Fate of Disused Historic N.C. Fire Tower in Question

Dec. 23--

"Obviously it's an eyesore and as soon as we can, we'd like to make it more attractive," said Jennifer Sullivan, the garden's executive director. "It is the unfortunate neighbor that we hope to take care of."

The four story-brick structure hasn't been used for about five years, when the Fayetteville Fire Department shifted its training operations to a site near the city airport. In July, the city deeded the property, just shy of an acre and valued at $78,908, to the garden.

For several years, the garden has stored piles of gravel, mulch and leaves in the yard. Old Christmas trees are piled there each January for the annual Grinding of the Greens. But the long range plan is to build a new home there for the garden's horticultural operations, with a storage barn and a place for gardeners' belongings.

"We will ultimately have to take the tower down," Sullivan said, "but we don't have the funds to do it right now."

How much it will cost isn't known. Sullivan said the fundraising project is probably three years away.

When that happens, ugly though the tower may be, a chunk of history will be torn down along with the bricks.

Built in 1952, the 40-foot-plus brick tower was part of Pope Park, the land that eventually became the botanical garden in 1990. It had to be at least as tall as most buildings in the city to guarantee the Fire Department's insurance rating.

For years, the training tower was the only one of its size in southeastern North Carolina.

"There's no telling how many thousands of firefighters over the years used that facility," said Calvin Bishop, a battalion chief with the Fayetteville Fire Department. His late uncle, Thurman Bishop, was once fire chief. He died in 1983, while doing physical training in front of the Central Fire Station downtown.

Calvin Bishop joined the department more than 30 years ago. Back then, the training still involved jumping into a net held by firefighters on the ground, something seen these days only in movies.

"You had all the firemen holding the net, and you had to jump off into that thing," Bishop said. "You talk about scared."

He laughed. "That net sure did look small when you went to throw yourself off into the heavens to try to land on that thing."

Staff writer Gregory Phillips can be reached at [email protected] or 486-3596.