Emerson Point MR

Loc. 135 Emerson Point was a WWII Fire Control site in Rockport MA.

This page is being re-written. Excuse our mess.

Built in 1943 on a leased site for the Boston Harbor Defense Command in Rockport MA the six-story tower was built for Battery 105 at Fort Dawes (DPF), Battery 104 at East Point MR (DPF) and the fourth-floor level was for OP3 Gun Group at Nahant (Azimuth). A fire control switchboard was located on the first floor. This reservation was designated Location 135. It was disguised as a water standpipe from the sea. After the war the tower was abandoned, and the property was returned to private hands. During our visit we were able to find a lot of original fixtures inside the tower from WW2. Because of the sea exposure a lot of the metal handrails and wiring are deteriorated. Aside from these factors the tower in in good condition compared to others on private property. The current owner who was kind enough to let us explore the tower had replaced the wooden ladders in the tower and put a new hatch on the Anti-Aircraft crow's nest. Today the tower can be viewed from the street and is on PRIVATE PROPERTY. Please respect the owners by viewing the tower from a distance.

• Tower images.
• 
  1945 View
• 
  1980 View
• 
  1943 RCW
• 
• 
  Site Map
• 
  1941 Site Map
• 
  1944 RCW
• 
• 
• 
  Tower Entrance
• 
  Fuse boxes and breakers
• 
  Stove flue
• 
  First Floor Ladder
• 
  Second Floor Ladder
• 
  Third Floor Ladder
• 
  Fourth Floor Observation Level
• 
  Fourth Floor Azimuth Mount
• 
  Fourth Floor Ladder
• 
  Communications equipment mounted on every floor
• 
  Fifth Floor DPF Mount
• 
  Fifth Floor Observation
• 
  Fifth Floor Ladder
• 
  AAIS Crows Nest
• 
  Sixth Floor DPF
• 
  Sixth Floor Observation
• 
  Crows Nest Ladder
• 
  Crows Nest Access

Army documents and old photographs courtesy Elisabeth Lilly.