Contact: Patrick Cooper, Cape Henlopen State Park, phone: (302) 645-8983
or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, phone: (302) 739-9902

Cape Henlopen State Park’s Observation Tower Closing for Repairs

The popular public observation tower in the Fort Miles Historical Area of Cape Henlopen State Park will be closing for structural work for approximately a month or longer beginning Monday, March 5.

“When we finish, the tower will look better and, more importantly, be safer for our visitors,” said Cape Henlopen State Park Administrator Patrick Cooper, noting the work is being done to maintain the 66-year-old tower’s structural integrity.

Fort Miles’ vital mission during World War II was to prevent enemy ships from entering the Delaware River to attack the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia, home to major shipbuilding and war industries. Built in 1941, the fort was armed with heavy coastal guns having a range up to 25 miles. In order to aim them, a network of reinforced concrete towers, known as Fire Control Towers, was built. At 94 feet 11 inches, Cape Henlopen’s public observation tower is the tallest of 11 surviving Fire Control Towers along Delaware’s Atlantic coastline, including four others on the park’s grounds.

By the late 1950s, the increasing use of long-range missiles had rendered Fort Miles’ defenses obsolete, and in 1964, 543 acres of the army base were returned to the State of Delaware to form the heart of Cape Henlopen State Park. The fort was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Some of the fort’s surviving structures, including the towers, barracks and batteries, have been preserved and some are slated for restoration. A 12-inch “big gun” of the same type used at Fort Miles was set up in Battery 519 last year.

Fort Miles draws thousands of visitors each year, including families, history buffs and veterans who come for tours and programs that bring its story to life.

“We hope the work on the public observation tower will make visiting Fort Miles an even more enjoyable experience for our park visitors,” Cooper said. “Our target is to have it reopened to the public in April, in time for spring.”

For more information about Cape Henlopen State Park or the Fort Miles Historical Area, please call 302-645-8983 or visit www.destateparks.com/chsp/FortMiles.asp. 
 

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