Eiffel Tower (Paris, Tennessee) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eiffel Tower |
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Towering over Memorial Park
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| General information | |
| Type | tourist attraction |
| Location | Paris, Tennessee, United States |
| Coordinates | 36°17′13″N 88°18′06″W / 36.286967°N 88.301535°W |
| Construction started | 1990 |
The Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tennessee is a famous landmark. It's a smaller copy of the much larger Eiffel Tower found in Paris, France. This special tower brings a piece of France to the heart of Tennessee!
Contents
Why Was the Paris, TN Eiffel Tower Built?
Its First Home at Christian Brothers University
The story of the Paris, Tennessee, Eiffel Tower began in 1990. Engineering students at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee, built it. They wanted to celebrate the annual Memphis in May festival. Each year, this festival honors a different country. In 1990, the festival was all about France.
The wooden tower was a big hit on campus. It was the main attraction in one of the university's popular areas. But it was only meant to be temporary. Also, students started trying to climb it, even though it wasn't safe for climbing. So, the university knew the tower needed a new, permanent home.
Finding a New Home in Paris, Tennessee
In April 1991, the city of Paris, Tennessee, hosted a special event called "Paris U.S.A." This event celebrated all the cities in the United States named Paris. There are fifteen such cities! Representatives from five of these "Paris" cities came to the celebration in Paris, Tennessee.
Later that year, someone from Christian Brothers University remembered the event. They asked Paris, Tennessee, if they would like to have the Eiffel Tower replica. The city was excited to accept! Soon, plans were made to move the tower.
How Was the Eiffel Tower Built?
Building the Original Wooden Tower
The tower was carefully designed to be a smaller version of the real Eiffel Tower. Three experts from Christian Brothers University helped with the design: Tom Morrison, Jim Jacobs, and Roland Raffanti. They used the original drawings by Gustave Eiffel, who designed the famous tower in France.
The Paris, Tennessee, tower stands 60 feet (18 m) tall. This makes it almost a perfect 1:20 scale model of the original. Imagine, it's 20 times smaller than the one in France!
Many people helped build the tower. Over 10,000 hours of work were donated by students, teachers, and friends of the university. The tower was made from 500 pieces of Douglas fir wood and 6,000 steel rods. It was first put together on the university campus.
In February 1992, the tower was taken apart and shipped to Paris, Tennessee. Workers then painted the pieces and put the tower back together in Memorial Park.
Dedicating the Landmark
The Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tennessee, was officially opened on January 29, 1993. The city held a happy ceremony to thank Christian Brothers University for their generous gift. A special plaque was placed at the base of the tower to remember this event.
Making the Tower Stronger
Over time, the original wooden tower started to show wear and tear. So, a local company called Precision Grinding and Metals of Paris decided to rebuild it. They recreated the entire tower using strong steel. This new steel structure is the one you see standing today!
To do this, the company built the tower in three large sections. They then moved each section to Memorial Park and put them all together. Now, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tennessee, is a strong and lasting landmark for everyone to enjoy.
