Cathance Water Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cathance Water Tower
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cathance Rd. at Beechwood Dr., Topsham, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1875 |
| NRHP reference No. | 00001637 |
| Added to NRHP | January 22, 2001 |
The Cathance Water Tower is a special old water tower located in Topsham, Maine. It was probably built a long time ago, in the late 1800s. What makes it so unique is that it's a very rare example of a wooden water tower built just for one house! In 2001, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site. Today, the town of Topsham owns it.
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What is the Cathance Water Tower Like?
The Cathance Water Tower stands in a quiet, country-like part of Topsham. It's a tall, square building made of wood, about 30 feet (9 meters) high.
How is the Tower Built?
The bottom part of the tower has walls that lean out a little and are covered with flat wooden boards called clapboards. The top part is wider and covered with wooden shingles, which are like small, overlapping wooden tiles. On top, there's a sloped roof made of corrugated metal.
Inside the Tower
You'll find two doors and one window on the bottom part of the tower. One door leads to a staircase inside, which goes up. The other door opens into a room where machines used to pump water were kept. The wider top section of the tower holds a big wooden tank. This tank could hold about 5,000 gallons (19,000 liters) of water!
History of the Cathance Water Tower
We're not exactly sure when the tower was built, but people think it has been standing there since around the year 1900.
Who Used the Tower?
The tower was likely built to provide water for the Rogers family farm. This farm was very old, dating back to the 1770s! Sadly, most of the farm buildings were destroyed in a fire in 1978. After the fire, houses were built on most of the land where the farm used to be.
How Did the Water Get In?
Originally, water was brought to the tower's tank from a nearby stream using something called a hydraulic ram. This was a clever device that used the force of flowing water to push water up into the tank without needing electricity. Later, an electric pump was installed to do the job instead. The town, which now owns the tower, has thought about trying to make the old hydraulic ram system work again!
