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| Pulpit Rock Camp was a military reservation for the Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth. The site included an eight story Fire control Tower. A steel Fire Control Tower and AMTB Battery 951. This reservation was designated Location 142.
| | In 1943 construction began on a seven story Fire Control Tower for Fort Dearborn and Fort Foster. It was located on a 1.94 acre of leased land designated Location 141. Barracks were built and an Army pier was also completed in 1943. The tower was completed in 1944 and is probably the most unusually designed FCT in New England. The first three floors are all shaped different. A steel radar tower was located on top of the structure until 1949. An [https://web.archive.org/web/20230917210414/http://indicatorloops.com/portsmouth.htm indicator loop station]was located on the island. Generators were located in a pit next to the tower. The seventh floor with DPF was used for Battery 103 at [[Fort Dearborn]], the sixth level with DPF was used for Battery 205 at [[Fort Foster]] and the fifth level with DPF was used for Battery 204 at [[Fort Dearborn]]. AAIS-OP 6 was located on the roof under the 296A radar tower. The tower is owned by the Shoals Marine Lab who use it as a radio tower to get communications to the island. It is not open to the public at this time. |
| | | [[Category:Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth]] |
| == Eight Story FCT ==
| | <center><gallery mode="nolines" widths="200" heights="200"> |
| In 1942 construction started on an eight story Fire Control Tower for [[Fort Dearborn]] nearby. The seventh story level DPF was designated for Battery 103/Seamen and the eight level DPF was for Battery 204. The roof was used as an Anti Aircraft Spotting station AAIS OP 7. The tower was completed in 1943 on a government owned .44 acre tract. The navy had control over the tower from 1954-1971. The fish and game department has owned the tower since 1974. It was suggested for the national register of historic Places in the 1970s but was not accepted and finally made the list in 2010 after being on the seven to save list in New Hampshire. In 2008 the Friends of Pulpit Rock Tower was formed to preserve the tower. The tower officially opened in 2009 on some holidays and continues to do so. The tower has been under restoration for many years and is still as of 2022. I visited on Memorial day 2023 and the tower is nice on the inside with many displays but I noticed that the DPF mount on the seventh floor is missing! I think it was probably drilled out in the 1970s.<center><gallery>
| | File:Appledore Island MR 12.jpg|1949 Image |
| File:Pulpit Rock FCT.jpg|Tower from the Highway | | File:Appledore Island MR 11.jpg|1946 Image |
| File:Pulpit Rock MR From Street.jpg|Tower from AMTB 9451
| | File:Appledore Island MR 10.jpg |
| File:Pulpit Rock MR FCT.jpg|Eight Story FCT Pulpit Rock | | File:Appledore Island MR 08.jpg |
| File:Pulpit Rock MR.jpg|Base of the Tower | | File:Appledore Island MR 01.jpg |
| File:Entrance Steps Pulpit Rock MR.jpg|Entrance Steps | | File:Appledore Island MR 04.jpg |
| File:Electric Wires Pulpit Rock MR.jpg|Electrical Wiring | | File:Appledore Island MR 03.jpg |
| File:Electric Box Pulpit rock MR.jpg|Electric Box | | File:Sppledore Island FCT Plan.jpg|FCT RCW |
| File:Pulpit Rock MR Electric Box.jpg|Electric Box Details | | </gallery> |
| File:Telephone Pole Pulpit Rock MR.jpg|1942 Utility Pole
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 02.jpg|View of the tower from the beach
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 04.jpg|View of the tower from the Highway
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 03.jpg|2010 National Register of Historic Places Plaque
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 23.jpg|Security Gate and Steel Door to the tower | |
| File:PRMRINT (42) 05.jpg|Pot Belly Stove for heat
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 22.jpg|Bracket to keep the observation windows open
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 01.jpg|Communications junction box below the tower
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 06.jpg|Electric Breakers and Fuse Boxes
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 24.jpg|First Floor Steps
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 19.jpg|This tower has the only spiral stairs in Portsmouth Harbor
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 20.jpg|Descending steps
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 29.jpg|Reproduction Windows added in 2019
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 09.jpg|Descending stairs from the sixth floor
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 10.jpg|Chart table
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 07.jpg|Electrical equipment on the sixth floor
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 18.jpg|Seventh floor ladder
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 12.jpg|Observers Chair for the seventh floor
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 11.jpg|View out the seventh floor windows
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 14.jpg|Eighth floor observation windows facing Portsmouth Harbor
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 15.jpg
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 16.jpg|AAIS OP 7 Crows Nest
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 17.jpg|Ladder to the crows nest
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| File:PRMRINT (42) 26.jpg|The tower from the parking area
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| </gallery></center> | |
| <center><youtube>c91BNmHQUT8</youtube></center>
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| <pdf width="1000" height="400">File:PRMR-RCW.pdf</pdf>
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| == Steel FCT ==
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| In 1942 on a separate tract of land a steel FCT was built near the main tower and used for Battery 205 and the Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth. This tower was dismantled around 1953 and the cab was built of corrugated aluminum.
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| [[File:PR MR (24).jpg|center|thumb|124x124px|Steel FCT Locale]]
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| == Battery AMTB 951 ==
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| Built in 1942, AMTB Battery 951 was operated as part of Fort Dearborn nearby. The battery was deactivated in 1946 and abandon. Around 1962 the Coastal roadway was expanded which would cover the second AMTB emplacement so it was destroyed and disposed of near the other remaining emplacement. Its remains can still be found on the beach. The area where emplacement one is located became a parking lot and the mounting screws for the guns were grinded down. Over the years emplacement one has been damaged by cars driving over it. Emplacement two is in rubble in the general area the mounting ring is in.<center><gallery>
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| File:AMTB 951 Emplacement 1.jpg|AMTB 951 Emplacement #1 2022
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| File:PR MR (25).jpg|AMTB Emplacement #1 2023
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| File:PR MR (27).jpg|Emplacement #1 Ammo Storage 2023
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| File:AMTB 951 Emplacement 2.jpg|AMTB 951 Emplacement #2 Remains 2022
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| File:BTTY955.jpg|Emplacement #2 Mounting Ring
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| File:PR MR (51) 01.jpg|Emplacement #2 Remains
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| File:PR MR (51) 03.jpg|Emplacement #2 Screw Detail
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| File:BTTY953.jpg|More of Emplacement #2
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| File:BTTY954.jpg
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| </gallery></center>
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| == Battery AMTB 351 ==
| | <youtube>SPrM4zUHseA</youtube></center> |
| Built with two temporary 37mm guns in 1942. There are no visible remains today.
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| [[Category:Harbor Defenses of Portsmouth]]
| |
In 1943 construction began on a seven story Fire Control Tower for Fort Dearborn and Fort Foster. It was located on a 1.94 acre of leased land designated Location 141. Barracks were built and an Army pier was also completed in 1943. The tower was completed in 1944 and is probably the most unusually designed FCT in New England. The first three floors are all shaped different. A steel radar tower was located on top of the structure until 1949. An indicator loop stationwas located on the island. Generators were located in a pit next to the tower. The seventh floor with DPF was used for Battery 103 at Fort Dearborn, the sixth level with DPF was used for Battery 205 at Fort Foster and the fifth level with DPF was used for Battery 204 at Fort Dearborn. AAIS-OP 6 was located on the roof under the 296A radar tower. The tower is owned by the Shoals Marine Lab who use it as a radio tower to get communications to the island. It is not open to the public at this time.
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1949 Image
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1946 Image
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FCT RCW
1949 Image
1946 Image
FCT RCW
