ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

The Chicago Water Tower

Updated on September 3, 2014

Chicago's Historic Water Tower

One of my favorite landmarks in Chicago is without doubt the fairy-tale castle located on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, also known as the Magnificent Mile. Magnificent doesn't even begin to describe the Gothic structure which stands as a place out of time...... and depicts an era never seen within the borders of the Windy City. The Chicago Water Tower is a testament to the rich history of its European citizens, a monument filled with imagination and dreams; a citadel standing strong. Surrounded by massive edifices of concrete, glass, and steel, some might believe the Water Tower outdated and out of place, but they would be wrong.

The Water Tower, designed by William W. Boyington, a Chicago architect, was built using enormous limestone blocks quarried in nearby Joliet, Illinois. Construction began in 1867 and was completed in 1869. When finished, the Water Tower boasted an octagonal minaret, beautifully placed arched windows, numerous balconies, and an elaborate sleeping room in the main turret, topped off by a roof of copper and steel, like icing on a cake. Who wouldn't want to want to call this romantic wonderland home?

Treasured by Chicagoans, this historic landmark was not built as a monument or as an abode for some rich and famous Chicago resident, but rather to conceal and house the 138 foot standpipe that regulated the city's water pressure. Upon completion, it stood 154 feet tall and was ranked one of the tallest buildings in the world.


The Great Chicago Fire

Over the years, the tower would face troubled times. It witnessed the destruction of the city during the Great Chicago Fire (1871) and stood proud as the flames tested its endurance. In the midst of Chicago's charred and blackened landscape, the Water Tower became a symbol of hope and endurance to the people, a symbol of their invincible character.

Demolition?

Shockingly, the Water Tower was slated for demolition by the city on more than one occasion; the public outcry was loud, angry, and adamant. As a result, major renovations were made. The first restoration was a three-year project (1913-1916), in which every limestone block was replaced. This overhaul garnered so much support that it was completed by a ten man construction crew and a team of five-hundred volunteers. Amazing......

In 1969, during the Water Tower's centennial celebration, the American Water Works Association deemed it America's first official water landmark. This honored historical status guaranteed the tower's safety. The accompanying publicity would make it the third most popular attraction in the city.

A second renovation of the structure took place in 1978, which included the removal of the standpipe, a complete remodeling of the interior, and a minor face-lift of the aging beauty's exterior.

The Chicago Water Tower Today

Today, though long relieved of its original purpose, the Water Tower now serves as both a tourist center for visitors and art gallery showcasing the work of local artists. It also ranks among Chicago's top five haunts...... according to legend, rather than taking flight, one of the tower's workers stayed behind during the Great Chicago Fire in an attempt to keep the pumps running and was trapped when the fire encapsulated the area. Rather than die in the flames, he hung himself in the tower. Many witnesses claim to have seen the shadow of this man hanging through the tower window.

The Chicago Water Tower is open year round, seven days a week, from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. Admission is free for all.

© 2014 Awdur

Sources

Chicago Water Tower, Chicago. Courtesy Of The, Illinois State Historical Library, Mary Michals,, and Iconographer. The Historic Water Tower: Chicago's Gem (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

"CHICAGO'S HAUNTED WATER TOWER." CHICAGO'S HAUNTED WATER TOWER . N.p., n.d. Web. 26 June 2014.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)