AT&T Long Lines Tower in Lillyvale Pa. once part of a very intricate and complex means of protecting the nations communications during the Cold War

As you drive along Pa. 288  from Zelinople to Ellwood City high on one of the slopes sits the Lillyville AT&T Long Lines Microwave Communications Tower.

Now mostly unused  since most phone and data signals now travel by Fiber Optic Lines and Satellite

Complete with underground hardened bunker to protect the electronics these sites played a very critical role insuring communications could continue after a nuclear attack in this case if Pittsburgh where attacked.

http://www.coldwarcomms.org/

https://99percentinvisible.org/article/vintage-skynet-atts-abandoned-long-lines-microwave-tower-network/

 

Many of the large Pittsburgh Corporations also had command centers and storage in nearby Wampum in an underground Lime Stone Mine. The coaxial  lines to the towers where hardened underground as well to prevent damage and where given designations such as L Line etc.
which ran between the various phone exchanges to the towers. The entire system was started  after WWII  and ramped up around
1951 and was in use into 90s in some cases  Till the microwave Horns where turned off but the towers are still used for Cell Service and 2 way radio repeaters etc.  Some Towers have had their horns removed and reconfigured.

Some of the towers and bunkers have been sold off to private communications company's for there use . 

Since these towers are under rules of FCC it is a violation of federal rules to trespass on these sites and penalty's are severe  so urban explorers are best advised to stay out. as with any radio tower site .
working or abandoned . Be warned if you trespass or cause damage you will be prosecuted.

There are many resources on line talk about the whole AT&T Long Lines system and its many fascinating things it did prior to 1984 break up of AT&T