Old Fresno Water Tower

The Old Fresno Water Tower is a historic water tower in Fresno, California. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Designed by George Washington Maher, the tower was completed in late 1894. It ceased operation in 1963 and has served as a visitors' center since 2001.

Old Fresno Water Tower
Water tower in 2009
Location2444 Fresno Street
Fresno, California
Coordinates36.7391°N 119.7872°W / 36.7391; -119.7872
Built1894
NRHP reference No.71000139[1]
Added to NRHPOctober 14, 1971

History

Chicago architect George Washington Maher was commissioned in 1891 to design a new water tower for Fresno.[2] His design was influenced by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871; the fire destroyed the Chicago Public Library but not the Chicago Water Tower, which then acted as a temporary library. Maher's original design called for a library and a third floor to be built within the tower, but neither was executed.[3] Construction finished in November 1894[4] at a cost of $20,000.[5] The water tower remained in use until 1963, when its pumping equipment had become inadequate.[3] The water tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1971.[6] It was designated an American Water Landmark by the American Water Works Association in 1972.[7]

Interior, 2014

The first floor served for many years as a parking meter repair facility. In 2001, the tower was renovated into the visitors' center for Fresno and Fresno County, at which time the second floor was removed.[2] In 2014, the Fresno Art Council assumed management of the water tower which now includes an art gallery.[8][9]

Design

The structure is an example of American Romanesque architecture. The tower stands 109 feet (33 m) tall, with a 250,000 US gal (950,000 L) water storage tank. The tower has a 2-foot-thick (61 cm) inner wall and a 14-inch (36 cm) outer wall, separated by a 3-foot-wide (91 cm) space. The exterior brick is painted.[2] Because the third story was never built, the second story had a very high ceiling.[4] About halfway up the tower is a balcony decorated with elaborate iron corbels.[10][11] The roof is made of tile.[11]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "Old Fresno Water Tower (1894)". Historicfresno.org. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  3. Briam 1971, p. 3.
  4. Briam 1971, p. 2.
  5. Appleton 2017, p. 1 of slideshow.
  6. "National Register of Historic Places: Annual Listing of Historic Properties" (PDF). Federal Register. National Park Service. 44 (26): 7429. February 1979.
  7. "American/Canadian/Mexican Water Landmarks Award". American Water Works Association. Archived from the original on July 18, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  8. "Water Tower". Fresno Arts Council. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017.
  9. Appleton, Rory (August 12, 2017). "The Old Fresno Water Tower may close. The reason why is hard to pin down". Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on August 15, 2017.
  10. Appleton 2017, p. 7 of slideshow.
  11. Briam 1971, pp. 1–2 of photo.

Bibliography
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