National Register of Historic Places

High Service Water Tower and Reservoir

Lawrence, Essex County, Massachusetts
Listed
November 20, 1978
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78000450

About this property

The High Service Water Tower and Reservoir, colloquially known as the Tower Hill Tower, is a public water supply facility off Massachusetts Route 110 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The reservoir was constructed in 1874–75 to provide the city's public water supply, with a gatehouse designed by Charles T. Emerson, a Lawrence architect. The tower was built in 1896 as a high pressure standpipe or water tower. The tower stands 157 feet (48 m) high, and is built out of red brick with granite trim. It is Romanesque in its style, and was designed by George G. Adams, a noted local architect who had been taught by Emerson. The standpipe inside the tower is of steel construction and is 102 feet (31 m) in height. The area above the standpipe includes a balcony capped by a chateauesque roof, with round-arch windows providing views of the area. The main tower is octagonal in shape, with a narrow round staircase tower projection from one side. The neighborhood surrounding the tower, located on the north-west side of Lawrence is known as Tower Hill, for obvious reasons. Although the hill and its accompanying neighborhood are associated with Lawrence, and the tower itself is located in, a small sliver of Tower Hill actually extends into the neighboring city of Methuen. Thus, it is sometimes necessary to clarify whether one is speaking of Tower Hill, Methuen or Tower Hill, Lawrence. The tower and reservoir were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Location

Lawrence, Essex County, Massachusetts
42.70755, -71.18271

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTENGINEERINGARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Bellvue Cemetery
Early Republic
0.2 mi
Emerson House
Industrial
0.6 mi
Arlington Mills Historic District
Listed
0.6 mi
Old Public Library
Industrial
0.8 mi
Barker, Stephen, House
Industrial
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was High Service Water Tower and Reservoir listed on the National Register?

High Service Water Tower and Reservoir was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 20, 1978.

What type of historic resource is High Service Water Tower and Reservoir?

High Service Water Tower and Reservoir is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for High Service Water Tower and Reservoir?

The period of significance for High Service Water Tower and Reservoir is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near High Service Water Tower and Reservoir?

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