Mount Agamenticus Radar Station

courtesy of NOAA - Coast & Geodetic Survey Historic Image Collection

An anti-aircraft spotting station and an SCR-271 early-warning radar were located on Mount Agamenticus (692 feet elevation), adjacent to the old US Forest Service 50-foot tall steel-frame fire-spotting tower (built 1934, replacing an earlier wooden tower from 1918). Although not officially under the command of the Portsmouth Harbor Defenses, the site was manned by 25 soldiers of the 551st Battalion, U.S. Army Signal Corps. The first arrivals lived in tents until the barracks were built in 1942. One civilian was stationed in the forest fire lookout tower. In the winter of 1945, the entire complex was destroyed by fire, as fire equipment could not get up the road due to heavy snow. No visible remains today, except for the radar tower's four concrete footings, which are now currently built over by a new (early 2000s) wooden viewing platform. The last remaining military buildings were demolished by the early 1980s. The old 1934 Forest Service tower was replaced by a new 65-foot tower in 1981. A microwave radio communications tower was also built here in the early 1970s.

GPS for Mt. Agamenticus Benchmark (OC2305) - N 43° 13.406 W 070° 41.517 (NAD 83)
(about eight feet from the radar tower footings)
GPS for Mt. Agamenticus Fire Tower (OC2304) - N 43° 13.423 W 070° 41.561 (NAD 83)

Located at Mount Agamenticus, York, Maine.

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