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Contact: Brent Everitt, 850-934-2600
Gulf Breeze, Fla. – Contractors for the National Park Service removed a two-story concrete observation booth weighing over 113,000 pounds from the historic Tower 234 at the Fort Pickens Area on Tuesday, July 14. With the removal of the booth, the likelihood of the tower toppling on to the road has diminished such that the park can safely reopen the Battery Cooper Loop Road and surrounding areas. The road will reopen on Friday, July 24, the tower and observation booth remain off limits to all visitors.
The historic tower was built in 1943 along with Battery 234 to direct the firing of the guns placed at the battery. It was once one of several towers located on Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key. A 2018 inspection found the structural integrity of the tower to be questionable requiring closure of the area around the tower. The inspection was an early step in efforts by the park to restore and reopen the tower to the public.
Prior to removing the booth, the National Park Service completed documentation of the tower based on the guidelines of the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), which included 3D laser scanning of the structure. Now that these steps have been completed, the park will move forward in conducting a value analysis regarding the future of the tower.
“Tower 234 and the batteries surrounding it are important historic features of the Fort Pickens Area,” said Superintendent Dan Brown. “We look forward to working with National Park Service historians, the State Historic Preservation Office, and the community to develop a long-term preservation plan for the historic tower.”
About Gulf Islands National Seashore: Created in 1971, the national seashore stretches 160 miles along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Florida and Mississippi, and includes barrier islands, maritime forests, historic forts, bayous, and marine habitat. Visit us at www.nps.gov/guis, on Facebook www.Facebook.com/GulfIslandsNPS, Twitter www.Twitter.com/GulfIslandsNPS, and Instagram www.Instagram.com/GulfIslandsNPS.
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Last updated: July 24, 2020