Garrison Hill Tower is an observatory as high as 76 feet (23 m) above Garrison Hill in Dover, New Hampshire, USA. The current tower, made of painted green iron, was built in 1993 and is the third tower on the hill. The park where it stands is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Video Garrison Hill Park and Tower
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Garrison Hill Park is located north of downtown Dover, east of New Hampshire Route 9. It is a round, glacial drumlin with a peak of 298 feet (91 m). The park occupies about 8.5 hectares (3.4 ha) around the peak, and is accessed via the Abbie Sawyer Memorial Highway. The road leads to the parking lot at the top, providing access to the observation tower, the city's concrete water storage tank, and the radio transmission tower.
Maps Garrison Hill Park and Tower
History
In 1880, the peak of Garrison Hill was purchased by Joseph Ham and Harrison Haley, who developed it as a public park. Haley buys - for $ 1,000 - a 65 foot (20 m) wood observatory designed by architect B. D. Stewart and opens it publicly. The observatory contains a restaurant on the base, and offers a telescope where the public can see Mount Washington. The city acquired the property in 1888 and continues to operate it as a public park. The city also built reservoirs (since filled) on the site.
After a wooden observatory was burned in 1911, Abbey Sawyer commissioned a replacement, made of steel, in honor of her husband. He also funded the construction of a new road (now the Abbey Sawyer Memorial Drive) to the summit, replacing the 1880 train ramp (now a trail). The tower, founded in 1913, was demoted in 1990 due to security concerns, and the third tower (now standing) was built by volunteers. On a clear day, one can see the White Mountains and the Shoals Islands from the top of the tower.
See also
- List of Historic Historic Places of Interest in Strafford County, New Hampshire
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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