The Valley Forge Observation Tower is an example of facilities built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century to provide overviews of historical and scenic areas. The tower was built on the summit of Mount Joy, the highest point in Valley Forge State Park. 
It was based on plans and specifications prepared by Colonel Emmor B. Cope, engineer with the Gettysburg National Military Park, where four similar towers had been constructed in 1895-1896. The “observatory” was intended to provide a view of the historic campground where George Washington and the Continental Army spent the winter from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778.
The 88 foot structure, built in 1906, gave visitors a panoramic view of the Schuylkill and Great Valleys. The tower was condemned and closed by an engineering study in 1979 because of severe deterioration, liability concerns, and the surrounding trees outgrowing the platform.
A Norristown developer paid $2,000 for the tower which he had dismantled by an industrial contractor. The tower was shipped to a private area near Wellsboro, PA, where people can still climb it. The area where it stood is now only accessible by foot trail. The roads have been removed and the area is being given back to the woods.