Reconstruction of Fire Tower in Pound Ridge Gains State Funding

New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that $100,000 in state grant funding has been awarded for reconstruction of the historic Cross River Mountain Fire Tower in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, Westchester County’s largest park.

Among those joining Harckham at a press conference in Ward Pound Ridge Reservation for the announcement were Westchester Legislator Kitley S. Covill, whose legislative district includes Ward Pound Ridge Reservation; Westchester County Executive George Latimer; Westchester County Film and Tourism Director Natasha Caputo; local elected officials; and Tom Cohn, a major supporter of the re-construction initiative.

The awarded grant funding, which Harckham secured within the State and Municipal Facilities Program (SAM), will be added to $100,000 in matching funds that Legislator Covill and Westchester County will earmark for the project.

“The Cross River fire tower project, long in the works, will bring countless new visitors to Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, and thus serve as another economic benefit for neighboring towns and Westchester County,” said Harckham. “I definitely plan to be among the first visitors to enjoy the incredible panoramic view of the region from the new tower, and am grateful for the opportunity to help secure state funding for the project.”

Added Harckham, “Once a crucial public safety asset, decommissioned fire towers have become in recent years significant attractions in the growing scope of ecotourism. I applaud Tom Cohn for providing the visionary groundwork to rebuild the fire tower, and thank Legislator Covill and County Executive Latimer for helping to keep the project alive in recent years.”

The idea of reconstructing the Cross River Mountain Fire Tower began nearly 10 years ago. In service for nearly four decades, the fire tower was decommissioned in 1971, then dismantled later on by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation without approval from Westchester County. Nevertheless, once restored, the sixty-foot tower will again be the highest point in the county, standing 960 feet above sea level, offering a 360-degree view with a visibility of 50-100 miles depending on the weather.

“Growing up in Pound Ridge I remember the fire tower well,” said Covill. “We would hike to it and then climb the stairs to the very top. The reward for climbing all the steps was well worth it, as the view would leave you breathless. I remember being able to see forever. I’m excited about the opportunity to see that view again, and to inspire a whole new generation of young people to see forever.”

“This grant from New York State is a critical first step to engineer and design what this new fire tower will look like,” said Latimer. “This will be built from scratch and the engineering efforts to start this is where we are at. I want to thank Senator Pete Harckham and County Legislator Kitley Covill for their leadership. This is another opportunity to enjoy and visit Westchester County.”

A number of other fire towers have been rebuilt in recent years, most notably the Upper Esopus Fire Tower, located at the Catskills Visitor Center in Mount Tremper, New York. The Cross River fire tower project has received support from town supervisors in Lewisboro, Pound Ridge and Bedford, plus Westchester Land Trust, Riverkeeper, Lewisboro Land Trust, and Bedford Historical Society.

“All anyone will need to do to understand this fire tower idea is to climb the tower, stand 1000 feet above sea level and look to the horizon—it’s beautiful,” said Cohn.

In the past 10 months, Harckham has secured SAM funding for numerous community projects and municipal initiatives in Westchester County, including ballfield renovations at Millwood Recreation Park in the Town of New Castle, a new police car and stop signs in Somers and trail improvements in Peekskill’s Fort Hill Park—saving county taxpayers more than $2.6 million in spending.

SAM funding is among the grant programs administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to support community and economic development.