PREVIOUS FEATURED QUESTION ABOUT NEW JERSEY HISTORY
Dear NJHM:
Can you tell me about the "Devil's Tower" in Alpine? I have heard it was built hundreds of years ago as a prison for an insane person, or as an offering to Satan. It is also supposedly haunted. What is the true story?
Evan
Dear Evan:
I know of many of the legends and lore of the "Devil's Tower" in Alpine, and Weird NJ magazine published a complete accounting of them recently (see our Links Page). I have even visited the tower myself, and was not too impressed. It did not appear either very ancient or very terrifying to me. I assumed it what just left over from when the area was populated by the mansions of millionaires from New York City. Alpine was once the "Hamptons of New Jersey." However, I have never bothered to investigate the Tower any further till now.
After some help from two Bergen County historians, I can positively state the Devil's Tower is actually Rio Vista, a stone clock tower that was erected by Manuel Rionda in 1910 on his 200-acre estate. Rionda was a millionaire who made his fortune importing sugar from Cuba. The tower was dedicated to his wife, Harriet, who was later interred in a mausoleum that still stands on private property nearby (though the body was moved). After Rionda's death in 1943, the estate was in a state of flux and stood vacant. During this time, the tower was heavily vandalized, and the elevator, windows and some stonework were destroyed. The borough of Alpine has recently done some work to secure and stabilize it, and the Alpine Historic Society has mounted a plaque on it. Hope this helps, and let us know if you require any additional information!