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In 1943 construction on a seven floor tower on the South Side of Prouts Neck started in Scarborough Maine for the defense of Casco Bay during WW2. The tower had four observation levels and a Anti Aircraft Post on top of the tower. It was designed to look like a lighthouse and is the most interesting tower built in Maine due to the strange design. The tower had many strange features including a balcony and four observation levels which is not usually found in a Fire Control tower. It was used for the 6 inch gun battery at [[Cape Elizabeth MR]] as well as [[Peaks Island MR]] and [[Jewell Island MR]]. Many of these towers were located along Maines coast. The tower was in operation until 1945 when it was sold back to the town and sat unused. In 2004 a new property owner purchased the tower along with a house and wanted to demolish them. Despite the towns best efforts the landowner had the full right to destroy the tower and onlookers watched as a massive crane knocked it down. No other tower in the US was built like this one. Today it is on private property and not open to the public.<gallery perrow="10">
Loc. 157 Prout's Neck was a WWII Fire Control site on Prout's Neck in Scarborough ME.
</gallery>All images courtesy Prouts Neck Historical Society.<gallery>
 
 
'''This page is being re-written. Excuse our mess.'''
 
 
In 1943 construction on a seven-floor tower on the South Side of Prout's Neck started in Scarborough Maine for the defense of Casco Bay during WW2. This site would become Location 157. The tower had four observation levels and an Anti-Aircraft Post on top of the tower. It was designed to look like a lighthouse and is the most interesting tower built in Maine due to the strange design. The tower had many strange features including a balcony and four observation levels which is not usually found in a Fire Control tower*. The seventh floor was used for Battery Steele at [[Peaks Island MR]], the sixth floor was used for Battery Foote at [[Fort Levett]], the fifth floor was used for Battery Cravens at [[Peaks Island MR]] and the fourth floor was used for Battery 201 at [[Cape Elizabeth MR]]. Searchlight #3 was located here. Many of these towers were located along Maines coast. The tower was in operation until 1945 when it was sold back to the town and sat unused. In 2004 a new property owner purchased the tower along with a house and wanted to demolish them. Despite the towns best efforts, the landowner had the full right to destroy the tower and onlookers watched as a massive crane knocked it down. No other tower in the US was built like this one. The site of the tower is on private property and not open to the public.<center><gallery perrow="10">
</gallery>All images courtesy Prout's Neck Historical Society.<gallery mode="nolines">
File:Prouts Neck Tower Construction 1943.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|1943 Construction
File:Prouts Neck Tower Construction 1943.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|1943 Construction
File:View of the tower.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Side Of The Tower
File:View of the tower.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Side Of The Tower
File:Main entrance PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Tower Entrance
File:Main entrance PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Tower Entrance
File:Back of Prouts Neck Tower.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Rear Of The Tower
File:Back of Prouts Neck Tower.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Rear Of The Tower
File:Rear of Prouts Neck Tower.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|From the Road
File:1st Floor Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|First Floor
File:1st Floor Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|First Floor
File:Prouts Neck Stairs PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Stairs
File:Prouts Neck Stairway.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|The Stairs Built Around The Shape Of The Tower
File:Prouts Neck Stairway.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|The Stairs Built Around The Shape Of The Tower
File:Prouts Neck Stairs.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Another Staircase
File:Original Windows Prouts Neck Tower.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Original Windows
File:3rd Floor Ladder Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Wooden Ladder to 4th Floor
File:3rd Floor Ladder Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Wooden Ladder to 4th Floor
File:Instrument Pedestal Prouts Neck Tower.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|DPF Mount
File:Wooden Ladder Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Another Wooden Ladder
File:Prouts Neck Observation Level.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Observation Level
File:Prouts Neck Observation Level.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Observation Level
File:Electric Wiring Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Electrical Wiring
File:Electric Wiring Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Electrical Wiring
File:Balcony Door Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|6th Floor Balcony Door
File:Balcony Entrance 6th Floor Prouts Neck.jpg
File:Prouts Neck Balcony.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|6th floor Balcony To Woods
File:Land from the top of the Prouts Neck Tower Balcony.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Balcony
File:Ocean from the Prouts Neck Balcony.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Balcony View Towards The Ocean
File:Ocean from the Prouts Neck Balcony.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Balcony View Towards The Ocean
File:6th Floor Balcony PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Balcony Entrance 6th Floor
File:6th Floor Balcony PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Balcony Entrance 6th Floor
File:Another wooden ladder. Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|4th To 5th Floor Ladders
File:5th Floor Wooden Ladder.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|5th To 6th Floor Ladder
File:5th Floor Wooden Ladder.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|5th To 6th Floor Ladder
File:Timer Bell Mount PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Timer Bell Mount
File:Timer Bell Mount PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Timer Bell Mount
File:6th to 7th floor ladder.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Metal Ladder To The 7th Floor
File:6th to 7th floor ladder.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Metal Ladder To The 7th Floor
File:Mounting Pedestal PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Another DPF Mount
File:Mounting Pedestal PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Another DPF Mount
File:Prouts Neck 7th Floor.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|7th Floor Chimney
File:Anti Aircraft Post Entrance.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Anti Aircraft Crows Nest
File:Anti Aircraft Entrance.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Anti Aircraft Observation
File:Anti Aircraft Entrance.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Anti Aircraft Observation
File:Chimney Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Top Of The Tower Chimney
File:1960 Newspaper Clipping Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Newspaper Clipping About The Tower
File:1960 Newspaper Clipping Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Newspaper Clipping About The Tower
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Demolition.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Beginning Of Demolition 2004
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Demolition.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Demolition 2004
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Demolition 2004.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|6th Floor Demolition
</gallery></center>*this installation was the only TOWER to have four observation posts. A few cottage-style FC stations in Narragansett Bay had four observation posts.
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Destroyed.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|5th Floor Demolition
 
