Ransom Water Tower

Ransom Water Tower
Location Plumb St. between Cartier and Columbus, Ransom, Illinois
Coordinates 41°9′24″N 88°38′57″W / 41.15667°N 88.64917°W / 41.15667; -88.64917Coordinates: 41°9′24″N 88°38′57″W / 41.15667°N 88.64917°W / 41.15667; -88.64917
Area less than one acre
Built 1896
Architectural style Barrel-type water tower
NRHP Reference # 90001723[1]
Added to NRHP November 2, 1990

The Ransom Water Tower is a former water tower in the LaSalle County, Illinois, village of Ransom. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

History

After a fire in the early 1890s the village of Ransom decided to construct a public waterworks with a central water tower. The first meetings were held in 1893 and 1894. After some controversy over the size of the tank and tower a 45,000–50,000 gallon tank was constructed atop a brick water tower in 1896. The tower served the village from its construction until July 19, 1990.[2]

Design

The Ransom Water Tower is located atop a hill, what was the highest point in the then-center of town. Upon its construction, a 40 foot brick tower was topped with a 28-foot-tall (8.5 m) wooden water tank. The brick tower is a round, "barrel", tower. At its base it has a diameter of 29 feet 4 inches which tapers as the tower rises to a diameter of about 24 feet.[2]

Historic significance

The tower is locally significant to the settlement of Ransom. It helped the village flourish after a devastating fire and attracted settlers and business growth to Ransom.[2] The Ransom Water Tower was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on November 2, 1990.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 3 Cahill, Marianne. "Ransom Water Tower", (PDF), August 1, 1990, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, accessed May 11, 2008.
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