Washburn Park Water Tower
Posted by: 
MNSearchers
N 44° 54.652 W 093° 17.047
15T E 477572 N 4973088
The Washburn Park Water Tower poses as a landmark of early 20th-Century architectural achievement within the neighborhood known as 'Tangletown' in south Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has been doing so for nearly 75 years.
Waymark Code: WM38YR
Location: Minnesota, United States
Date Posted: 02/27/2008
Views: 56
Perched on top of one of the highest points in south Minneapolis, the tower is given the privilege to boast its unique location and role as an unofficial "beacon" for incoming planes landing at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, yet remains hidden from much of the residents and visitors that pass by the base of the hill each day. This is mainly because large homes and tall oak trees scatter the hillside where the tower resides, and even more so, because of the clustered mess of streets and dead ends that compromise the towers' occupancy. Hence the name, 'Tangletown'.
As John Olson, president of Olson + Company Advertising, put it, "It's as good a landmark and touchstone -- and so, maybe, headstone -- as a body can expect from his hometown." I'm wondering if that's also what Harry Wild Jones had in mind in 1932 when he first put this masterpiece onto paper. Jones, a well-known Minneapolis architect who also designed Butler Square and Lakewood Cemetery Chapel (both of which are in Minneapolis), was well ahead of his time in creating the structurally-sound Washburn Park Water Tower. Along with William S. Hewitt (an engineer from the Intercity Bridge project), the two men not only implemented modern hydro-engineering methods to the tower's design, but also its very own unique character. The story goes that as Jones was clearing underbrush at his home nearby, which was also in its construction phase, a giant eagle (with nearly an 8 foot wingspan) had attacked him. He had the eagle maimed, captured, and brought to town where it began attracting much attention. In part, he used the eagle's extraordinary dimensions (and the artistic skills of John K. Daniels) to cast six concrete look-alikes, that now sit atop the tower to watch over their former domain. In addition, six 16 foot tall "Guardians of Health" were placed around the tower (one under each eagle), to prevent any bad-tasting or bad-smelling water pollutants from contaminating the water supply, which were believed to be the cause of many typhoid fever outbreaks around that time.
On October 6, 1983, the water tower was placed on the National Register of Historic Places for the city of Minneapolis.
Street address:
401 Prospect Avenue
Minneapolis, MN USA
County / Borough / Parish: Hennepin
Year listed: 1983
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Periods of significance: 1925-1949
Historic function: Industry/Processing/Extraction
Current function: Water Works
Privately owned?: no
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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