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Lambert Tower reopens at Garrett Mountain; county declares free public access
Summary
County officials cut the ribbon this morning at Lambert Tower on Garrett Mountain Reservation after a multi-partner restoration. The tower will be free and open to the public Wednesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; county leaders highlighted heritage, entrepreneurship and youth education in remarks.
Deputy Director Commissioner Orlando Cruz and Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell joined county officials this morning to cut the ribbon on the reopened Lambert Tower at Garrett Mountain Reservation, restoring public access to the 1896 landmark.
County leaders said the reopening reflects a multi-year preservation effort by county staff, preservation partners and state agencies. "What you're about to witness is the result of dedicated work by county staff, preservation partners, and state agencies who believe that this landmark deserve to be brought back to its full glory," Deputy Director Commissioner Orlando Cruz said, introducing the ceremony.
The reopening will make the tower free and open to the public Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., officials said. "The view doesn't cost a thing," Commissioner D'vor said, urging families, school groups and residents to visit.
Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell, who also spoke as secretary of state and as a state official focused on tourism and business, tied the restoration to regional industrial history and economic opportunity. "Catholina Lambert was an extraordinary entrepreneur," Caldwell said, calling the tower a local example of the area's silk-mill heritage. He also said officials are pursuing educational campaigns, including use of artificial intelligence tools, to help younger residents engage with the site's history.
County remarks emphasized that the project combined technical preservation work with community stewardship. The restoration team cited by the county included ETM Associates, Connelly and Hickley Historical Architects, John O'Hara Company and Hunter Research; county staff were also publicly thanked for coordinating the effort. "They gave us back a piece of ourselves," a county commissioner speaking on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners said before officially declaring the tower open and leading the ribbon cutting.
Built in 1896, Lambert Tower sits above P Valley and has been a visible local landmark for decades. Officials said visitors can climb roughly 70 feet to the tower's vantage points and that the county intends the site to serve as a community gathering place and educational resource.
No admission fee was announced and no formal new program or budgetary authorization was made public during the ceremony. Officials said the reopening is the result of combined work by county staff and preservation partners; additional operational details and any forthcoming programs were not specified at the event.
The ribbon-cutting concluded the morning program; county leaders invited residents to begin visiting the site under the new public schedule.
