By Carol Britton Meyer

The long-awaited rehabilitation of the historic Fort Revere water tower is under way, and the town reports that the contractor has completed a substantial amount of work and expects to be finished with the project in October.

The observation deck of the 120-foot-tall tower, built in 1903, was closed to the public in 2012 because it was deemed unsafe for visitors.

**TOWERING EXPECTATIONS:** The long-awaited rehabilitation of the historic Fort Revere water tower is under way, with crews preparing the roof of the 120-foot-tall structure for the installation of new slate panels. [Richard W. Green photo]

The total project cost of $2.046 million is funded by a town meeting appropriation of $2.2 million and a $75,000 Massachusetts Historical Commission grant. In addition, part of the Hull Redevelopment Authority’s payment in lieu of taxes to the town may be used for the tower work if necessary– up to $83,000 – according to Director of Community Development and Planning Chris DiIorio.

Work completed so far by the contractor, Cape Cod Builders, includes removing the stairs, preparations for a new slate roof, and chipping away “at the concrete that was problematic,” DiIorio told The Hull Times in response to an email.

The contractor also has installed rebar and fastened it to the tower to create the structure for the concrete repairs, and the roof sheathing is about to be replaced to provide a base for the new slate roof shingles. Cracks are being braced and filled with epoxy.

Still to be accomplished are concrete and masonry repairs, replacement of the existing concrete observation platform, restoration of existing windows, replacement of the concrete stairs with new metal stairs, and the replacement slate roof.

When asked if there will be public access to the observation deck – a question that has come up repeatedly throughout the process – DiIorio said that decision has not yet been made.

“The stairway is narrow, steep, and rounded, so it would be difficult to pass another person if people were ascending and descending at the same time,” he explained. “There would need to be some operational oversight if/when it was opened.”

Fort Revere is jointly owned by the Town of Hull and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, is located on Telegraph Hill in historic Hull Village. The town owns the water tower and the main sections of the bunkers, or gun emplacements, while the state owns several bunkers and the picnic area in front of the tower. The DCR also owns the former officers’ quarters on Farina Road, which is being restored in a separate project by preservation carpenter Larry Seaboyer.

A Revolutionary War-era fort on Telegraph Hill was named Fort Independence. The current concrete fort was built at the turn of the last century as part of the Boston Harbor defense system and named in honor of patriot Paul Revere. The fort was an active military base through World War II.

Following the decommissioning of the fort in 1947, the land passed into private hands. Efforts begun during the United States Bicentennial celebration in 1976 resulted in the fort’s restoration and the installation of an amphitheater within the walls of the fortification, according to the Fort Revere-Fort Independence Park Preservation Society.

Nearby is presumably the gravesite of nearly 200 French soldiers who died while fighting for America in the Revolutionary War.

Historical commission member and Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce President Steven Greenberg told The Hull Times he believes the current Fort Revere restoration project “is of great importance as it represents the community’s continued stewardship of our historic assets.”

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