Grand Avenue Water Tower

Last updated
Grand Avenue Water Tower
STL North Grand Water Tower.JPG
Grand Avenue Water Tower
LocationIntersection of E. Grand Blvd and 20th Street
St. Louis, Missouri
Coordinates 38°40′14.8″N90°12′33.9″W / 38.670778°N 90.209417°W / 38.670778; -90.209417
Built1871
Architect George I. Barnett
NRHP reference No. 70000908 [1]
Added to NRHPApril 20, 1970

The Grand Avenue Water Tower is a water tower located at the intersection of Grand Boulevard and 20th Street in the College Hill neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. It is the oldest extant water tower in St. Louis, pre-dating both the Bissell Street Water Tower and the Compton Hill Water Tower. [1]

Contents

History

The tower was built in 1871 by architect George I. Barnett in the form of a Corinthian order column with brick, stone and cast iron trim. Inclusive of its base, shaft and capital, it stands 154 feet (47 m) tall. Inside was a standpipe with a diameter of five feet, designed to hold water. In addition to being used for firefighting, the pressure in the pipe regulated water pressure in the area. In 1912, the water tower was decommissioned, and its standpipe and internal spiral staircase were removed. The staircase was replaced by a vertical ladder, and the tower was modified to include an aircraft warning light. [1] In 1998, the water tower was restored and lit by floodlights. [2]

The tower is the tallest free-standing Corinthian column in the world. At 46.94 metres (154.0 ft) it is much taller than the free-standing Corinthian columns Pompey's Pillar in Alexandria (20.46 metres (67.1 ft)) or the Column of the Goths in Istanbul (18.5 metres (61 ft)), or those in colonnades at the Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek which are 19.82 metres (65.0 ft) tall, the Temple of Mars Ultor in Rome at 17.74 metres (58.2 ft), and the Olympieion in Athens at 16.83 metres (55.2 ft).

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form.
  2. St. Louis Commerce Magazine.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water tower</span> Elevated structure supporting a tank

A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towers often operate in conjunction with underground or surface service reservoirs, which store treated water close to where it will be used. Other types of water towers may only store raw (non-potable) water for fire protection or industrial purposes, and may not necessarily be connected to a public water supply.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicago Water Tower</span> United States historic place

The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property and landmark in the Old Chicago Water Tower District in Chicago, Illinois, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built to enclose the tall machinery of a powerful water pump in 1869, it became particularly well known when it survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, although the area around it was burnt to the ground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Custom House Tower</span> Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts

The Custom House Tower is a skyscraper in McKinley Square, in the Financial District neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The original building was constructed in 1837–47 and was designed by Ammi Burnham Young in the Greek Revival style. The tower was designed by Peabody and Stearns and was added in 1913–15. The building is part of the Custom House District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Theatre (Detroit)</span> Theater and former movie theater in Detroit, Michigan, US

The Fox Theatre is a performing arts center located at 2211 Woodward Avenue in Downtown Detroit, Michigan, near the Grand Circus Park Historic District. Opened in 1928 as a flagship movie palace in the Fox Theatres chain, it was at over 5,000 seats the largest theater in the city. Designed by theater architect C. Howard Crane, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missouri State Capitol</span> State capitol building of the U.S. state of Missouri

The Missouri State Capitol is the home of the Missouri General Assembly and the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Missouri. Located in Jefferson City at 201 West Capitol Avenue, it is the third capitol to be built in the city. The domed building, designed by the New York City architectural firm of Tracy and Swartwout, was completed in 1917.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Hill Standpipe</span> United States historic place

Thomas Hill Standpipe, which holds 1,750,000 US gallons (6,600,000 L) of water, is a riveted wrought iron tank with a wood frame jacket located on Thomas Hill in Bangor, Maine, United States. The metal tank is 50 feet (15 m) high and 75 feet (23 m) in diameter. Built in 1897, it is an architecturally distinctive city landmark, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Clair Flats Front and Rear Range Light</span> Lighthouses in Michigan, United States

St. Clair Flats Front and Rear Range Light are two lighthouse structures situated off the southeastern tip of Harsens Island at Lake St. Clair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville Water Tower</span> United States historic place

The Louisville Water Tower, located east of downtown Louisville, Kentucky, near the riverfront, is the oldest ornamental water tower in the world, having been built before the more famous Chicago Water Tower. Both the actual water tower and its pumping station are a designated National Historic Landmark for their architecture. As with the Fairmount Water Works of Philadelphia, the industrial nature of its pumping station was disguised in the form of a Roman temple complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eden Park Stand Pipe</span> United States historic place

