Marine City Water Works facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Marine City Water Works
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 229 S. Main St., Marine City, Michigan |
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| Area | .91 acres (0.37 ha) |
| Built | 1935 |
| Built by | Bass Engineering and Construction Company |
| Architect | Pate & Hirn Engineers |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 11000667 |
| Added to NRHP | September 15, 2011 |
The Marine City Water Works is an important building in Marine City, Michigan. It helps provide clean water to the community. You can find it at 229 South Main Street. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. This means it's recognized as a special place with historical value.
History of the Water Works
Marine City started as a town in 1820. It was founded by Captain Samuel Ward, a shipbuilder. Over the next 25 years, many shipyards opened there. In 1882, salt was discovered in the area. These things helped Marine City grow a lot.
As more people moved to Marine City in the 1870s and 1880s, folks started worrying about public health. They needed a way to get clean water. So, the town built its first public water system in 1885.
By the late 1920s, the old water system wasn't good enough. It couldn't provide clean water for everyone. The city tried three times to get money for a new system. But voters said no each time.
Then, more people started getting sick from diseases like typhoid fever. These diseases were spread through water. Because of this, the Michigan State Health Department made the city build a new water treatment plant.
In 1935, Marine City asked the Public Works Administration (PWA) for help. The PWA was a government program that created jobs during the Great Depression. The city asked for a $45,000 grant. This money would cover 45% of the new plant's cost. The grant was approved! After that, voters finally agreed to raise the rest of the money.
The city hired Pate & Hirn Engineers from Detroit to design the new plant. The Bass Engineering & Construction Company was chosen to build it. Construction started in December 1935. The new water works was finished in August 1936.
Later, in 1968, an addition was built onto the facility. The building also got a big update in 2005.
Design and Features
The Marine City Water Works is located near downtown Marine City. It sits right on the bank of the St. Clair River. The site has two main parts. There's the main building and a nearby sedimentation basin with a tall wash water tank. A hidden reservoir for clean water is also underground. The main building faces west towards Water Street. Green grass surrounds all the buildings.
The main building is a small, one-story building. It's shaped like a rectangle. It was built in the Art Deco style. This style was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. It often uses geometric shapes and strong lines. The building has brick walls and a concrete block foundation. It's about 53 feet long and 50 feet wide. It has a flat roof with low walls around the edge.
The front of the building isn't perfectly even. It has an entry area that sticks out a bit. A small set of stairs leads to the front door. This door is a modern steel door. Next to the door, you can see four special plaques and an old light fixture. There are also two other entrances, one on the side and one at the back. The original windows were made of wood. Many of these were replaced in 2005 with newer vinyl windows.
Inside the main building, you'll find a lobby, a small office, a lab, and a room where water is filtered.
The sedimentation basin is a separate brick building. It's about five feet behind the main building. When it was first built, it was 60 feet long and 37 feet wide. A 20-foot wide section was added to it in 1968.
