Cumberland Mayor Authorized To Negotiate Homesteads Tower Agreement

Cumberland County Commissioners voted to allow Mayor Allen Foster to negotiate an agreement for the county to take ownership of the Homesteads Tower.

Mayor Allen Foster said he believes this is a step forward on the project. Foster said he has no doubt that an agreement will be reached with the Board of Education, who currently owns it.

He said with the school system unable to keep the Homesteads Tower up, new ownership should protect this site for years to come.

“It’s just a great part of the history of Cumberland County and of the entire United States,” Foster said. “It’s important for me, I believe it’s important that we keep those things in good working order, when we can. You know, we get a roof on this thing and make sure it’s not leaking and hopefully it will be good going forward.”

Foster said once the property is controlled by the county, the next step will be getting a lease agreement done with the Homesteads Tower Association. Then he said fixing the roof would be up to the Building and Grounds Committee.

“Once we take ownership it would be back to our Building and Grounds Committee,” Foster said. “To see what, if any, work they want to do and what ways they want to work with the Tower Association out there moving forward.”

Foster said the tower receives 10,000 visitors a year. The Cumberland Homesteads were established the New Deal-era Division of Subsistence Homesteads in 1934.