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Arsonists destroy High Knob tower
Firefighters could do nothing but watch early Wednesday as the last of the High Knob Observation Tower’s wooden decking burns. Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service.
_________________________HIGH KNOB — A Wise County landmark was destroyed Wednesday in what firefighters are calling a Halloween arson incident.
The Jefferson National Forest’s High Knob Observation Tower went up in flames early Wednesday, leaving U.S. Forest Service authorities and everyone else scratching their heads over the senselessness of the incident. Arsonists also destroyed a restroom at the Clinch Ranger District at the Hanging Rock Picnic Area in Scott County. Clinch District Ranger Ron Bush said the restroom fire was reported roughly a half hour after local fire departments and USFS personnel had arrived at the tower site above Norton.
“At about 7 a.m. we received a call from Wise County Dispatch. They informed us of a fire at High Knob Tower. We responded with several other fire departments. I got up there around 7:30 or so. As you know it’s a two-story structure, and it was well engulfed in flames at that time. The fire departments did a great job, but there was nothing they could really save there.”
Bush said he could only guess that torching a popular landmark was someone’s idea of a Halloween prank, but he didn’t have to guess that it’s a seriously costly crime. Replacement costs of the tower will be prohibitive, he said.
“We’re obviously surprised. The High Knob Tower is just a local landmark for miles around. We’re certainly disappointed to see this happen. I couldn’t even begin to hazard a guess, but I know it will cost tens and tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars to replace that thing,” Bush said.
USFS wildlife biologist Lois Boggs said the late great tower was probably built in the 1960s or early 1970s. It was originally a fire watch tower, then transformed into a tourist observation tower. The history of a lookout structure of some sort goes back to at least the 1930s, however.
“There was actually a little building on the ground back in the 1930s, back when there were no trees and people had livestock up there. Then between the 1930s and 1950s we started putting metal (fire watch) towers on various places on the district, and High Knob was one of them,” Boggs said.
The two-story structure built 40 to 50 years ago featured an attractive solid stone bottom with a wood upper story. The most serious vandalism on the structure to this point was the annoying habit of many visitors to carve their initials or proclamations of love into the woodwork.
“Yeah, we’re all glad to know you were here and in love,” said Boggs.
“In the ’90s we re-decked it, put in new steps and a new roof,” she said. “At one point when it was still used as an observation tower for fires, we had it open to the public. There were maps and windows and all that. We still occasionally come up here, even though (airplanes are now used to spot forest fires) to look over the district and see if there are any smokes or anything going on. Of course, that’s all gone for everyone now.”
Volunteer fire departments from Norton and Coeburn were among the responding firefighter units sent to no avail, Bush said.
“We lost a lot of property in a short time. The bathroom, a wood and block structure, I don’t know, it would probably cost $10,000, $15,000, maybe $20,000 to replace. It just costs a lot now these days to build or rebuild anything,” Bush said. “As far as replacing High Knob Tower, I’m sure that is going to be talked over. The thing is, the way our budgets are we’ll just have to wait and see when the money’s available. If it went to $50,000 to $100,000 to rebuild the tower, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Bush said the first step will be for a USFS engineer to assess the requirements for a rebuilding job. In the meantime, folks should forget seeing any more fall foliage from High Knob the remainder of this season, maybe even a few more seasons into the future.
“It’s going to be a hazard to go up there and poke around, and I’m sure a lot of folks are going to want to do that. But we’re going to close the area and get it kind of safed up. The rock walls are still standing. They still looked pretty good and solid, so that may be of good benefit to us there. We’ll see what the engineers have to say about that. It’s just a sad thing for everybody.”
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Not actually being a native, born and raised in Wise County, I'll always feel Coeburn, VA is my home. Raised in the military, dad was in the Air Force, he always talked about how beautiful and peaceful the mountains of Southwest VA were, and the coalmine communities he grew up around. My brothers and I thought his stories were so fascinating. When Dad put in for some military leave when we were being transferred from one base to another, from one side of the country to the other....if we were going anywhere near his home state of VA we always took a couple of weeks to go in and visit with family and friends. I barely remember my first visit to the High Knob tower back in the 60's but I do recall with fondness making the trek up the tower with Aunt Cosbie and Uncle Fred Carico and Mamaw Meade (Malissa Hayes Meade). When dad retired, we made our home on Sandy Ridge in Coeburn, Va. Many picnics and hikes, family gatherings, camping and fishing have been spent at Bark Camp and High Knob...or "going up on the knob" as we got around to saying as all home folk did. The beauty of the mountains in SW VA are breathtaking and I feel as I have lost a friend since the tower has been destroyed. I, like others voicing their opinion here am anxious also to see the cowards caught and dealt with. The only solace I can think of to look forward to for those responsible....something they thought was a prank and funny to do at the time...the only good justice will be that it will come back to haunt them for the rest of their lives the devasting tragedy they have caused and the many people it has hurt because of what they have done. Debbie Meade Smith, Taylorsville, NC
My grandfather built the tower, laid all the stone on it and done all of the stone work at cave springs also, so my family has lost another part of him thanks to the cowards that burnt the tower. I hope the police catch who ever done it and burns them alive.
