Bowman's Hill Tower - The Tower

The Tower

Construction on Bowman's Hill Tower tower began in 1929 and was completed in 1931. It stands 125 feet tall and its base measures 24 feet on a side. The tower was constructed from native stone quarried from Bowman's Hill and nearby stone fences. Quarries in Lumberville, Pennsylvania and Lawrenceville, New Jersey provided cut stone to be used for the sills and balustrades. Over 2,400 tons of materials were used in its construction, including; 1,200 perch of stone, 517 tons of sand and 225 tons of cement. In order to provide a solid foundation for the tower, the base was excavated 15 feet (4.57 m). The labor for the construction was provided by employees of the Washington Crossing Park Commission. Including labor, the tower cost $100,000 to build. By 1934 the Tower was struck many times by lightning which resulted in the installation of a lightning protection system by the National Lightning Protection Company of St. Louis, Missouri. During the 1930s the Civil Works Administration and the Works Progress Administration planted over 28,300 seedlings in an effort to reforest the area. A large number of erosion control measures were taken to include the setting of large numbers of rocks and boulders. Additionally, they created two vistas from the tower to the Delaware River, one on the north side of the hill and the other on the southeast side. In the 1980s the tower was extensively restored and an elevator was installed. Previously visitors climbed an open stone spiral staircase to the observation point at the top of the tower. The elevator goes three-quarters of the way to the top and lets out onto a wooden landing. Visitors must then climb a small and narrow 23-step stone spiral staircase to the tower roof. Additionally, there is a parapet over the final stairs that gives the tower its distinctive look.