By Michelle Price
Special to the UCBJ
NASHVILLE – Wednesday, Jan. 27, the Tennessee State Review Board will meet to examine proposed nominations to the National Register of Historic Places including the Twinton Fire Lookout Tower in Overton County. The 9 a.m. meeting will be held via WebEx. Information on attending the meeting remotely can be obtained by visiting the National Register webpage.
The Twinton Fire Lookout Tower, also known as the Colliers Rock Lookout Tower, is located on Threet Road in the Crawford community. It is an 80-ft. bolted, truss frame, steel structure constructed in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The tower provided a high, sheltered location for fire observation through its square cab featuring a band of windows that provide a 360° panoramic view of the surrounding terrain.
The nominated property is situated within a one-acre clearing surrounded by mature forests and includes one contributing resource, a ca. 1933 fire tower. Although the immediate setting of the Twinton Lookout Tower has been compromised by modern construction, the tower itself has not been significantly altered since its date of construction in 1933. As a result, the structure retains a high level of historic integrity. Located roughly 65 feet east of the tower is a one-story crew cabin that appears to date to ca. 1933.
The Board will also vote on six other nominations from across the state:
- Laurel Springs Primitive Baptist Church – Cocke County
- Lonesome (William G. and Dicy Austin House) – Dickson County
- Christ Episcopal Church – Hamilton County
- Missouri Portland Cement Terminal – Shelby County
- Memphis Overland Company – Shelby County
- Chuck Swan Fire Lookout Tower – Union County
Copies of draft nominations to be examined at the meeting can be found on the National Register webpage.
Those nominations that are found to meet the criteria will be sent for final approval to the National Register of Historic Places in the Department of the Interior. The Tennessee State Review Board is composed of 13 members with backgrounds in American history, architecture, archaeology or related fields. It also includes members representing the public. The National Register program was authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The public is invited to attend the WebEx meeting.For more information about the National Register meeting contact Rebecca Schmitt atRebecca.schmitt@tn.gov . Visit http://tnhistoricalcommission.org to find out more about our program
