On Sunday, September 28th the Kent Conservation Advisory Committee invites you to join them in their annual celebration of the restoration of the Mt. Nimham Fire Tower. The event will feature the Nimham Drummers, various bands, musicians, a storyteller, and refreshments. The Event is FREE, but donations are welcomed and appreciated. All funds go to help with the Fire Tower’s maintenance.
Park at NYDEC Mt. Nimham Headquarters Lot on Gipsy Trail Road. Do not drive to the tower.
Shuttle available from 12:30 PM.
Program starts at 2:00 PM
People needing assistance will be shuttled directly to the tower
According to the Town of Kent’s website, “The Firetower on top of Kent’s Mount Nimham, itself more than 1200 feet high, stands 90′ above the mountain top making it the tallest existing fire tower in New York State. While Mount Nimham is not the tallest peak in our County (that honor goes to Bull Hill, sometimes known as Mount Taurus, in Phillipstown) the view from the tower is all-encompassing, taking in NYC to the south through to the Berkshires and the Catskills 75 miles away. The Great fires in the early 1900s destroyed millions of acres of forest in New York, leading to the creation of state fire districts. Fire Towers were erected on mountains in these districts from which spotters could quickly locate potentially dangerous fires sparked by railroad locomotives, careless hunters or residents burning brush.
Located in the Taconic Hills about 60 miles north of New York City and in the heart of Putnam County, Mount Nimham Fire Tower was built by the State of New York and the CCC in 1940. The tower is listed with the National Historic Lookout Register. Now that the restoration efforts are complete, the tower once again offers majestic views of the area.
On a clear day you can see south to New York City, west to the Catskills and north to the Taconics and Berkshire foothills. Also visible in this scenic panorama are Poughkeepsie, Beacon, the entire Croton watershed, all of Putnam County and parts of Connecticut. In the distance to the west, the Shawangunks, Marlboro Hills and Harriman State Park form a virtually unbroken line of impressive heights and preserved recreational open spaces.”
George Baum, Chairman of the Conservation Advisory Committee (CAC) of the Town of Kent, NY posted an article regarding the restoration of the Fire Tower on Mt. Nimham. He describes how it all got started, “We are an appointed volunteer committee to advise the Town Board on conservation issues and to conduct various conservation projects. The tower is now open to the public. DEC gave the Town of Kent CAC stewardship for the tower restoration. After a five year effort, we have replaced the 102 wood steps with steel, reinforced the floor of the cabin at the top, and painted the 90 foot tower. We spent over $30,000 on this effort. Each step bares the name of a donor to the project. The Kent CAC continues to maintain the tower and upgrade the space around the tower. We are also marking some of the alternate trails through the woods to the tower.”
Popularity: 17% [?]
