PORT TOWNSEND — A landmark that has overlooked Fort Worden beaches for more than a century came down to Earth on Wednesday.

“It’s part of my childhood,” said Dave Klemann, who grew up on Morgan Hill.

“It was a fantastic tree house,” said Erik Paulson, who moved to Port Townsend when he was 10.

Klemann, who owns Ben’s Heating, and Paulson, a computer consultant, took the day off from work Wednesday to watch a crane lift the rickety searchlight tower at Fort Worden State Park off its feet and place it gently on the ground.

Due to safety concerns, the century-old tower was fenced off 12 years ago; it was lowered Wednesday to preserve it instead of letting it fall down.

“The long-term idea is to restore it, bring it back and allow public access,” said Dave Hansen, the park’s historic preservation director.

“This is a unique item.”

One of only a few searchlight towers still in existence in the United States, the Fort Worden tower has stood at the entrance to Puget Sound since 1901.

—————-

The rest of the story appears in the Thursday Peninsula Daily News Jefferson County edition. Click on SUBSCRIBE, above, to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.