National Register of Historic Places

Grand Avenue Water Tower

St. Louis (Independent City), St. Louis County, Missouri
Listed
June 14, 1970
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
70000908

About this property

The Grand Avenue Water Tower is a water tower located at the intersection of Grand Boulevard and 20th Street in the College Hill neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. It is the oldest extant water tower in St. Louis, pre-dating both the Bissell Street Water Tower and the Compton Hill Water Tower. The tower was built in 1871 by architect George I. Barnett in the form of a Corinthian order column with brick, stone and cast iron trim. Inclusive of its base, shaft and capital, it stands 154 feet (47 m) tall. Inside was a standpipe with a diameter of five feet, designed to hold water. In addition to being used for firefighting, the pressure in the pipe regulated water pressure in the area. In 1912, the water tower was decommissioned, and its standpipe and internal spiral staircase were removed. The staircase was replaced by a vertical ladder, and the tower was modified to include an aircraft warning light. In 1998, the water tower was restored and lit by floodlights. The tower is the tallest free-standing Corinthian column in the world. At 46.94 metres (154.0 ft) it is much taller than the free-standing Corinthian columns Pompey's Pillar in Alexandria (20.46 metres (67.1 ft)) or the Column of the Goths in Istanbul (18.5 metres (61 ft)), or those in colonnades at the Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek which are 19.82 metres (65.0 ft) tall, the Temple of Mars Ultor in Rome at 17.74 metres (58.2 ft), and the Olympieion in Athens at 16.83 metres (55.2 ft). "St. Louis Water Division listing of water towers". *"Grand Water Tower Saint Louis". YouTube. 11 March 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2025.

Location

St. Louis (Independent City), St. Louis County, Missouri
38.67032, -90.20873

Categories

ENGINEERINGARCHITECTURE
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

Bissel Street Water Tower
Industrial
0.2 mi
Lange, William A., Subdivision
Listed
0.2 mi
Eliot School
Industrial
0.3 mi
Central High School
Early Republic
0.3 mi
Lowell School
Industrial
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Action at St. Louis (Spanish Fort San Carlos)
1780Revolutionary War
3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Grand Avenue Water Tower listed on the National Register?

Grand Avenue Water Tower was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 14, 1970.

What type of historic resource is Grand Avenue Water Tower?

Grand Avenue Water Tower is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Grand Avenue Water Tower?

The period of significance for Grand Avenue Water Tower is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Grand Avenue Water Tower?

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