Constructed in 1929 by the U.S. Forest Service, this 40' steel tower with 14'x14' wooden cab was eventually transferred to Virginia Forestry for safekeeping, but it was vandalized in the late 1980s, the state returned it, and the Forest Service removed it.
The 1934 trail guide says:

"Ascend steeply on truck road which crosses old dirt road, former Trail route, in several places. Road affords splendid views. Where road reaches crest just west of firetower, at 6.85 miles, turn sharp left, descending on Forest Service trail."

This description of the trail's route in Southwest Virginia is very typical, in that the route alternates between trail and roads, and emphasizes locations where hikers can have "splendid views."