Eagle Tower

Eagle Tower is a panoramic, sightseeing tower located in Peninsula State Park in Door County, Wisconsin. The tower was first built in 1914 with the intent of creating breathtaking views of Lake Michigan and the surrounding Michigan Islands. The tower was also used as a fire watching station with a telephone line connected to the park manager’s house.

Of course, as many buildings and structures of this time period, Eagle Tower was not accessible when it was originally built. The tower was torn down in 1932, and completely rebuilt, only one foot shorter and still not physically accessible. Finally in 2016, the tower was deconstructed once again in order to create one of the first accessible watch towers over 50 feet in our country. This reconstruction takes a step in the right direction as architecture throughout the world begins to adopt aspects of inclusive design.

The recent renovation of Eagle Tower was designed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, with the input of local engineers and the general public. Avoiding the expenses of an elevator or expanding the foundation, option c, an 850' ramp navigating through the treetops was chosen as the final design. This $3.5 million renovation was made possible through local fundraising and state funding. The final tower opened May 19th of 2021, offering a new, accessible view for the public. 

Eagle Tower and Door County have been a top attraction in the state of Wisconsin for decades, attracting visitors from within the state and across the nation. Standing as an iconic structure for longer than a century, the tower has a deeper connection to the people of Wisconsin than one might think. Offering a signature panoramic view that has withstood the test of time, the joy and sense of accomplishment when experiencing this view is valued to those who have seen it.

This is a major factor in the argument of why this site is important to disability history. What about the people that didn’t have this opportunity? Whether we challenge race or disability as a factor in this situation, people were denied a right that was supposedly available to everyone. As of the most recent census, 94% of the residents in Door County are white. While we cannot point fingers at the ones living there, it’s interesting to think how the history of country played a factor in this turn out. This large-scale reconstruction of Eagle Tower gives a nod to the movement following inclusive design and is promising in the hope that times are finally changing regarding disability justice in our country.  

Throughout the history of our country, disability has been consistently linked with weakness. Looking no further than our nation's government, we see how even the most powerful, influential people have followed this narrative for decades. With Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the United States 32nd President, being the most famous example, numerous U.S. presidents have had diagnosed disabilities. Eisenhower, JFK, Reagan, and Honest Abe are only a few of the big names that make the list of disabled. After hiding his disability for the first three terms he served, FDR, who suffered from polio, decided to devote the rest of his life and image to the recognition of these disabilities.

Before he was elected for his fourth term, FDR rode down the street during a campaign in his wheelchair within his hometown of Chicago, finally expressing his impairment. He signed the Social Security Act of 1935, which brought medical aid to those who dealt with disability, which was the first federal regulation put into place recognizing the disabled community. This influenced the birth of many acts after his death, including the Rehabilitation act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act that we encounter today. FDR’s influence was spread nationwide, but even touched a small county in eastern Wisconsin. The article image provided was taken from the Door County Advocate in 1933, which described the change in required work hours for employees. Whether it was coincidence or destiny, the influence of FDR reached Peninsula State Park, and can be attributed as a steppingstone towards the inclusive design we see today. FDR's influence created a cultural shift toward the recognition and incorporation of the disabled community.

As we learned in  Perri Meldon’s lecture * about the National Park System, disability has risen to the forefront of their concerns. Although Peninsula State Park is not a National Park, the qualities and conflicts that surround each of them are fairly similar. Within Perri’s lecture we learn about the historical sites linked to disability that were preserved over time, but we learned very little about the accessibility within their parks and how they treat “inaccessible space.” With extreme and unforgiving landscapes, there is a finite number of alterations you can make to the earth, while still preserving the eccentric contours that designate it to be a national park. Although, there are aspects and structures within these parks that can be manipulated to maximize accessibility, and this is something I have not seen in the National Park System. Graham Sisson, Chair of the Alabama's Trail Commision, shares an  interesting perspective  on how parks and trails should be designed when considering accessibility.

In 1979, the NPS formally announced its intention to approach accessibility at the national scale. All parks were to label their trail maps with accessible or inaccessible designations. In 2000, the NPS mandated Director’s Order 42, labeled: Accessibility for Visitors with Disabilities. This act forced all trail centers and buildings within the National Park System to meet the current ADA requirements. Unfortunately, there has been little regulation in the accessibility of off-trail structures and towers. Based on my research, there is only one panoramic, lookout tower in our country that values accessibility like Eagle Tower, but is only about 20 feet in height, and is accessed by hillside that approaches it’s platform. These claims show that Eagle Tower is a truly groundbreaking accomplishment in reference to specific physical disabilities and will set the stage for national and state landscapes in our future.

*Perri Meldon's Lecture takes place from minute 13:28 to 30:00

As I’ve mentioned numerous times now, the Eagle Tower reconstruction sets the stage for future panoramic towers in our country and pushes the fight for inclusive design that much farther. This large-scale move to make an iconic structure in Wisconsin accessible is nothing short of amazing. Following a quote that was given to me by one of my professors, I took a step back and really analyzed how accessible this tower really is. Who is it accessible for? Is it accessible to those with ANY disability? The quote went something like “… adaptive architecture help(s) people achieve the necessary, not the spectacular.” This notion made me realize the bigger picture of disability justice in our nation.

ADA regulations, physical ramps and access locations all target those with physical mobility impairments, but rarely call upon those with visual or audial disabilities. True inclusion is a phrase that I’ve been tossing around in my head for some time now – an experience that is equal to all who wish to experience. For example, I think an audio recording tape describing the long walk up to the tower and the final view could definitely strengthen the experience for those with visual impairments. Although true inclusion may or may not be possible in the scenario of Eagle Tower, it's an interesting thought when there is only praise for the recently renovated structure. 

A majority of the information and thoughts provided were taken from historical newspaper articles, interaction with park enthusiasts, and online articles from the “Friends of Peninsula State Park” website.

I also observed an interesting  newsreel  related to the tower’s reopening and the accessibility it provides. 

With an adequate understanding of accessibility with lookout towers in our nation, it is interesting to see the impact that Eagle Tower will have on the future of panoramic visual experience in inaccessible situations. The history of disability justice influenced the need for renovations like this one, calling upon the requests and influence of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The national park system also encouraged the movement towards inclusive design, with it’s numerous claims, but responded with minimal action.

Although a grand gesture towards inclusive design and accessibility, there are still additional features that could be incorporated into Eagle Tower to make it accessible to a larger audience. Regardless of whatever flaws it may have, the reconstruction of Eagle Tower has advanced the recognition of disability justice in our nation and given us the glimpse of what inclusive design might look like in the architectural world.