Mount Hope Fire Tower

Mount Hope Fire Tower. . , The Maine Forest service erected Mount Hope Fire tower in 1962 after being moved from Sabattus, Maine., The tower was a replacement for a wooden tower on Ridley Hill in Springvale. The state had lost its lease on Ridley Hill and because of the condition of the wooden tower it was decided to replace it with a steel tower about three miles further south on Mount Hope Hill, elevation of 600 feet. The steel tower is an Aerometer Tower manufactured in Chicago, Illinois., Mount Hope Tower covers the seacoast for the south of York County and looks into the state of New Hampshire in the West and to the outtline of City of Portland to the East. From the cab the smoke from the cog railway can be seen chugging its way up Mount Washington. The snow on the mountainsides can be seen until June of each year., The tower has been basically manned by ladies and they served well in the job. Ranger Anna Woodward of Cape Neddick, Maine, spent over 20 years in the tower and was very knowledgeable, knowing every road and the names of every structure in her line of vision. She became a local legend in the area serviced by the tower for her accuracy in determining a fire location and her humor., Mount Hope watchpersons are assisted by Blue Job Tower in Farmington, New Hampshire, Pawtuckaway Tower in Nottingham as well as Green Mt. in Effingham, New Hampshire and in return Mount Hope helps these towers by crossing New Hampshire for them. , In Maine, Mount Hope is assisted by Ossipee Hill Tower in Waterboro by watchman Jason L. Hetareus and by Mt. Agamenticus in Cape Neddick. These towers are also manned by volunteers and have been since 1991., In 1993, The Sandford Fire department became the sponsor of the Mount Hope Fire Tower., The tower was accepted to the National Historical Lookout register in 1993 with a public ceremony and dedication., The view from the tower is worth the climb and changes daily from the cloud cover, seasons, and sun., Mount Hope Watch Tower personnel manned this tower and employed by the Maine Forestry service from 1963 until the State stopped funding in 1991. , Harold Clark 1963 , Stephanie Corbett 1963 , Anna Woodward 1964-1990 , Keith Meggison 1991