Grand Avenue Water Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Grand Avenue Water Tower
|
|
Grand Avenue Water Tower
|
|
| Location | Intersection of E. Grand Blvd and 20th Street St. Louis, Missouri |
|---|---|
| Built | 1871 |
| Architect | George I. Barnett |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000908 |
| Added to NRHP | April 20, 1970 |
The Grand Avenue Water Tower is a special building in St. Louis, Missouri. It looks like a giant column and is located in the College Hill neighborhood. This tower is the oldest water tower still standing in St. Louis. It was built even before the Bissell Street Water Tower and the Compton Hill Water Tower.
Contents
A Look Back: The Tower's History
Building a Giant Column
The Grand Avenue Water Tower was built in 1871. A famous architect named George I. Barnett designed it. He made it look like a Corinthian order column. This is a fancy style of ancient Greek column. The tower was built using brick, stone, and cast iron. It stands very tall, about 154 feet (47 meters) high.
What Was Inside?
Inside the tower was a large pipe called a standpipe. This pipe was five feet wide. It was designed to hold water. The water helped keep good pressure in the city's water system. This was important for everyday use and for firefighters.
Changes Over Time
In 1912, the water tower stopped being used for its original purpose. The standpipe and a spiral staircase inside were taken out. A simple vertical ladder replaced the staircase. The tower also got a new feature: an aircraft warning light. This light helped airplanes see the tall tower. In 1998, the tower was fixed up and brightened with floodlights.
A World Record Holder
The Tallest Corinthian Column
The Grand Avenue Water Tower is not just any column. It is the tallest free-standing Corinthian column in the entire world! It stands at 46.94 meters (154 feet). This makes it much taller than other famous Corinthian columns. For example, Pompey's Pillar in Egypt is only 20.46 meters (67 feet) tall. The Column of the Goths in Turkey is 18.5 meters (61 feet) tall. Even the huge columns at the Temple of Jupiter in Baalbek are shorter. They are 19.82 meters (65 feet) tall.
See also
- Architecture of St. Louis
- College Hill, St. Louis § Water Towers
- Compton Hill Reservoir Park
