Old Fresno Water Tower

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Old Fresno Water Tower
2009-0725-CA-FresnoWaterTower-F.jpg
Water tower in 2009
Location 2444 Fresno Street
Fresno, California
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
NRHP Reference # 71000139[1]

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.

History

Chicago architect George Washington Maher was commissioned in 1891 to design a new water tower for Fresno in the Tower District.[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, and the water tower remained in use until 1963 when its pumping equipment had become inadequate.[4] The water tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1971.[5] It was designated an American Water Landmark by the American Water Works Association in 1972.[6]

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]

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 m3) water storage tank. The tower has a 2-foot (0.61 m) thick inner wall and a 14-inch (36 cm) outer wall, separated by a 3-foot (0.91 m) wide space. The exterior brick is painted.[2] Because the third story was never built, the second story had a very high ceiling.[7]

See also

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Briam 1971, p. 3.
  4. Briam 1971, pp. 2–3.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. Briam 1971, p. 2.

Bibliography

  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

  • Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons