Lind Tower - Truro, MA - Relocated Structures on Waymarking.com

In Truro, near the Cape Cod Highland Light, is a stone turret structure that is known as the Lind Tower, which was moved here from Boston.

The tower is located near the old North Truro Air Force Station. While it has been turned over to the Cape Cod National Seashore, the tower is not accessible by road or trail. To get there, follow signs from South Highland Road for the Highland Center. The tower is visible above the trees from outside the fence at the entrance to the Air Force Station. A better location to see the tower is from the Cape Cod Highland Light, which is off South Highland Road about a quarter mile to the north - follow signs to the lighthouse and the Higland Golf Course, then walk on the access road beyond the lighthouse.

The tower is a stone structure with a definite turret shape. From the Highland Light, there is an open window.

You would think that maybe this came from a castle. In fact, it came from a railroad depot in Boston. There is a great picture of the railroad depot with two of these turrets on Wikipedia. The station, occupied by the Fitchburg Railroad until it merged into the Boston & Maine RR, was built before 1850. In 1850, then famous singer Jenny Lind sang in the auditorium above the station. The concert was oversold, and Lind had to cut short the concert when angry people broke open the gate. Legend has it that Lind climbed the tower and sang to the crowd to quell them. Also, as legend has it, Lawyer Henry M. Aldrich was present at that concert, and when the station was about to be demolished in 1927, he preserved the tower in memory of the concert and had it transported, block by block by sea and land to land he bought in Truro. He then had five men working on it for two months to reassemble it.

The truth is less than certain. The legend that Lind sang to the crowd is not supported by local newspaper reports. This may have been started by P. T. Barnum, who publicized Lind's concert. Aldrich, it turns out, was not even born when the event took place. But Aldrich was involved with the railroad, and may have just liked the tower and wanted to preserve it for himself.

If the Highland Light is open, you should look at the small exhibit about the tower in the hallway between the gift shop and the tower itself.

Original Location: N 42° 22.002 W 071° 03.608 How it was moved: Disassembled Type of move: City to City Building Status: Public Related Website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
Tell of your visit. Post an original photograph if possible.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   11/05/2012 petendot visited it