Harlem Culture Crawl: The Historic Fire Watch Tower Tour, Marcus Garvey Par

The Fire Watchtower in Marcus Garvey Park has been a symbol of Harlem since 1856. In the 1800s, it was one of a series of cast iron towers built throughout New York City, but it is the only one of its kind remaining in New York. The watchtower provided a perch atop Mount Morris for firefighters to keep watch over the community and alert the local fire company if a fire broke. The tower was decommissioned in the 1870s when pull boxes rendered watchtowers obsolete. While the other watchtowers throughout the city were torn down, the Harlem community rallied to protect this one - and that community has continued to advocate on behalf of this special structure ever since. Urban Park Rangers will host a Firewatch tower tour on May 16 from 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM. Meeting point is the Acropolis in Marcus Garvey Park. Limited handicap access. Stairs involved.