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WASHBURN WATER TOWER |
The history of this water tower, and of an earlier tower on this site, is closely linked to the Washburn brothers, Cadwallader and William, who initiated the developement of Washburn Park (known also as Tangletown).
The original tower was built in 1893 to supply water for the Washburn Memorial Orphan Asylum. Water was pumped from Minnehaha Creek to the tower and then piped to the orphanage at the the site where Ramsey School stands today at 50th Street and Nicollet Avenue. That tower was purchased by Minneapolis and connected to the city water supply in 1915.
The tower you see, built in 1932 by the City of Minneapolis, was designed by these professionals, who lived in the neighborhood:
Architect: Harry Wild Jones-1E. Elmwood Place
Sculptor: John K. Daniels-322 Busch Terrace
Construction Engineer: William S. Hewett-4600 Dupont Avenue
The 110-foot-high tower can hold 1,350,000 gallons-nearly eight times the capacity of the old tower. It is drained in the fall and filled in the spring to provide a local head for water pressure throughout south Minneapolis during the summer.
Since 1983, the Washburn Water Tower has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in recognition of its unique design and monumental sculptures of eagles and of the guardians of health. |
ERECTED IN 2000
TANGLETOWN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
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