Fire tower to rise again over Ward Pound Ridge

The Mount Tremper fire tower, the same model planned for Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. DAVID VANA PHOTO

By ROBERT J. CUMMINGS  

Last week, the disassembled pieces of the fire tower were delivered to the park in anticipation of the final construction push getting under way. 

Erika Pierce, county legislator for District 2, said, “we are putting together a community informational meeting for those interested in learning more about the restoration.” 

Pierce, and her predecessor Kitley Covill, have been longtime advocates for the project. 

This means the restoration of the fire tower to the highest point in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, named on old maps as “Cross River Mountain,” has moved into the final phase of design, engineering and construction.

 The former fire tower was erected in 1926. It was decommissioned in 1971 but remained standing until 1982 when it was taken down.

Regular hikers on the blue trail where the fire tower once stood have seen the preliminary trail grading and some track marks on the trail. A few weeks ago in late October, there was an engineering team at the summit. The team transported a drilling rig to the site, getting core samples of the bedrock, allowing the builders to better understand foundation placement and how anchoring would work for the tower. The sampling work is now complete and some of the next steps include laying the foundation blocks that will hold the tower.

One of the driving forces behind the fire tower restoration effort for the past 15 years has been local Bedford resident, Tom Cohn. He grew up in White Plains where he and his friends often drove to the northern Westchester park to visit and climb the Cross River Mountain Fire Tower before it was removed. 

“It felt like we were going to Canada,” he said, “I was upset when it was taken down.” 

Cohn has always thought the removal was misguided and he has made it his mission to get the tower back to its place atop the summit. 

Some details still need to be worked through. Construction financing, design and final engineering are still underway. Deputy Parks Commissioner Peter Tartaglia said one of the many items they have to work out is exactly how to get all of the parts to the summit of the mountain. 

“We don’t want to change the rustic nature of the trail, but there will be some trail grading and branch trimming” to clear the way and make it passable to the vehicles, he said.

The Cross River Mountain Fire Tower project will join a growing number of New York state fire towers that have been restored and have become popular public destinations. Some of these restored towers include the Upper Esopus Fire Tower and the Ninham Mountain Fire Tower. The fire tower will be restored as faithfully as possible while adhering to current building and safety codes. Having other New York state fire tower restorations as templates has eased the process. 

Cross River Mountain, at 860 feet elevation, is the highest point in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation. It is accessible via the blue trail from Kimberly Bridge, or via a white connector trail from the Pell Hill campsites. The closest you can park a car to the tower site is a three-quarters of a mile hike away. This means visitors will have to sweat a bit on whatever trail they take to get to the tower. The tower base elevation plus the 80-foot tower puts the total elevation at around 940 feet at the top. 

Once completed, the tower will offer a 360-degree view on a clear day of many visible points of interest including New York City, the Catskills, Hudson Highlands, the Berkshires, Long Island Sound, plus the Whitestone, Throgs Neck and George Washington bridges. There are also many smaller features and peaks that locals will be able to spot.

It is not a small undertaking and it has been a cooperative effort between the Parks Department, the Department of Public Works, the Board of Legislators, and the County Executive’s office. 

Local towns have also been longtime supporters including the towns of Lewisboro, Pound Ridge and Bedford which surround the park.

In addition to the fire tower project coming to fruition, Ward Pound Ridge Reservation will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025. There are many events planned for the centennial year including a 100-mile trail challenge, an event celebrating the park’s history in May, and of course the hoped-for opening of the restored fire tower. The county can’t commit to a date, but the hope is to have it ready for the public in 2025.

Why a fire tower? Cohn has the answer. “All anyone needs to do to understand this fire tower idea is to climb the tower, stand nearly 1,000 feet above sea level, and look to the horizon. It will be beautiful,” Cohn said.