Timber Tower
Dimensional Lumber Tower
Pipe Tower
Bilby Tower
Peck Tower
Four-foot Stand
Truck Mounted Observing Tower
G-Tower
Trailer Mounted Tower
Swedish PoleDimensional Lumber Tower
U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey personnel designed, created drawings of, and built dimensional lumber towers at many heights between 10 and 120 feet. Smaller towers were often reused—transported via truck from site to site.
A smaller tower being hauled, still assembled, on a trailer to a new survey site.
Dimensional lumber towers were constructed of standard-sized, factory-produced lumber. Many early dimensional lumber towers were one-of-a-kind. However, in later years, to speed construction and to save money, standardized towers were built from plans. Standard heights included 10, 15, 24, 30, 60, 100, and 120 feet. Small towers were even reused by transporting them from mark to mark on flat-bed trailers.
- Tower shown: Dimensional lumber tower
- Approximate dates of use: Mid-1800s to 1980
- Average heights: 10, 15, 24, 30, 60, 100, and 120 feet
- Materials of construction: Wood
- Unique features: Often constructed following standardized plans to increase speed of construction and reduce cost.