Title : Postcards from Chicago: #8 The Chicago Water Tower and Chicago Firehouse 98
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Postcards from Chicago: #8 The Chicago Water Tower and Chicago Firehouse 98
by Wes Douglas, USk ChicagoAs we enter the final stretch to the 8th International Symposium, I will continue to take you on my virtual tour of favorite views of Chicago which I have named "Postcards from Chicago." Each week I will post a different scene of Chicago – some may be familiar to you and some may be less familiar – and by the time I am done it should be time for the Symposium. This first one I have a soft spot in my heart for because this little firehouse is where my brother, a Chicago fireman, worked and this station has just one engine and one ambulance. You can definitely get a sense of those days when this station had horses and pumping wagons inside.
Chicago Firehouse #98
One of the best examples of historic municipal architecture in Chicago, this fire station is just steps away from one of the busiest tourist drags in the city, but is often overlooked in favor of its neighboring buildings. Granted, those buildings are the magnificent John Hancock Center and the Chicago Water Tower, but the fire station deserves a look, especially considering how closely its design fits in with the water tower, and the old pumping station building. Of course, it should fit in as it was constructed with stone from the same quarry, and has a similar medieval castle design.
But if the fire station building is overlooked, its staff is not. Over the years, the firefighters and paramedics stationed here have become an integral part of the neighborhood. They take care of the neighbors, and the neighbors take care of them. They are summoned on emergency calls about 3,000 times a year and give countless tours to school children, curious residents, and people who have strayed outside of tourism's beaten track.
Completed in 1904, this castle-like structure was designed by architect C.F. Hermann and is part of the Old Chicago Water Tower District. It was designated a Chicago Landmark on October 6, 1971. I have a soft spot in my heart for this little firehouse because my brother is a Chicago fireman and worked in this station that has one engine and one ambulance.
The Chicago Water Tower
The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property and landmark in the Old Chicago Water Tower District. It is located at 806 North Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile shopping district in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois in a small plaza named in honor of former Chicago Mayor Jane M. Byrne. The tower was constructed to house a large water pump, intended to draw water from Lake Michigan. It is the second-oldest water tower in the United States, after the Louisville Water Tower in Louisville, Kentucky.
The tower, built in 1869 by architect William W. Boyington from yellowing Joliet limestone, is 154 feet (47 m) tall. Inside was a 138-foot (42 m) high standpipe to hold water. In addition to being used for firefighting, the pressure in the pipe could be regulated to control water surges in the area. Together with the adjacent Chicago Avenue Pumping Station, it drew clean water from water cribs in Lake Michigan.
The tower gained prominence after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. While some incorrectly believe that the tower was the only building to survive the fire, a few other buildings in the burned district survived along with the tower.
The tower, built in 1869 by architect William W. Boyington from yellowing Joliet limestone, is 154 feet (47 m) tall. Inside was a 138-foot (42 m) high standpipe to hold water. In addition to being used for firefighting, the pressure in the pipe could be regulated to control water surges in the area. Together with the adjacent Chicago Avenue Pumping Station, it drew clean water from water cribs in Lake Michigan.
The tower gained prominence after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. While some incorrectly believe that the tower was the only building to survive the fire, a few other buildings in the burned district survived along with the tower.
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