Belton Standpipe
N 34° 31.336 W 082° 29.517
17S E 363064 N 3821076
In August of 1987, the State Department of Archives and History accepted the eighty-year-old standpipe, which is used for water storage, as a historical site. The castle-like tower that rises above the town of Belton has become a familiar landmark.
Waymark Code: WMVCM
Location: South Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 10/16/2006
Views: 48
In 1908, Belton Council approved spending the amount of $12,500 to build the standpipe. Construction on the 155 foot structure on O’Neal Street (one of the highest reinforced concrete structures in the United States) was began in late 1908 and completed in early 1909. The structure was one hundred feet high by January 3rd, 1909, with the additional fifty-five feet added later that year. The unusual shape of the standpipe is said to have been an idea of the builders to secure a more even distribution. The little windows in the structure, from bottom to top, were placed there for ventilation and so construction workers could get sunlight to see what they were doing. The standpipe’s base is thirty feet in diameter and it penetrates thirty feet into the ground, where it widens out into a funnel shape. From the ground level, it tapers inward one hundred feet to the point where the water tank begins. From that point, the tower ranges outward again to thirty feet in diameter and upward fifty-five feet to the top. It has the capacity to hold up to 150,000 gallons of water and is currently full.
In October of 1987, the first annual Standpipe Festival was held to help raise money for the improvement of the outside appearance of the historic structure as well as other renovations for safety and water storage reasons. These renovations began in late 1989 and were completed to satisfaction in June of 1991. Although the original reasons for the Standpipe Festival are no longer needed, the festival still remains an annual event that all of Belton looks forward to.
Visit Instructions:
To post a log for your visit to a "Water Tower" waymark you must post "two" (2) photos of the "Water Tower". Include any information you wish to share about your visit. Any log deemed not authentic will be dissapproved and/or deleted.