Cool Cape May 2021-22

year-round activities [55]
A towering attraction
The World War II Lookout Tower on
Sunset Boulevard is New Jersey’s last
freestanding World War II tower, part
of the immense Harbor Defense of
the Delaware system known as Fort
Miles. Built in 1942, the tower was one of 15 used
as observation posts to detect enemy vessels and
direct the artillery fire from nearby coastal batteries.
Fort Miles was a collection of fire control towers
and gun batteries, plus barracks and support
buildings, on both sides of the Delaware Bay. By
World War II the military used a spread-out series
of towers and batteries, whose firing ranges overlapped,
to protect a large territory.
Its largest guns and headquarters were located
on the Delaware side, in what is now Cape Henlopen
State Park, since the shipping channel hugs
the Southern shore of Delaware Bay.
The towers were not originally designed to
spot submarines, but to destroy German battleships.
Giant underwater nets prevented submarines
from entering the Delaware Bay. Teams of
American aircraft with bombs and naval vessels
with sonar and depth charges took the lead
in tracking down and destroying the German
U-boats. But when the tide of battle shifted in
our favor, a change occurred in the use of the Fire
Control Tower.
In the final year of the war, members of the
Coast Guard Auxiliary were stationed here to help
spot submarines. German submarines sank many
merchant vessels off the coast of Cape May, but
no German ships ever made it up the Delaware
River to the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia
or Camden.
Fire Control Tower No. 23, as it was officially
known, was listed on the National Register of
Historic Places in 2003. In 2004, Cape May MAC
signed a 20-year lease for the tower and, following
restoration work, opened it to the public in April
2009. The organization continues to maintain and
interpret the site for members of the public.
Inside, a staircase winds back and forth taking
you to the sixth-floor watch gallery. Changing
exhibits along the way highlight varying topics of
history related to the tower. Interpretive panels
and photos explain the tower’s function, while a
Wall of Honor pays tribute to local residents who
served during World War II. More than 160 veterans’
photos are on display there.
A symbolic eternal flame sculpture designed
by local artist Stephen D. Bradway was installed
in 2012 on the boardwalk at the rear of the tower.
The memorial stands 44 inches tall and consists
of a copper cauldron atop a copper-clad pylon.
Three-dimensional brass flames arise from the
cauldron, symbolizing the passing of the torch
from local World War II veterans to all area veterans.
The inscription on an adjacent plaque reads,
“This eternal flame honors not only the veterans
of World War II of the Cape May area but also
all area veterans who have nobly carried forth the
torch of defending our nation.” The memorial is
open year-round for quiet contemplation.
Continuing restoration efforts rely largely on
revenue from admissions and public contributions.
The World War II Lookout Tower is open to
the public from March through November. Visit
capemaymac.org for schedule.