Aircraft Warning Service Observation Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Aircraft Warning Service Observation Tower
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 Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | 216 Spring Road, Agnew, Washington |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1941 |
| Built by | Fred and Jean Cook |
| NRHP reference No. | 93000363 |
| Added to NRHP | April 29, 1993 |
The Aircraft Warning Service Observation Tower in Agnew, Washington was built in 1941. It was a special lookout spot used during World War II. Volunteers from the Aircraft Warning Service used it to watch for enemy airplanes.
This tower was first built near Dungeness. But in 1992, it was moved to where it stands today.
Contents
History of the Tower
Building the Lookout Tower
The tower is made of wood and stands about 35 feet (10.7 meters) tall. It was built using materials that people donated. It was placed behind the farmhouse of Fred and Jean Cook. From there, it had a clear view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Jean Cook was the "chief observer" for this tower. She put together a team of 300 people. These volunteers worked together to watch the skies 24 hours a day.
Watching for Airplanes
The Aircraft Warning Service (AWS) was a program during World War II. Its job was to spot enemy planes. If a volunteer saw something, they would report it to a "filter center."
The reports from the Cook tower went to the Port Angeles filter center. This center would collect all the reports. Then, they would send the information to the U.S. Army. The AWS program was active from 1941 until October 1943.
Saving the Tower
After World War II ended, most of these lookout towers were taken apart. Others were simply left to fall apart. The Cook tower is the only one left in Clallam County, Washington.
Because of safety worries, the tower was partly taken down. It was then moved to the land of Harriet U. Fish. She had actually worked at the Seattle filter center during the war. The tower was put back together and fixed up at its new home.
What the Tower Looks Like
The wooden tower is about 8 feet (2.4 meters) wide and 8.5 feet (2.6 meters) long. It has three floors, and each floor is a single room. You get to each room from an outside staircase.
There are windows on every floor. The top floor has bigger windows and a balcony around it. The lower parts of the tower are covered with a type of siding called "board-and-batten." The top part has wide, flat wooden boards. The roof is pointed and has wide edges.
A Historic Place
The Aircraft Warning Service Observation Tower is important because of its history. On April 29, 1993, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of buildings, sites, and objects that are important in American history.
