Early Years
The Reservoir Park property was purchased by the City of Madison from Mr. and Mrs. Hammersley and Mr. and Mrs. Zwerg November 29, 1924. The conveyance of the land was “made subject to the conditions that no part of said premises shall ever be occupied or used for the purpose of a livery stable, saloon, warehouse, dancing hall or store for the purpose of carrying on any trade, manufacturing or business thereon injurious or offensive to dwelling houses or their occupants...”
The original tower was put up in 1945-1946 and erected to a height of 300’. Due to a structural flaw the tower was reduced in height to 280’ in 1947. The tower building was constructed in 1946 and expanded in 1956. Originally housing both City and County radio equipment, in 1971 it became City only. In the 1970’s, with the modernization of police and fire radios, major equipment expansion took place.
My employment with the City of Madison Communications section began in January, 1977. Personnel around at the time of the tower construction described the area as mostly farmland. The residence closest to the tower on Larkin St. was built in 1957. Plymouth Circle, which is across Larkin St. from the tower, was developed in 1960.
Commercial Use
The only early commercial use of the tower was the low power TV station Channel 5 and Channel 54. The company came on the tower in 1988 and operated from the location for approximately one year. There were also additional uses at the tower such as equipment used during the riots during the early 1970s, a weather monitoring station for the University of Wisconsin, and amateur radio equipment to assist Dane County Emergency Planning. There was no further commercial use until the cell phone companies approached the City of Madison in the 1990s.
Location Necessity
Larkin tower radio coverage is critical to City systems because its location on this near west side ridge is the highest ground close to the City center. Larkin tower provides a signal to the lower State Street area six to seven times stronger than the same transmitter from the City’s antennas at the far west side UW community tower. This is critical to the City of Madison Fire Department. Larkin tower also receives 911 portable radio traffic from Edgewood, Breese Terrace, West High, Spring Harbor and South Madison areas. Duplicating this portable reception would require two or three towers placed at other locations. Prime reception of low-powered portable radio is what makes the site attractive to commercial hand carried phone devices. This telecommunications technology was unknown in the 1970s when public safety first implemented such radio systems here.
Changes Coming
Cellular One approached the City in 1993 with an interest in leasing tower space. The request was refused based on the carrying capacity of the tower. Cellular One offered to do whatever engineering studies or tower upgrades would be necessary to bring the forty-eight year old tower to modern standards which would allow additional antennas to be erected.
A structural study was done on the tower. It was determined that due to the tower’s age, it would not meet the Wisconsin DILHR requirements for additional antenna mounting. To meet the needs of increased coverage and newer technology, the City of Madison also needed to add antennas. It was determined that replacing the tower would be less expensive than reinforcing the existing structure. The City replaced the tower in 1996 with a tower of the same height. It was placed directly north of the existing tower. Due to system requirements and delays Cellular One did not renegotiate tower space on Larkin tower. In late 1996, PrimeCo requested consideration and entered into a contract with the City of Madison. PrimeCo added on to the Larkin building, keeping with the architecture of the original building.
Present Day
Because of the strategic location Larkin tower remains an indispensable link in the Public Safety Communications of Madison and Dane County.
