806 N. Michigan Avenue, at Chicago Avenue
http://www.wcwp.com/tour/water_tower.htm
For a city constructed largely of wood, the Joliet limestone
used to construct the Water Tower must have seemed a worthwhile investment on that October morning in 1871 following Great
Chicago Fire. The Water Tower stood alone amid the wreckage, a
North Side beacon that would soon be consecrated to the memory
of those who lost their lives in the conflagration.
At an impressive 154 feet, the Water Tower must have seemed a
marvel of engineering. But it’s what you can’t see that
really constitutes a technical feat. A tunnel two miles long
once thrust out into Lake Michigan from this location, drawing
water for the growing city. This city on the edge of a lake has
had a lot of adventures with water. Reversing the course of the
Chicago River was one such trick, effectively curbing the
rampant disease that had been caused by a supply of drinking
water polluted by industrial and human waste. The water supply
for Chicago was originally a limited (and ultimately inadequate)
private concern. City fathers elected to build the Water Tower
with municipal money in the years after the Civil War. That’s
the kind of big government we like.
Architect William W. Boyington designed the slim tower in
1867, and construction was completed in 1869. Its soft yellow
stone, quarried southwest of Chicago, glowed then as it does now
in the early winter twilight. A crenelated cap makes the tower
resemble nothing so much as a traditional chess piece. Set in
its own parklet among highrise hotels and chain stores, the
Water Tower holds itself with dignity in a relentlessly
commercial quarter of the city. It was designated a City of
Chicago landmark in 1972. Don’t miss the City Gallery at
street level that shows really top-drawer work by Chicago
photographers.
Outside, enjoy the swirling eddies of activity as shoppers on
North Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile mix with office
workers on their errands. An urban mall across the street calls
itself Water Tower Place, but stick with the original. Street
musicians of varying proficiency strum, pick, and tootle
classics, including the ubiquitous seasonal carols, alongside
colleagues who offer surprisingly delicate folk melodies.
Contribute a quarter to the common weal as you enjoy the parade
of life from a park bench.
In the less glamorous Pumping Station across Michigan Avenue,
you will find a tourist information office, toilets, an
occasional art exhibit, and a café with unpredictable hours. A
tour of the premises will introduce you to individual pumps
bearing charming names. These are treated with the affectionate
care usually lavished on racehorses put out to pasture.
Check out informative architectural information on this
historic treasure at:
http://www.wcwp.com/tour/water_tower.htm
