Preserving history: World War II steel fire control tower stabilized

The metal observation tower at Big Stone Beach was one of five constructed in Delaware during World War II to provide targeting data for 12-inch gun batteries positioned in nearby Fort Saulsbury at Slaughter Beach in Kent County. These towers formed an integral part of the fort’s fire control system. Built from metal and corrugated siding, each tower featured two or three observation decks; each deck supported a particular coast artillery battery (named Hall and Haslet) located at Fort Saulsbury. Military personnel at the Big Stone Beach tower first worked to identify and confirm enemy targets, then relayed the information to the fort via a protected telephone system. This structure is the only remaining observation tower used to support Fort Saulsbury on Delaware Bay and one of only five still standing in the entire United States. Stabilizing the tower allows this important part of Delaware’s World War II history to be preserved for future generations.

The Coast Defense Study Group (cdsg.org) and The Nature Conservancy, which owns the property, arranged for structural engineering firm Pilottown Engineering Inc. to perform an engineering assessment of the Big Stone Beach Fire Control Tower. It identified several key repairs that were needed to stabilize the tower, which has been abandoned since 1946 and seen little or no maintenance since that time. The primary concern is that in a large windstorm, the tower might be pushed over, and then the structure would not be rebuilt. Mark Nauman, PE, recommended the key repairs as the connections between the steel tower and its concrete foundation, as well as replacing the tie-rods that strengthen the tower’s four legs. The plates connecting the tower’s steel legs to the rods in the concrete foundation have deteriorated, so they need to be replenished and reattached to the tower legs. Also, the tower’s steel stairs have become detached from their footing, so new concrete and steel are required as replacement. Nick Bissette Welding LLC undertook these repairs and replacements on the tower, as well as clearing the dense vegetation that has grown up around it.  This work is now completed, and along with a newly locked fence around the site perimeter, should protect the tower from both natural and human destruction.

Funding for this historic preservation project came from both the CDSG Fund and the Delaware Preservation Fund, which is part of Preservation Delaware Inc. Not undertaking this work would have resulted in the loss of this rare historic structure, one of the last tangible reminders of Delaware’s involvement in World War II. The CDSG Fund, a 501(c)3 organization, is still accepting donations to cover its share of the project costs; go to cdsg.org/donations.