The original one-story stone base topped with a 14'x14' wooden cab with gable roof and catwalk was built in 1939 by the CCC. Abandoned in 1959, the cab portion of the tower was removed in the 1970s and rebuilt in 1987 for observation of the archaeological ruins in the area. The cab was removed in the fall of 2010 by the USFS for purposes of archaeological investigation. Most of the floor from the tower was left in place to protect deposits beneath it. Chimney Rock lookout is in the Chimney Rock Archaeological Area. On the site of a 1000-year-old fire pit, the lookout was built of stone from the adjacent prehistoric buildings. The column visible in the 2010 photo was constructed during the 1970s in anticipation of supporting visitors on a circular viewing deck; it would have been the central column to the stairway. That plan was abandoned when Peregrine Falcons were listed as endangered and the site was closed to the public.