Eden Park Standpipe is an ornate historic standpipe standing on the high ground of Eden Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. The standpipe is a form of water tower common in the late 19th century. It was listed in the National Register on March 3, 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College Hill, St. Louis</span> Neighborhood of St. Louis in Missouri, United States

College Hill is a neighborhood of the City of St. Louis, Missouri. The name College Hill was given to this area because it was the location of the Saint Louis University College Farm. This area, bounded generally by Warne Ave., O'Fallon Park, I-70, Grand Boulevard, and W. Florissant Ave., was acquired by the University for garden and recreation purposes in 1836. It was subdivided in the early 1870s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Compton Hill Reservoir Park</span> Public park in St Louis, Missouri

Compton Hill Reservoir Park is a 36-acre (15 ha) public park located in the Compton Heights neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Located on one of the highest elevations within the city, the park surrounds a 28-million-US-gallon (110,000 m3) reservoir used to provide water for many of the city's residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Joseph's Roman Catholic Church (Mobile, Alabama)</span> Historic church in Alabama, United States

Saint Joseph's Roman Catholic Church was a historic Roman Catholic church building in Mobile, Alabama, United States. It served as the parish church for St. Joseph's Parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Service Water Tower and Reservoir</span> United States historic place

The High Service Water Tower and Reservoir, colloquially known as the Tower Hill Tower, is a public water supply facility off Massachusetts Route 110 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The reservoir was constructed in 1874–75 to provide the city's public water supply, with a gatehouse designed by Charles T. Emerson, a Lawrence architect. The tower was built in 1896 as a high pressure standpipe or water tower. The tower stands 157 feet (48 m) high, and is built out of red brick with granite trim. It is Romanesque in its style, and was designed by George G. Adams, a noted local architect who had been taught by Emerson. The standpipe inside the tower is of steel construction and is 102 feet (31 m) in height. The area above the standpipe includes a balcony capped by a chateauesque roof, with round-arch windows providing views of the area. The main tower is octagonal in shape, with a narrow round staircase tower projection from one side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forbes Hill Standpipe</span> United States historic place

The Forbes Hill Standpipe is a historic water tower structure located on Reservoir Road in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA. The tower was built in 1899-1902 to contain a 330,000 US gallons steel water tank. The site originally included an adjacent reservoir that supplied Quincy with water from the Metropolitan Boston Water System. The standpipe was taken out of service in 1955 and the reservoir was filled in.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Stoa (Jerusalem)</span> Ancient basilica constructed by Herod the Great

The Royal Stoa was an ancient basilica constructed by Herod the Great during his renovation of the Temple Mount at the end of the first century BCE. Probably Herod's most magnificent secular construction, the three-aisled structure was described by Josephus as deserving "to be mentioned better than any other under the sun." The Royal Stoa overlooked Jerusalem's residential and commercial quarters, and at its southwestern corner was the place from which a ram's horn was blown to announce the start of holy days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bissell Street Water Tower</span> United States historic place

Bissell Street Water Tower is a historic standpipe water tower located at the junction of Bissell Street and Blair Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri. The tower was completed in 1886 and was in service until 1912. It is one of three remaining historic standpipes in Saint Louis, along with the Grand Avenue Water Tower and the Compton Hill Water Tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pipestone Water Tower</span> United States historic place

The Pipestone Water Tower is a 132-foot-tall (40 m) concrete water tower in Pipestone, Minnesota, United States, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Unreliable rainfall and a lack of glacial lakes in the area necessitate the use of a tower to pump and store water from an underground reservoir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monroe Water Tower</span> United States historic place

The Monroe Water Tower is a historic water tower built in 1889 in Monroe, Wisconsin. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evansville Standpipe</span> United States historic place

The Evansville Standpipe is a historic water tower located in Evansville, Wisconsin. The 80-ft tall steel tower was built in 1901 by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, as part of the development of the local water supply system, spurred on by a devastating fire in 1896 that destroyed a large section of downtown Evansville. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake City Water Standpipe</span> United States historic place

The Lake City Water Standpipe is a historic structure located in Lake City, Iowa, United States. The standpipe was a popular form of water tower from about 1860 to the turn of the 20th-century. The city council first attempted to build it as early as 1890, but the $10,000 bond was rejected. An $8,000 bond issue passed in June 1893, and a Water Works Department was established. The city contracted with the A.F. Paige Company of Sioux City to build the tower, which is 90 feet (27 m) tall and a diameter of 12 feet (4 m). It was completed in November 1893. Water mains were laid the following year and water was delivered to most citizens of Lake City. It also allowed the city to provide adequate fire protection. A new water tank was built next to the standpipe in the 1920s. It has subsequently been replaced by a larger structure on the southeast side of town. The standpipe was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

References