The Chenocetah Fire Tower is a historic stone tower in the Chenocetah Mountains of Cornelia, Habersham County, Georgia. Standing 40 feet (12 meters) tall, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 11, 1984. The structure was built in 1937 as part of a public works program by the Farm Security Administration's Resettlement Administration to move and employ impoverished farmers. Its purpose was to allow firefighters to spot fires in the Chattahoochee National Forest.
The tower was first dedicated on June 7, 1938. Governor Eurith D. Rivers delivered the dedicatory address, while Cornelia Mayor Crawford gave the address of welcome. Charles S. Vance, the project manager who took over from Mr. Woodroof, and William A. Hartmen, the regional director, were also in attendance. Governor Rivers was taken on a tour of the projects following the ceremony.
The tower was used in active service as a fire tower until 1975. After 1975, it remained unused until 1989 when the Georgia Forestry Commission took over staffing during the fire season. The tower was rededicated after World War II in memory of three forest workers who died during the war. Today, locals have formed the Chenocetah Conservation Corps to provide grounds maintenance around the structure and surrounding landscape.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Friendly Jane
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