Historic Water Tower
Illinois · United States
Conclude the tour across the street from the Historic Water Tower, one of the few surviving structures from the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. This iconic building is often open to the public before or after the tour.
Contents
9 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Old Chicago Water Tower
Welcome, observant traveler, to the historic heart of what is affectionately and universally known as the Magnificent Mile in the great American city of Chicago. As you stand upon the bustling pavement of North Michigan Avenue, I…
Listen in the app2The Limestone Exterior and Boyington's Design
Stand directly before the main eastern facade of the Water Tower and direct your gaze upward along its vertical axis. The first element that demands our scholarly attention is the material composition of the edifice itself. …
Listen in the app3The Tower Base and the 1871 Fire
As we slowly walk around the solid, unyielding base of the tower, it is essential to contextualize the true historical weight of the limestone blocks before you. Just two years after the completion of these magnificent…
Listen in the app4The Interior Gallery Space
Let us now step through the heavy entry doors and cross the threshold into the interior of the Water Tower. As you enter, you will immediately notice a distinct shift in the sensory environment. …
Listen in the app5The Engineering of the Iron Standpipe
While we remain inside the gallery space, let us engage our analytical minds and explore the fascinating physics and engineering principles behind that original one hundred and thirty-five foot iron stand pipe. Why did the city…
Listen in the app6Approaching the Pumping Station
Let us now exit the Water Tower, cross the pavement of the plaza, and direct our attention eastward across the street to its sprawling companion structure: the Pumping Station. As you wait for the traffic signal to cross Michigan…
Listen in the app7The Working Pumps and Library
Cross the threshold into the Pumping Station and prepare your senses for an astonishing dichotomy. The most remarkable and unique feature of this building is that, despite its immense age and historic status, it still features a…
Listen in the app8The Lookingglass Theatre Company
As we navigate deeper into the complex interior of the Pumping Station, we encounter the final, and perhaps most culturally vibrant, occupant of this historic structure. Beyond the roaring water pumps and the quiet aisles of the…
Listen in the app9Closing
As our comprehensive exploration concludes, I invite you to step back outside onto the bustling pavement of North Michigan Avenue and take one final, sweeping look at the Old Chicago Water Tower and its companion Pumping Station.…
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What is Historic Water Tower?
Historic Water Tower is a place in Illinois · United States with 9 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Illinois · United States |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 9 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 41.8972, -87.6245 |
| Last updated |
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