For anyone who is interested I have started a website to benefit the rebuilding of a new High Knob Observation Tower.. you can access it by going to www.myspace.com/highknobtower or email me at highknobtower2007@yahoo.com.
We plan to organize fundraisers and events to help raise the money needed to rebuild as soon as possible...
Thank you all!
I am so sad to see such a beautiful tower burnt down. I can remeber as a child climbing the "big tower". My child is very upset about the tower also, as is everyone I talk too.
I hope that the person or persons who did this comes to justice soon.
In my many years, I've seldom been as shocked as I was when the newspaper came to the house with the picture of the fire! Such a beautiful, peaceful place to have come to such an awful end. And we will probably never know who did this. There is no "why." What conceivable reason could there be for such an insane act of vandalism? For all my years, every time I've come back home from out of state, I've traveled to the tower, to drink in the quiet, the beauty, the overwhelming glory of the view from that tower. My children have learned about the tower from me, and have come to love the place too. We have panoramic pictures from every possible angle from atop the tower, in all seasons of the year. We've picnicked there. We've gone there to restore our senses when everything around us had gone wrong. My husband went there with me for the first time and could not believe how incredible the views are from there. And now ... ashes. How unspeakably sad. There's no way to replace it. And why would anyone even try? It will never be the same. Let us hope the arsonists can get help for their problems, because they surely have serious problems!
Thank you Mr. Crawford. I am glad to know that someone else was angered by this senseless act other than myself. I am not a resident of Scott or Wise county, however I married into the area, and my husband and I too love to drive up to the mountain and awe in the beauty. The tower was a beautiful, breathtaking view in ALL seasons and to have it destroyed on purpose or as a prank makes me SICK! This area of Virginia is SO beautiful and there is so much history in both Scott and Wise counties it is a SHAME that people do not cherish the things and places God has given them to enjoy, and if they didn't enjoy it, why destroy it for everyone else. I hope when they are caught the punishment will fit the crime.
I apologize for the double post but a detective from the WCSO and officials from the Forestry Service just left with what little info I could give them, I can only hope I can help to catch this/these criminals so as to avoid another treasured landmark from being destroyed.
Mr. Simmons, I'll be passing my hunch along to the Wise County Sheriffs Office today. The problem with questioning people that live on the access route is that no one lives near the tower, so people could have came over the mountain from Scott County, which is very possible. The road from the Scott county side is VERY remote and is mostly gravel until you top the mountain on the Wise Co. side. If you go up from the Norton side the only people that could have seen any vehicles go that way live at the foot of the Knob so it's unlikely to leave any real leads. Thankfully the Virginia State Police and USFS has excellent fire investigation teams along with the dedication of the WCSO deputies, I think they will find whoever did this quickly and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.
If anyone has any information, please give the police a tip. as dry as this weather has been it is this could have easily have spread through the woods. Arson is not a prank...it is serious crime.
Mr. Crawford if you even have a slight hunch on who may have been involved, please call the Sheriff's Department. I'm sure they would appreciate the lead. Everybody who lives on the access route should try and recollect any vehicles/people they may have seen during the overnight and morning time frames. These people need to be caught and prosecuted severely
My wife and daughter were up there last week. My daugter marveled at all the initials carved into to the tower. Now all that history is senselessly wasted!That was truly one of our prettiest landmarks. If anyone knows any information that would help authorities ...Please help to stop these idiots from striking again!
This doesn't just sadden me, it ANGERS me. My wife and I loved going up to the tower and just sitting there taking in all the beauty our county has to offer and these miscreants had to have their fun and destroy it. I live here in Wise county and I have a good idea who did it, but with no proof there's nothing that can be done. If I were to come across the person or persons who did this I would spit on them like the trash they are.