Cape Elizabeth MR

The Cape Elizabeth Military Reservation (Location 158) was established in 1942 for the Harbor Defenses of Portland. Batteries 101 and 201 were to be built along with Fire Control and Radar Stations. The reservation was split into three parcels. Site 1A was 32.62 acres acquired in 1943 for Battery 201. Site 1B was directly behind site 1A and was 7.3 acres acquired in 1943 for a combined Fire Control Tower and Battery Commanders Station. Site 2A was .30 acres acquired in 1942 for a combined Fire Control and Radar Tower. Site 3A was also acquired in 1942 for a radar tower. This was a sub post of Fort Williams nearby. Men stationed here were mostly billeted from Fort Williams and lived in a single-story barrack next to the Fire Control Station at Site 1B.

Fire Control and Radar Towers

Two Fire Control Towers and two radar stations were built on the reservation. A fire control switchboard was located in Battery 201. Plans from 1941 indicate a FC tower with two observing floors (serving Battery Steele and Battery 101) was to be located at 20 beacon lane but no such tower was ever built.

Site 1B The Silo

This Fire Control Tower was built in 1943 as a Battery Commanders Station for Battery 201. It also housed a Base-End Station for Battery 201 (It would have housed the Gun-Group post, but it was never established after Battery 101's termination. The tower was built next to a farmhouse and disguised as a silo. Plans from 1941 show was to have been a three-story cottage style FC station. The farmhouse used as a recreation building, burned shortly after the tower's completion. This tower was nearly identical to the one at Emerson Point MR. Today the tower is sealed and is slowly deteriorating. Barracks were once located next to the tower.

Site 2A The Lighthouse

The West Lighthouse (1874) at Cape Elizabeth has been used for Fire Control since 1925 for Battery Kearny-Chase at Fort Preble. In 1935-6 plans were made for an octagonal wooden station to replace the earlier one. This design was later revised to be a square wooden two-level station with an AAIS OP on the roof. The current combined fire control and radar tower was built in 1942 of reinforced concrete on the site of the earlier station. This station was not disguised as a lighthouse but rather a water tower. A faux wooden tank held the SCR-296 radar. This station was for Battery 202 at Jewell Island MR and Battery 203 at Peaks Island MR. During the war the tower was painted brown. The faux water tank was removed around 1946 along with the radar. The tower was sold and the DPF pads were drilled out at one point. Gary Merrill who was the ex-husband of Bette Davis owned the tower from 1971-83. In 1985 the tower was purchased by Ken Lane who restored the exterior of the tower and has lived in the adjacent house since.

Range data on the top level
Access Ladder
Lighthouse Stairs
The tower before restoration taken in 1983.
1953 Ariel View

Site 3A The Radar Tower

In 1942 a steel radar tower with a faux wooden tank was built at Dyer Point next to the Lobster Shack. A corrugated steel operations building, and two generator buildings accompanied this tower. This radar was to serve Battery Foote at Fort Levett. It could detect enemy ships and the crew in the operations building would report the ships' location to Battery Foote's plotting room. This tower was most likely scrapped in 1948. The operations building and generator buildings were probably removed when a new parking lot was built.

Tower Site
1946 Up close view

Battery 101

Battery 101 was going to be a twin 16-inch Long Range Barbette Battery but was terminated. This battery would have been identical to Battery Steele at Peaks Island MR. Battery 101 would have been located on top of Mares Hollow Lane north of Battery 201.

Battery 201

Construction began on Battery 201 in 1942, and it was completed in 1944 unarmed. This battery had two 6-inch shieled guns on barbette carriages. This battery was designated Battery #1 on defense charts and was proposed to be named Battery Fesseden. Fire Control Stations for this battery were located at Fletchers Neck MR, Prouts Neck MR, Cape Elizabeth MR, Fort Levett and Jewell Island MR. The battery would have had a range of 15 miles and 5 rounds of shells weighing 105lbs could be shot per minute. In 1946 the battery was abandoned by the coast artillery.

Central Entrance
Exhaust Vents
Emplacement #1 Entrance
Emplacement #1
Emplacement #2 Entrance
Emplacement #2
Vent Shaft
Reproduction Doors
Shell Room
Compressor Room
Generator Room
Plotting Room
Field of Fire

Present

In 1961 sites 1A and 1B were taken over by the state to create Two Lights State Park. In 1995 an interpretation project was set up inside the battery which involved putting new electric lights and exit signs in. Interpretive plaques still remain marking each of the rooms with their purpose. As of 2024 there are plans to eventually open up Battery 201 and the FC tower. Today all of the reservation except for the West Light is accessible to the public. Battery 201 is closed to the public at this time.