Lewistown, MD

Common Language Location Identifier (CLLI): LWTWMDQ0010

Note

AT&T Corporate Security has requested that the names and exact locations of active AT&T network facilities not be published. Accordingly, such facilities are identified on this web site by fictitious names, shown in [brackets].

Site Data

Address: at Salamander Rock, off Gambrill Park Rd. in Gambrill State Park, Frederick County, MD
Latitude: N39-34-36 (39.57667)
Longitude: W77-29-19 (-77.48861)
Elevation: 1840 ft. (561 M)

FCC Microwave License Data

City/County of License: Thurmont/Frederick, MA
Active Callsigns (as of Dec. 16, 2001):
- KGJ25 to Blue Ridge Summit No. 2, PA
- WLA670 to Clear Spring, [MD-1], and [MD-2]
Canceled Callsigns: Unknown

Description

Lewistown consists of a self-supporting steel lattice tower and a flat-roofed concrete-block equipment building. At 406 ft. (124 M), the tower is one of the tallest AT&T microwave towers in the Washington, DC area. The tower holds multiple pairs of Western Electric KS-15676 horn-reflector antennas, and a single conical horn-reflector.

Historical Role

Lewistown is a microwave radio junction station. The oldest information available, a TD-2 system diagram from Nov. 10, 1965, shows the station linking Clear Spring, MD, [MD-1], Dillsburg, PA, Hamilton, VA, and a destination identified only as "sidelog" [sic; should read "sideleg"], which is almost certainly Blue Ridge Summit No. 2, PA (the Department of Defense Alternate Joint Communications Center, Site R). An October 1966 radio-relay route map shows the same paths.

A diagram titled "L-carrier Branching at Lewistown, Maryland", from August 1965, shows the interconnection among the station's routes to Monrovia, "sideleg", and Jennerstown, PA (via Dillsburg).

By 1970 the routes had changed: the microwave paths to Dillsburg and Hamilton had been discontinued, and a path to the [MD-2] underground coaxial-cable main station had been added.

Present Function

AT&T sold Lewistown to American Tower Corporation, which leases space on the tower to wireless communications providers. American Tower has posted a site brochure, including recent photos, describing the Lewistown site and facilities.

The AT&T microwave licenses for the station were renewed in February, 2000. It is not known if the microwave routes are being used.