-minute walk of the mountain peak." (Herald and News)
1940-42: "The light copper roofs furnished for the towers at Ascutney, Burke and Monadnock were so light that they blew off. They were replaced with galvanized iron." (Report, Department of Conservation and Development, term ending June 30, 1942)
1947 - 1948: "Tower trail and telephone line thoroughly brushed out." (Biennial Report of the Vermont Forest Service)
1949 - 1950: "Damaged stair treads replaced and stained--roof repaired." (Biennial Report of the Vermont Forest Service)
1957 - 1958: "The lookout facilities at the secondary stations of Ascutney, Gile. Glastenbury and Monadnock Mountains were continued on an inactive basis with the areas being covered in hazardous weather by flights of the plane patrol." (Biennial Report of the Vermont Forest Service)
DESIGNATION - ASCUTNEY RESET
PID - OD1307
STATE/COUNTY- VT/WINDSOR
COUNTRY - US
STATION DESCRIPTION
THE USGS DISK DESCRIBED IN 1935 BY THE VERMONT GEODETIC SURVEY WAS
ALSO RECOVERED, HOWEVER IT IS ABOUT 1,400 FEET SOUTHWEST OF THE
STATION, ON SOUTHWEST END OF THE RIDGE, UNDER THE ASCUTNEY MTN.
FIRE TOWER. THE 1935 DESCRIPTION FOR ASCUTNEY SHOULD BE
DISREGARDED.
THE STATION WAS RE-MARKED WITH A STANDARD STATION DISK, AFTER
REMOVING THE EAST BOLT OF THE 2 (THIS WAS COPPER BOLT 3 INCHES
LONG), AND 2 REFERENCE MARKS WERE SET. A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION
FOLLOWS--
STATION IS LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST END OF THE LONG SUMMIT RIDGE
OF ASCUTNEY MTN., AT THE FORK OF WINDSOR TRAIL AND BROWNSVILLE
TRAIL, BY THE REMAINS OF AN OLD STONE HUT, AND ABOUT 1,400 FEET
NORTHEAST OF THE ASCUTNEY MTN. FIRE TOWER, WHICH HAS AN UNSTAMPED
USGS DISK SET AT CENTER OF BASE OF TOWER.
TO REACH STATION FROM THE JUNCTION OF STATE HIGHWAYS 12 AND 131 IN
ASCUTNEY, GO NORTH ON HIGHWAY 12 FOR 1.2 MILES. TAKE LEFT FORK
AND GO 1.1 MILES TO ASCUTNEY PARK GATE ON LEFT. PASS THROUGH GATE
AND FOLLOW PARK DRIVEWAY 3.7 MILES TO END OF ROAD. PACK NORTHERLY
ON GOOD TRAIL ABOUT 1/2-MILE TO SADDLE OF RIDGE, AND FORK AT SIGN
STONE HUT. TAKE RIGHT FORK ABOUT 200 YARDS TO OLD STONE
BUILDING REMAINS AND STATION.
PID - OD1307
STATE/COUNTY- VT/WINDSOR
COUNTRY - US
STATION DESCRIPTION
THE USGS DISK DESCRIBED IN 1935 BY THE VERMONT GEODETIC SURVEY WAS
ALSO RECOVERED, HOWEVER IT IS ABOUT 1,400 FEET SOUTHWEST OF THE
STATION, ON SOUTHWEST END OF THE RIDGE, UNDER THE ASCUTNEY MTN.
FIRE TOWER. THE 1935 DESCRIPTION FOR ASCUTNEY SHOULD BE
DISREGARDED.
THE STATION WAS RE-MARKED WITH A STANDARD STATION DISK, AFTER
REMOVING THE EAST BOLT OF THE 2 (THIS WAS COPPER BOLT 3 INCHES
LONG), AND 2 REFERENCE MARKS WERE SET. A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION
FOLLOWS--
STATION IS LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST END OF THE LONG SUMMIT RIDGE
OF ASCUTNEY MTN., AT THE FORK OF WINDSOR TRAIL AND BROWNSVILLE
TRAIL, BY THE REMAINS OF AN OLD STONE HUT, AND ABOUT 1,400 FEET
NORTHEAST OF THE ASCUTNEY MTN. FIRE TOWER, WHICH HAS AN UNSTAMPED
USGS DISK SET AT CENTER OF BASE OF TOWER.
TO REACH STATION FROM THE JUNCTION OF STATE HIGHWAYS 12 AND 131 IN
ASCUTNEY, GO NORTH ON HIGHWAY 12 FOR 1.2 MILES. TAKE LEFT FORK
AND GO 1.1 MILES TO ASCUTNEY PARK GATE ON LEFT. PASS THROUGH GATE
AND FOLLOW PARK DRIVEWAY 3.7 MILES TO END OF ROAD. PACK NORTHERLY
ON GOOD TRAIL ABOUT 1/2-MILE TO SADDLE OF RIDGE, AND FORK AT SIGN
STONE HUT. TAKE RIGHT FORK ABOUT 200 YARDS TO OLD STONE
BUILDING REMAINS AND STATION.