Submitted by Joe McKendry 

On a raw day this past March, my wife and I were out for a walk on Beach Avenue when we started chatting with a woman who was also out braving the elements. When we asked where she lived, she pointed to the top of Allerton Hill and said, “See that tower? I live there.” 

Maureen Keiller owns the house at the base of the concrete tower and has lived there since 1998. She graciously offered to give us a tour of the tower when the weather got better, which we did this summer. With wine in hand, we carefully climbed the steep stairs to the roof and soaked in the view as she told us the story of how she came to own the property, what purpose the tower served, and about the light displays she and her friends mount at the top every year. 

The tower was built as part of the Boston Harbor defense system during World War II. Known as the Point Allerton Artillery Fire Control Tower, its purpose was to locate and plot the precise location of enemy ships and pass on that information to the gun operators at Fort Duvall on Hog Island (now known as Spinnaker Island). If the shots missed, the splash was visible from the tower and that information was passed along so adjustments could be made to the position of the gun barrel. Long horizontal windows on the top three floors allowed military personnel to get an open view of Boston Harbor and any approaching ships. Observational equipment mounted in front of each of the three windows was lined up with a geodetic disc on the roof that allowed for precise measurements. 

In the late ‘90s when Maureen and her fiancé, Patrick Miehe, were searching for a place to call home, the real estate agent drove them past the tower on the way to see another property. But once they learned the tower (and the house that came with it) were soon going on the market, they had already made their decision before setting foot in either. The pair graciously carried on the tradition of mounting an illuminated star atop the tower during the holiday season, which began in 1962 when neighbors Joseph Cannon and Charles Brennan wanted to brighten up the neighborhood with a star atop the tower during the holidays. The owner of the tower, William Jacobs (locals affectionately called it Jacobs Tower), loved the idea on the condition that it was a Star of David. Sometime in the ’80s the Star of David was in disrepair and a new version was built in the design of a five-pointed star and cared for by Steve Mahoney and a crew from the neighborhood. 

In 2018, when Maureen’s husband Patrick succumbed to esophageal cancer, she created a tradition of her own, mounting a laminated photo of Patrick to the star so he can continue to enjoy the view that he loved so dearly. Dave Wentling, a close friend of Maureen and Patrick who also lives on Allerton Hill, has helped maintain the star for close to 20 years, replacing bulbs when they burn out and rebuilding the structure when necessary. He also is responsible for the new peace sign which he and Maureen mounted on the tower because “a daily reminder of the concept of peace is definitely needed.” 

At 179 feet above sea level, the tower is one of the highest points on the South Shore. 

What better place to send a message of unity and peace? 

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