The Benson Water Tower was a water tower located on Clayton Street in

Benson Benson may refer to: Animals *Benson (fish), largest common carp caught in Britain Places Geography Canada *Rural Municipality of Benson No. 35, Saskatchewan; rural municipality *Benson, Saskatchewan; hamlet United Kingdom * Benson, Oxfordshire ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

. The tower was built in 1891, in response to several serious fires in Benson; it supplied the village with water until 1985. The tall brick tower had a large wooden water tank on top. The tower was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1987. It has since been demolished, and was delisted in 2020.

Description

The round, red brick tower was tall with a base diameter of that tapered to at its top. The bricks used for the tower were made in Benson's own brickyard. The tower was topped by a tall

redwood Sequoioideae, popularly known as redwoods, is a subfamily of coniferous trees within the family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affini ...

water tank; steel bands held the tank's wooden planks together. The tank held 15,000 barrels of water when full and was connected to the ground by a diameter supply pipe. Ladders allowed access to both the inside and outside of the tower, and a catwalk surrounded the barrel.

History

The village of Benson experienced major fires in its business district in 1884 and 1889, hindering its development as a commercial center. In response, citizens petitioned the village for improved fire protection, and the village commissioned the water tower in 1891. Fitchen Brothers Construction built the tower for $6,400, or approximately $ in present-day terms.Inflation automatically calculated The new water tower led to economic and population growth in the village as new houses and businesses received a steady water supply from the tower. The tower also provided water to farms in the surrounding area, who transported water from the city to supplement their wells, as well as to steam trains on the

Chicago, Pekin and Southwestern Railroad The Chicago and St. Louis Railway was a predecessor of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway that owned a line between Chicago and Pekin, Illinois. More than half of the line is now part of the BNSF Railway's Southern Transcon. History The I ...

. Due to the tower's height, it became a town landmark that could be seen for miles. The water tower provided the village's water until 1985, when a new water tower was constructed.Shields, Lois M. ''National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Benson Water Tower''.

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

. June 28, 1987. The water tower was added to the

on November 20, 1987. It has since been demolished.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places National Register of Historic Places in Woodford County, Illinois Buildings and structures in Woodford County, Illinois Water towers in Illinois Towers completed in 1891 Water towers on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois Former National Register of Historic Places in Illinois