Chicago Water Tower
Built in 1869, the Chicago Water Tower is a landmark building located on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago's Magnificent Mile shopping district. Built with Joliet-Lemont limestone, a popular building material in the city at the time, the tower stands 182.5 feet tall. The Gothic Revival style structure was the most iconic building left standing after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
According to one report that I read, the building survived the fire, along with the nearby Pumping Station, thanks to the efforts of a German immigrant fireman, Frank Trautman. He covered the buildings with woolen blankets and discarded canvas sails and kept the covers soaked in water, protecting it from the cinders and flaming debris as the rest of the city burned.
HSS
Chicago Water Tower
Built in 1869, the Chicago Water Tower is a landmark building located on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago's Magnificent Mile shopping district. Built with Joliet-Lemont limestone, a popular building material in the city at the time, the tower stands 182.5 feet tall. The Gothic Revival style structure was the most iconic building left standing after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
According to one report that I read, the building survived the fire, along with the nearby Pumping Station, thanks to the efforts of a German immigrant fireman, Frank Trautman. He covered the buildings with woolen blankets and discarded canvas sails and kept the covers soaked in water, protecting it from the cinders and flaming debris as the rest of the city burned.
HSS