Built in 1931. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. 17 historic topographic surveys show this location, the earliest from 1892.
“Beacon Fire Observation Tower is located on the summit of South Beacon Mountain in Beacon, New York, United States.”
Wikipedia article Mt. Beacon Fire Observation Tower, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 266 National Register listings published here for Dutchess County · listed in 2009 · category: Structure · built in 1931.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 536 fires within 5 miles of Mt. Beacon Fire Observation Tower between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,215 acres in total. 50 started naturally. 57 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 308 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 57 |
| Natural | 50 |
| Smoking | 43 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 23 |
| Debris and open burning | 20 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 19 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 8 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 4 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 2 |
| Other causes | 2 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 September 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 6 September 2016 | Smoking | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | N/A |
| 6 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | N/A |
| 5 September 2018 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | N/A |
| 5 September 2016 | Smoking | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | N/A |
| 5 September 2008 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 5 September 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Fire Department of New York | not named |
| 4 September 2016 | Recreation and ceremony | 1.3 acres | Fire Department of New York | N/A |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 45 workings within 5 miles of Mt. Beacon Fire Observation Tower: 36 past producers, 8 producers, 1 occurrence. 8 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Clay, Stone, Iron. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hustis Quarry | Titanium | Occurrence | ||
| Limestone Rock Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Probably Serpentine Marble Rock Quarry No. Hk-022 | Stone, Dimension | Past Producer | Marble | |
| Graphite Mine No. Hk-019 | Graphite | Past Producer | Graphite | |
| Graphite Mine No. Hk-019 | Graphite | Past Producer | ||
| Serpentine Marble Quarry | Marble, Dimension | Past Producer | ||
| Serpentine Marble Quarry | Marble, Dimension | Past Producer | ||
| Serpentine Marble Quarry | Marble, Dimension | Past Producer | ||
| Chateaugay Mine | Iron | Past Producer | 1871 | |
| Granitic Gneiss Rock Quarry | Stone | Past Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Beacon, the town this property stands in, in 6 storm reports between 1994 and 2021: 3 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2001 | Hail | Beacon | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beacon | $5,000 | no account filed |
| December 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beacon | $2,000 | A large tree was downed on wires near the corner of High Street and Beekman Street in the City of Beacon, causing road closures. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Beacon | - | Law enforcement personnel reported that trees were down throughout Beacon. |
| May 2002 | Hail | Beacon | - | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Beacon | - | no account filed |
United States Geological Survey topographic sheets whose coverage includes this point. Matched by taking the coordinate the National Park Service records for this property, then testing that coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Mount Beacon Incline Railway and Power House | 0.8 miles | 1982 |
| Tioronda Estate-Craig House Historic District | 1.3 miles | 2023 | |
 | St. Luke's Episcopal Church Complex | 1.5 miles | 2008 |
 | Peter C. DuBois House | 1.5 miles | 2004 |
 | Tioronda Bridge | 1.6 miles | 1976 |
 | Beacon Engine Company No. 1 Firehouse | 1.6 miles | 2004 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 09000862 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Dutchess County | All 266 listed properties in this county. |
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