Halibut Point Base-End Station - Location 136
This five-story concrete tower with attached barracks was built on a leased site under the authority of the Boston Harbor Defense Command, and was jointly used as a Base-End Station for Fort Dearborn and for Fort Ruckman in Nahant, Mass. It is currently the Park HQ and Visitor Center for Halibut Point State Park. The roof deck was used for Boston's anti-aircraft intelligence service (AAIS OP 18-Boston). The fifth-story level was used for Fort Ruckman (B9 S9 for Battery 104/Murphy). The fourth-story level was used for the Boston Harbor Command - Second Gun Group (C4/2), and the third-story level was used for Fort Dearborn (B1 S1 for Battery 103/Seaman).
The rear of the house, which was always used as the main entrance. The original steeple on top of the tower was removed in 1945 and replaced by a modified SCR-548 radar unit by MIT-Lincoln Labs and the USAF which was used for development of the Experimental SAGE Subsector (ESS) System from 1952 to 1960. The steeple was replaced in 1996, along with a new addition added to the side of the house.
A close-up of the top of the tower.
A diagram display of the fire-control station.
photos courtesy of Frank Mastrovita - MITRE
via Tom Page - Online Air Defense Museum
The Halibut Point ESS site, 1956.(click for larger images)
Located at Pigeon Cove, Rockport, Massachusetts.
This is the only WWII tower in New England open to the public!
Halibut Point ESS site from the Online Air Defense Museum
WWII TOWERS HOME