NEW YORK LOOKOUTS
TELESCOPE HILL (SELDEN)
Suffolk County
December 28, 1918: "The erection of a forest fire lookout tower a mile south of Seldon post office on one of the highest spots in the range of wooded hills running east and west through the center of the Island has recently been completed by the Conservation Commission. It is expected that it will be put to use in the early spring, the fall period of fire menace being too far spent to warrant its use now.
This plan for preventing the spread of fires, which has long been in successful use in the mountains upstate, is entirely novel on Long Island. The tower, a steel structure sixty-nine feet high bedded in concrete, is over 300 feet above sea level at the base, and from it one can see the ocean, the Great South Bay and almost every acre of the flat land between the bay and the ridge, while to the north the tops of a number of other hills and much of the lowland between can be seen, and in the distance the hills of Connecticut. Long Island Sound is out of view by the ridge along North Shore. There is also a fine view to the east and west.
This hill which is part of the Woodbury property, on the crest of the terminal where ages ago the great ice sheet deposited an interesting collection of boulders supposed to have been pushed down from the Adirondacks and New England sections. An observer from the lookout, provided with field glasses and map, and connected with the country below by telephone, can quickly locate any serious fire and notify the fire wardens.
The material for the tower, of which the steel parts weigh five tons, was railroaded to Holtsville during the summer and carted by team up to the hilltop, where for some reason it lay for a long time before erected." (Port Jefferson Echo)
This plan for preventing the spread of fires, which has long been in successful use in the mountains upstate, is entirely novel on Long Island. The tower, a steel structure sixty-nine feet high bedded in concrete, is over 300 feet above sea level at the base, and from it one can see the ocean, the Great South Bay and almost every acre of the flat land between the bay and the ridge, while to the north the tops of a number of other hills and much of the lowland between can be seen, and in the distance the hills of Connecticut. Long Island Sound is out of view by the ridge along North Shore. There is also a fine view to the east and west.
This hill which is part of the Woodbury property, on the crest of the terminal where ages ago the great ice sheet deposited an interesting collection of boulders supposed to have been pushed down from the Adirondacks and New England sections. An observer from the lookout, provided with field glasses and map, and connected with the country below by telephone, can quickly locate any serious fire and notify the fire wardens.
The material for the tower, of which the steel parts weigh five tons, was railroaded to Holtsville during the summer and carted by team up to the hilltop, where for some reason it lay for a long time before erected." (Port Jefferson Echo)
April 12, 1919: "A wonderful scenic view of Long Island can be had from the top of the forest fire lookout tower erected last fall by the New York State Conservation Commission on the highest point on the island, between Selden and Holtsville.
This inspiring vista is not, however, for those who take all their scenic enjoyment from the comfortable seats of their automobiles. One must have legs to get to this summit of Long Island, though the hike is not a hard one, and the traveler can get within easy walking distance of the spot in his car. The tower rises 69 feet over a hilltop, which is 333 feet above sea level, and thew first of the eight flights of stairs carry one well above the surrounding treetops.
The structure, which is of steel, is firm enough, but the constant wind singing through it, coupled with its height, have a rather nerve-trying effect on the climber at first. However, the top deck is closed in and glassed, and there one can study the panorama in comfort. Stretching out for some miles on all sides is the dense pine and oak forest, with here and there a farmhouse or a village peeping out." (Port Jefferson Echo)
May 2, 1919: "The observer at the state conservation fire tower near Selden, reports seventy fires in the past month. Too much cannot be said in praise of this work, as it fills a long felt need. Acres of valuable coed wood have been destroyed each year. With the price of coal going skyward we will have a real use for cord wood this winter." (The County Review)
March 24, 1938: "Frank Forsythe is now on duty at the fire tower on Telescope hill." (The County Review)
October 1959: The State in a cost cutting measure abandoned the lookout services. A transfer of title to Suffolk County was arranged for future protection.