Peru is on the main E-W radio path that cuts through Massachusetts and heads up towards Maine. Peru has a very tall tower and was a key relay point in the microwave path up the east coast. Peru was a Ground Entry Point (GEP) site and connected to "The Notch" (PACCS) by a microwave link through the Chesterfield AT&T site as well as some other redundant paths. Primary control of the GEP system was via the microwave link from The Notch on a TM microwave system operated by New England Telephone. Peru also had a buried N1 Carrier cable that ran to Pittsfield and North Hampton, MA. Finally some sources also indicated that Peru was planned to be a GWEN site, I have not found any indications of this at the site or in literature.
BRIEF HISTORY
Records indicate that the Peru site was constructed
around 1956. In 1963 the building underwent a substantial upgrade to
include adding a sub grade area that contained the equipment to provide shelter
in the event a a nuclear incident as well as emergency power and nuclear,
chemical and biological (NBC) protection. In 1971 the Air Ground console
and ECI radio equipment supporting the GEP program were removed. In 1987
AT&T ended the maintenance of the NBC equipment. The entire site was
sold to American Tower in 2000 and is currently empty.
Steel mesh canopy over parking lot at Peru. Canopy is protection to vehicles and personnel from ice falling from tower and microwave horns. The style of horns used at Peru were especially prone to causing large (4 feet wide) sheets of ice falling during an ice storm.
Canopy leading to personnel entrance. Sign reads "CAUTION: When light
flashes, Do Not Proceed, Park under the protection".
Peru site circa 1969. Note no ice shield over parking lot. Four GEP antennas on top of tower.