Report on Demolition of Spotting Towers, Naval Air Station, Fallon, Nevada

The Nevada State Historic Preservation Office's (SHPO) mission, as stated on its website, is to: "...encourage the preservation, documentation, and use of cultural sources. SHPO educates the public about the importance of our cultural heritage so that Nevada's historic and archaeological properties are preserved, interpreted, and reused for their economic, educational, and intrinsic values and for future generals to appreciate." SHPO became involved in the Fallon Naval Auxiliary Air Station Spotting Tower Demolition project when it was brought to the attention of SHPO in May 2012. In 2011, the Navy contracted an independent historical consulting firm, JRP Historical Consulting LLC, to conduct research and prepare a Historic Resource Inventory Forms to evaluate the B-16 range spotting towers, which were designed by prominent Nevada architects DeLongchamps and O'Brien. Upon completion of the evaluation, JRP found, and the Navy agreed, that the towers were ineligible for listing on the National Registry of Historic Places. The Navy sought SHPO's input regarding this finding, however, SHPO did not agree. This led to the 2015 Historic Buildings Report from SHPO that includes photographic and architectural drawing documentation of the towers.