File:Prouts Neck FCT.jpg|Prouts Neck FCT J.P. Wysong 1996
All images colorized by J. Malcolm 2022. Except the demolition pictures.
</gallery>All images colorized by J. Malcolm 2022. Except the demolition pictures.
 
[https://www.sunjournal.com/2004/11/01/destruction-begins-wwii-military-tower/ Article About the Towers Demolition]
 
=== SOURCES and REFERENCES ===
[https://proutsneckhistory.org/ Prouts Neck Historical Society]
 
Portland Projects 1944 Annex
 
[https://www.cdsg.org Coast Defense Study Group]
 


Research courtesy Prouts Neck Historical Society
[[Category:Harbor Defenses of Portland]]
[[Category:Harbor Defenses of Portland]]

Latest revision as of 20:32, 7 December 2024

Loc. 157 Prout's Neck was a WWII Fire Control site on Prout's Neck in Scarborough ME.


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


In 1943 construction on a seven-floor tower on the South Side of Prout's Neck started in Scarborough Maine for the defense of Casco Bay during WW2. This site would become Location 157. The tower had four observation levels and an Anti-Aircraft Post on top of the tower. It was designed to look like a lighthouse and is the most interesting tower built in Maine due to the strange design. The tower had many strange features including a balcony and four observation levels which is not usually found in a Fire Control tower*. The seventh floor was used for Battery Steele at Peaks Island MR, the sixth floor was used for Battery Foote at Fort Levett, the fifth floor was used for Battery Cravens at Peaks Island MR and the fourth floor was used for Battery 201 at Cape Elizabeth MR. Searchlight #3 was located here. Many of these towers were located along Maines coast. The tower was in operation until 1945 when it was sold back to the town and sat unused. In 2004 a new property owner purchased the tower along with a house and wanted to demolish them. Despite the towns best efforts, the landowner had the full right to destroy the tower and onlookers watched as a massive crane knocked it down. No other tower in the US was built like this one. The site of the tower is on private property and not open to the public.

All images courtesy Prout's Neck Historical Society.
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    1943 Construction
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Side Of The Tower
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Tower Entrance
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Rear Of The Tower
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    First Floor
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    The Stairs Built Around The Shape Of The Tower
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Wooden Ladder to 4th Floor
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Observation Level
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Electrical Wiring
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Balcony View Towards The Ocean
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Balcony Entrance 6th Floor
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    5th To 6th Floor Ladder
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Timer Bell Mount
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Metal Ladder To The 7th Floor
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Another DPF Mount
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Anti Aircraft Observation
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Newspaper Clipping About The Tower
  • Colorized J. Malcolm 2022
    Demolition 2004

*this installation was the only TOWER to have four observation posts. A few cottage-style FC stations in Narragansett Bay had four observation posts.

All images colorized by J. Malcolm 2022. Except the demolition pictures.

Article About the Towers Demolition

SOURCES and REFERENCES

Prouts Neck Historical Society

Portland Projects 1944 Annex

Coast Defense Study Group

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