Green Mountain Lookout
US 1326, CA 149
Green Mountain Lookout - 1987

Green Mountain Lookout - 1987 - courtesy of Cal Fire Museum - Bob Foley Collection

Lookout Details

Registry Numbers US 1326, CA 149 (view other lookouts in United States, California)
Date Registered October 22, 2019
Nominated by Brad Eells
Location Mariposa County, California
Coordinates N 37° 15.918' W 119° 59.471' (view using Google Maps)
N 37° 15' 55" W 119° 59' 28"
N 37.265306° W 119.991190°
Elevation 1,380 ft (421 m)
Built 1943
Administered by California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection - Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit (Cal Fire MMU)
Cooperators US Army Air Corps - Aircraft Warning Service

Description

The U.S. Army established the Aircraft Warning service (AWS) in the late 1930s, to guard against enemy attack. A network of aircraft "spotters" were located in existing fire lookouts and at scores of ancillary sites. The Forest Service (Los Padres N.F.) designed the subject building. several dozen of these 240 square foot residences with 70 square foot cupolas were built. They were most common along the coastal regions of the State. (MVT 10/91)

Green Mountain Fire Lookout is located at an elevation of 1,380 feet and was constructed in early 1943 on one acre of land. It is located on private property and there is no public access to the site any longer.

      Very little is known about the Green Mountain Lookout. During the Second World War it was primarily used for an aircraft observation post, as were many of the lookouts located in this area were. There seems to be some historical value to the lookout shown in the March, 1990 B/W photos.

      In 1983 a person who was doing research on fire lookouts in California stated Green Mountain Lookout is one of the few lookouts built in that era, that are still in its original configuration. The lookout was built in 1942 by CDF carpenter, Frank Greeley, out of Mariposa. According to the first lookout (Clinton Preston) assigned to Green Mountain, during 1942 and 1943, it was also used as an aircraft spotting station in conjunction with the Second World War.

      The lookout is of wood frame construction. It sits on a concrete foundation which was poured on a large rock pile. The cap, or lookout section, is square and has three large windows on each side. Shutters shade the windows from the sun on all four sides of the lookout section. The living quarters is rectangular shaped with tilt-in-sash type windows, and plain wooden shingles as siding. Both cap roof and low gable roof are covered with wood shingles. In 1969, exterior stairs were added for personnel safety, and the interior steps deteriorated and were removed on 1979.

      The lookouts use ended in on an unknown date and the tower was turned back over to the property owner. In the mid-2004 a communications company inquired about placing a cell phone tower on the site. This was the last of any information on the site since then. www.fire-lookouts.org/cali/green_mtn/index.htm (edited)

The structure is standing as of May 2018.

 

Map

Change Basemap

Photos

March 1990

March 1990 - courtesy of Cal Fire Museum - Bob Foley Collection

1983

1983 - courtesy of Cal Fire Museum - Bob Foley Collection

Photo courtesy of Cal Fire Museum - Bob Foley Collection