"One of Missouri's few rivertowns which still
retains an orientation to the river, Washington survives with
riverfront blocks which include all of the industrial buildings, two
depots, an electric power plant, a waterworks, and an underground
reservoir.
COMMERCE/INDUSTRY (c.1855 - 1940):
Encompassing Washington's Central Business District and industrial
riverfront strip, the District includes almost all of the city's
historic commercial and industrial properties which together provided
the economic base for its growth and prosperity.
" ... More fully developed
styles, however, may be found in such buildings as the Queen Anne terra cotta-trimmed, Waterworks Building of 1888 at 1 West Front ... designed by St. Louis architect Theodore Link ...
"Modern improvements in municipal services
additionally included a waterworks plant of 1888 at the foot of
Jefferson Street (Photo tt32), a sewage system, and regular street and
gutter cleaning."
~ NRHP Nomintaion Form