Chicago Avenue Pumping Station facts for kids
Chicago Avenue Pumping Station
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| Address | 821 North Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois United States |
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| Owner | City of Chicago |
| Capacity | 250 |
| Construction | |
| Reopened | 2003 |
| Tenants | |
| Lookingglass Theatre Company | |
| Website | |
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Chicago Avenue Water Tower and Pumping Station
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Built | 1869 |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000644 |
| Added to NRHP | April 23, 1975 |
The Chicago Avenue Pumping Station is a very old and important building in Chicago, Illinois. It's part of a special historical area called the Old Chicago Water Tower District. You can find it on Michigan Avenue, right in the middle of the famous Magnificent Mile shopping area. It sits across the street from the well-known Chicago Water Tower.
This pumping station was built a long time ago, in 1869. It was designed by an architect named William W. Boyington. Back then, it helped provide water to the growing city of Chicago. In 1918, when Michigan Avenue (which used to be called Pine Street) was made wider, the city made sure the Pumping Station and the Water Tower stayed in a special, visible spot.
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What is the Chicago Pumping Station?
The Chicago Avenue Pumping Station was built to help bring clean water to the people of Chicago. It worked together with the Chicago Water Tower. These buildings were very important for the city's water system in the late 1800s. They are now famous landmarks.
How Was the Pumping Station Renovated?
In the early 2000s, the Chicago Avenue Pumping Station got a big makeover. This project was all about adaptive reuse. This means taking an old building and changing it so it can be used for something new. In this case, the pumping station was turned into a home for the Lookingglass Theatre Company.
The renovation work was very detailed. It included fixing the roof and restoring the outside walls, also known as the façade. They also added new outdoor lights and improved the landscaping around the building. These changes helped make the old pumping station a modern and beautiful space for performances.
Awards for the Renovation
The renovation project won several awards for its excellent work. These awards recognized how well the old building was preserved while being updated for its new use. Some of the awards included:
- Awards for engineering excellence in 2003 and 2004.
- A Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence in 2003.
- An award for excellence in structural engineering in 2003.
These awards show how successful the project was in giving the historic pumping station a new life.
Images for kids
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Chicago Avenue Pumping Station
