Beloit Water Tower
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Beloit Water Tower | |
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U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
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Location: | 1005 Pleasant St. Beloit, Wisconsin |
Architect: | J. B. Kinley |
Added to NRHP: | January 7, 1983 |
NRHP Reference#: | 83003410 |
MPS: | Beloit MRA |
The Beloit Water Tower is an historic 1889 octagonal limestone water tower in Beloit, Wisconsin.
The tower, completed in 1889 to serve the city's water needs, particularly fire protection, was built by a consortium of local businessmen. Eventually serving 25,000 customers, it was abandoned after the completion of an adjacent steel water tower with twice the capacity around 1935, and allowed to stand due to excessive demolition costs.
The structure, located on a bluff overlooking the Rock River just north of the Beloit College campus, originally contained a 100,000 gallon water tank made of cypress, and pressurized seven miles of pipes.
A Beloit Daily News article in 1935 said it was "once regarded as the finest piece of masonry in the west". It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The Shingle Style pump house at the base of the bluff now acts as the Beloit Visitor Center.
[edit] External links
- Stone Octagon Water Tower (with photograph)
- Old stone water tower, 'built too well', allowed to stand - Wisconsin Historical Society
- Beloit Visitor Center: A City Symbol Stands Proud Again
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