MotorCities National Heritage Area
AHFIntProExhib4Sigs.jpg

Irish Hills Twin Towers

This is a private property but there is a parking area where the towers can be seen and photographed.

Once upon a time, there was a man named Ed Kelley who lived peacefully on Brighton Hill.  One day Ed found out that the Michigan Observation Company wanted to build a very tall tower right next to him, and that made him unhappy.  He told the Michigan Observation Company how he felt, but the company went ahead and built the tower anyway.  It was 50 feet tall!

This made Ed Kelley very, very upset.  To show how angry he was, he built his own tower, identical to the Michigan Observation Company's tower - except taller.  Ed Kelley's tower was 60 feet tall!

Thus began "The War of the Towers."

The Michigan Observation Company added 14 feet to its tower.  Not to be outdone, Ed Kelley added another 4 feet to his tower, making both towers even at 64 feet.

Fed up, the Michigan Observation Company told Ed Kelley that if he kept up this competition, they would build a larger tower out of steel.  Ed Kelley could not beat that, so he gave in.  That ended the rivalry between the two, but neither tower won the war - they both stand exactly 64 feet tall!

Come visit the breathtaking beauty of the Brighton Hill landscape and the infamous towers!


Phone: (517) 467-5300
Perhaps the most infamous stop along the Irish Hills driving tour, stop by the Twin Towers to learn about the bizarre tale of Ed Kelley and his quest to one-up a local company that had built an observatory tower next to his property on Brighton Hill. Perhaps the most infamous stop along the Irish Hills driving tour, stop by the Twin Towers to learn about the bizarre tale of Ed Kelley and his quest to one-up a local company that had built an observatory tower next to his property on Brighton Hill.

Address:
8424 US 12
Onsted, MI 49265

Image Gallery