As historians, finding out the truths of the past is our work. So when we decided to write a post about the plane-spotting tower affixed to the roof of the building next door, we assumed that researching the tower would be a fairly straightforward undertaking. Ha.
After combing through the museum’s files, poring over hundreds of pages of old town meeting records, consulting with the town engineering office, and hunting for clues in the tower itself, we must conclude that nothing can be concluded yet.
The tower was not part of the original building. Was it built, then, for World War II civil defense efforts, as we originally assumed? Apparently not—in our files, there are civil defense documents which cite the tower, but they also cite Vinton School, which did not open until January 27, 1952. Perhaps the tower was added for the Korean War (1950-1953)? Or the Cold War? But would a plane-spotting tower have made sense for one of those wars? Your guess is as good as ours.
We had hoped to uncover all the secrets of this tower before sharing our work with the world. But the mysteries are not budging yet, so instead we’d like to share with you the messy, puzzling nature of the historical process. Of course this tower has a history, and a birth date, and a specific set of truths. What is that history? What are those truths?
Please let us know if you remember anything about the tower. And we promise to keep you posted.
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If You'd Like To Learn More:
- Chronology of Mansfield, Connecticut: 1702-2002. Mansfield, Conn.: Mansfield Historical Society, 2003.
- Keep reading our blog.
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