Chicago Water Tower & Pumping Station

Downtown Chicago has no shortage of landmarks and impressive buildings, but one of the most striking structures is the Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station. Located on Michigan Avenue as part of the Magnificent Mile, the Water Tower’s intricate limestone facade looks more like the turret of an ancient castle than a tower constructed in the 1800s for the sole purpose of housing a pipe.

The Water Tower was built in 1869 by engineer and architect William W. Boyington. It took three years to construct, and while its exterior was ornate, its purpose was simple: to hold the 138-foot vertical standpipe that connected to the main pumps of the Chicago Water Works. Chicago at the time had been suffering from an inadequate water supply, as well as typhoid outbreaks due to runoff from the Chicago River polluting drinking water drawn from the shores of Lake Michigan.

The fix for both problems was to design a water supply tunnel system that extended two miles offshore, allowing for fresh, unpolluted water to be piped into the city via the newly constructed pumping station. This pumping method sent water into the mains in a series of surges, which resulted in uneven pressure that could cause pipe damage or flooding. The Water Tower standpipe addressed this issue by equalizing the surges of hydraulic pressure via the column of water it held. In those days, the system generated approximately 15 million gallons of water per day.

The water being held in the tower was also used for fighting fires, which could have been a literal lifesaver when the Great Chicago Fire hit the city in 1871. Unfortunately, the pumps were destroyed when the wooden roof of the Pumping Station caught fire and collapsed, hindering firefighting efforts and allowing further spread of the fire. In spite of some exterior damage, the Water Tower was one of the few public buildings left standing after the blaze, and its continued existence became a rallying cry for survivors attempting to rebuild the city.

According to Ellen Shubart, a docent at the Chicago Architecture Center, the Water Tower became “the symbol of the ‘I will’ spirit after the fire. The water tower survived. We will survive.”

As the city was gradually rebuilt, the Water Tower’s pumps were repaired and the structure returned to its former purpose of providing residents with a reliable source of clean water. It remained an active water tower and pumping station well into the next century, until the standpipe and pumps were removed to make way for more advanced technology housed elsewhere in 1911. While the Water Tower faced proposed demolition several times over the following years, residents repeatedly fought for its preservation, and it was eventually professionally restored in the 1960s. In 2003, the Pumping Station was converted into a theater venue, and the Water Tower’s interior likewise found a new function as an art gallery space.

Today, the Water Tower stands as a stunning backdrop for tourist photos, as well as a symbol of the persevering spirit of a city that survived devastation and rebuilt itself from the ashes.

References:

1. loc.gov/item/il0097
2. chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/zlup/Historic_Preservation/Publications/old_chicago_water_tower_district.pdf
3. wttw.com/chicago-stories/chicago-fire/the-water-tower-survived-we-will-survive-the-buildings-and-objects-that-outlasted-the-chicago-fire
4. choosechicago.com/listing/historic-water-tower