Last updated: August 30, 2024
Place
Mt. Britton Tower
Photograph by Jan Pérez Rosado, courtesy of United States Forest Service.
Quick Facts
Location:
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Significance:
Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture
Designation:
Listed in the National Register – Reference Number 100010421
MANAGED BY:
State Government
Mt. Britton Tower is located in the El Yunque National Forest, in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Named in honor of botanist Nathaniel Britton and his wife, bryologist, Elizabeth Britton, the observation tower was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1937 as the hiking goal for the Mt. Britton Trail. It is representative of the Craftsman/Rustic architectural style used by the CCC in the construction of forest reserves infrastructure during the first half of the program’s existence. This structure is one of the best-preserved surviving examples of the CCC constructions in Puerto Rico and one of the best-preserved recreational towers built during that period.
The CCC was a relief program during the Great Depression designed to provide employment. Throughout the nation, this program employed men to work on the nation’s forests and parks; this also included the Luquillo National Forest(LNF), as El Yunque was known during this time. The tasks of the CCC inside the LNF primarily centered on reforestation work and the development of the Puerto Rico’s first nature-based recreation area called La Mina Recreation Area. That recreation destination design included various buildings and infrastructure like that atop Mt. Britton peak.
The tower embodies the idea prevalent in the CCC program that infrastructure could be developed in the landscape to enhance the enjoyment and recreation of people in nature. The construction of the tower through the modification of the natural setting created a suitable observation point allowing visitors to rise above the canopy of the forest, thus creating a new experience of being able to observe the environmental setting around the tower and the mesmerizing tree top views.
The CCC architecture can be regarded as an important contribution to public welfare. That architecture enabled enduring changes in the quality of life of the Puerto Ricans and allowed for an increase of nature appreciation. The developments in forest reserves, like Mt. Britton Tower, helped to transplant the North American views about nature, conservation, restoration, land use, and recreation to the newly acquired territory of Puerto Rico and its inhabitants. The development of the forest reserve infrastructure like Mt. Britton Tower helped develop the tourism economy and helped in establishing the whole island as a tourism destination.People come from different parts of the island and the world with the goal of hiking to the Mt. Britton Tower. The stone cut masonry style, distinctive of this tower, catches the eye of visitors. Due to its aesthetic people referred to the structure as “the castle,” and locals sometimes refer to it as “El Pequeño Morro.”
Mt. Britton was not the only CCC-built tower and another one can be found in Guánica State Forest in Puerto Rico, known as Fuerte Caprón. This tower became a symbol of Guanica, even appearing as the central figure of its flag. Additionally, Toro Negro State Forest’s tower was also built by the CCC and resembles the Mt. Britton Tower. Just like the Mt. Britton Tower, this other tower was also originally built using timber and other wood material found on site and later rebuilt in stone masonry. These CCC towers are a strong symbol of the redefinition of the forests brought forth by the United States during the New Deal era period of the Roosevelt Administration of the 1930s.
Mt. Britton Tower represents one of the best examples of the first works done by the CCC in Puerto Rico and as a symbol of the redefinition of the forests of the island in the 1930s. Today, people can still enjoy visiting the tower and enjoy the view from the top.
Link to National Register of Historic Places file.
The CCC was a relief program during the Great Depression designed to provide employment. Throughout the nation, this program employed men to work on the nation’s forests and parks; this also included the Luquillo National Forest(LNF), as El Yunque was known during this time. The tasks of the CCC inside the LNF primarily centered on reforestation work and the development of the Puerto Rico’s first nature-based recreation area called La Mina Recreation Area. That recreation destination design included various buildings and infrastructure like that atop Mt. Britton peak.
The tower embodies the idea prevalent in the CCC program that infrastructure could be developed in the landscape to enhance the enjoyment and recreation of people in nature. The construction of the tower through the modification of the natural setting created a suitable observation point allowing visitors to rise above the canopy of the forest, thus creating a new experience of being able to observe the environmental setting around the tower and the mesmerizing tree top views.
The CCC architecture can be regarded as an important contribution to public welfare. That architecture enabled enduring changes in the quality of life of the Puerto Ricans and allowed for an increase of nature appreciation. The developments in forest reserves, like Mt. Britton Tower, helped to transplant the North American views about nature, conservation, restoration, land use, and recreation to the newly acquired territory of Puerto Rico and its inhabitants. The development of the forest reserve infrastructure like Mt. Britton Tower helped develop the tourism economy and helped in establishing the whole island as a tourism destination.People come from different parts of the island and the world with the goal of hiking to the Mt. Britton Tower. The stone cut masonry style, distinctive of this tower, catches the eye of visitors. Due to its aesthetic people referred to the structure as “the castle,” and locals sometimes refer to it as “El Pequeño Morro.”
Mt. Britton was not the only CCC-built tower and another one can be found in Guánica State Forest in Puerto Rico, known as Fuerte Caprón. This tower became a symbol of Guanica, even appearing as the central figure of its flag. Additionally, Toro Negro State Forest’s tower was also built by the CCC and resembles the Mt. Britton Tower. Just like the Mt. Britton Tower, this other tower was also originally built using timber and other wood material found on site and later rebuilt in stone masonry. These CCC towers are a strong symbol of the redefinition of the forests brought forth by the United States during the New Deal era period of the Roosevelt Administration of the 1930s.
Mt. Britton Tower represents one of the best examples of the first works done by the CCC in Puerto Rico and as a symbol of the redefinition of the forests of the island in the 1930s. Today, people can still enjoy visiting the tower and enjoy the view from the top.
Link to National Register of Historic Places file.