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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 destroyed the tower and onlookers watched as a massive crane knocked it down. No other tower in the US was built like this one.<gallery perrow="10">
Loc. 157 Prout's Neck was a WWII Fire Control site on Prout's Neck in Scarborough ME.
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower.jpg|Prouts Neck Fire Control tower
 
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Rear.jpg|Rear of Tower
 
File:Prouts Neck Tower Construction.jpg|Tower Construction 1943
'''This page is being re-written. Excuse our mess.'''
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Entrance.jpg|Tower Entrance
 
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower 1st Floor.jpg|1st Floor Stairs
 
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Interior Stairs.jpg|Stairs Designed Around the Towers Shape.
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">
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Windows.jpg|Original Windows
</gallery>All images courtesy Prout's Neck Historical Society.<gallery mode="nolines">
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Ladder.jpg|Wooden Ladder to Observation levels
File:Prouts Neck Tower Construction 1943.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|1943 Construction
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower interior.jpg|Towers Stairs
File:View of the tower.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Side Of The Tower
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Wooden Ladders.jpg|Observation Level Ladder System
File:Main entrance PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Tower Entrance
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Observation Level Stairs.jpg|Wooden Ladder
File:Back of Prouts Neck Tower.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Rear Of The Tower
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Balcony Door.jpg|Balcony Door
File:1st Floor Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|First Floor
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Ladder to top level.jpg|Metal Ladder to Top Observation Level.
File:Prouts Neck Stairway.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|The Stairs Built Around The Shape Of The Tower
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control tower Observation Level DRF.jpg|Observation Level
File:3rd Floor Ladder Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Wooden Ladder to 4th Floor
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Balcony.jpg|Balcony View Towards Ocean
File:Prouts Neck Observation Level.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Observation Level
File:Prouts Neck fire Control Tower 6th Floor Balcony.jpg|Balcony View
File:Electric Wiring Prouts Neck.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Electrical Wiring
File:Prouts Neck Observation level.jpg|DRF Mount
File:Ocean from the Prouts Neck Balcony.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Balcony View Towards The Ocean
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower 7th Floor Chimney.jpg|7th Floor Chimney
File:6th Floor Balcony PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Balcony Entrance 6th Floor
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Anti Aircraft Observation Entrance.jpg|Anti Aircraft Observation Ladder
File:5th Floor Wooden Ladder.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|5th To 6th Floor Ladder
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Timer Bell.jpg|Timer Bell Mount
File:Timer Bell Mount PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Timer Bell Mount
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower Electrical Wiring.jpg|Electrical Wiring
File:6th to 7th floor ladder.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Metal Ladder To The 7th Floor
File:Prouts Neck Fire Control Tower WW2.jpg|Picture of the Tower
File:Mounting Pedestal PN.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Another DPF Mount
</gallery>All images courtesy Prouts Neck Historical Society.
File:Anti Aircraft Entrance.jpg|alt=Colorized J. Malcolm 2022|Anti Aircraft Observation
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|Demolition 2004
</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.
 
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


Written by J. Malcolm
[[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.

*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