Gettysburg Tower Falls

July 3, 2000 -- — To the joy of historical preservationists, a steel tower that stood over the location of the Civil War’s most famous battle was demolished today in an effort to restore the battlefield to its war-era appearance.

The Gettysburg National Tower, which a private company opened in1974 over the objections of park officials, fell on the 137th anniversary of Pickett’s Charge, the climactic standoff of the three-day Battle of Gettysburg. In that battle, Union forces turned backthe charge of Confederate troops under the direct command of Gen.George Edward Pickett.

The bloody battle took place along Cemetery Ridge, a shortdistance from the tower site and many historians see it as the turning point of the Civil War. Although there were casualties of nearly 60 percent, Pickett’s rebel troops broke the line but were unable to hold their position.

Demolition of the tower was part of a National Park Servicecampaign to remove modern structures built on the battlefield. In June, a federal judge ruled in favor of the government in a lawsuit seeking permission for control of the site and took the tower away from its former owners, Overview Limited Partnership. According to Overview Limited Partnership, the tower measured393 feet from its base to the tip of an antenna at its top.

Restoring Sacred GroundBefore the tower’s fall, National Park officials and preservationists called the demolition the first step towards restoring a sacred land in United States history .

“This is truly a great day for everyone who cares about our nation’s sacred ground,” said park superintendent John Latschar.

Preservationists said the historical importance of Gettysburgrequired the correction of past “mistakes” by the government thatallowed the modern intrusions.

“To a preservationist, demolition is almost always an uglyword,” said Richard Moe, the president of the National Trust forHistoric Preservation. “But not today. Today, we’re doingsomething right.”

Controlled Demolition Inc., a family-run company, performed the demolition. The company offered to perform the demolition forfree, prompting the park service to press for condemnation of thetower by the company’s July 3 deadline. The government set aside $3million to compensate the former owners of the tower and the landit sits on, although the precise amount will be determined later bya judge.

The company said its demolition work for the project wouldnormally cost about $75,000, although the park service claimed in acourt filing that the work would save the government $1 million.Park officials said the higher cost referred to the cost ofdisassembling the tower piece by piece.

‘Criminal Vandalism’Beyond demolishing the tower, the park plans to restore fences,orchards and lanes that were present in 1863 and remove modernbuildings that sit on the battlefield.

Although welcomed by historic preservationists, the demolitionis not without its critics, most notably the engineer who designedthe structure.

Joel H. Rosenblatt told The Baltimore Sun that destroying thetower was “criminal vandalism.”

“This thing is more than just another tower,” he said. “It isunusual engineering design, and it’s worth saving. It deservesattention for itself.”

Rosenblatt said the tower was unusual enough that he took outpatents on its shape and construction. The tower, which consisted of a four-level viewing area in the shapeof an octagon, was supported by a latticework of battleship graysteel.The Associated Press contributed to this report.