Compton Hill Reservoir Park is a public

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

located in the

Compton Heights Compton Heights is a neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. It is bordered by Interstate 44 to the north, Nebraska Avenue to the east, Shenandoah Avenue to the south, and Grand Boulevard to the west. Compton Hill Reservoir Park, home to the landmar ...

neighborhood of

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, USA. Located on one of the highest elevations within the city, the park surrounds a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

used to provide

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...

for many of the city's residents.

History

James P. Kirkwood James Pugh Kirkwood (27 March 1807 – 22 April 1877) was a 19th-century American civil engineer, and general superintendent of the Erie Railroad in the year 1849–1850.Edward Harold Mott Between the Ocean and the Lakes: The Story of Erie'' Colli ...

selected the site of the reservoir, one of the highest elevations within the 1855 city limits. As the reservoir occupied only of the site, Kirkwood suggested the remaining land be turned into a park. The top of the reservoir structure was at one time covered with elevated tennis courts; presently, two newer tennis courts lie to the east. The water tower was retired in 1929, after 30 years, when the Howard Bend Plant was put in service: the static head from the Stacy Park Reservoir, in what is now the St. Louis

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

of Olivette, caused an overflow of pure chemically treated water into the sewer system. The reservoir and water tower were renovated, in 1999, at a cost of $19 million. In 1969, Interstate 44 was constructed through the northern edge of the park, reducing the area of the park to its present size.

Compton Hill Water Tower

The Compton Hill Water Tower, built in 1898, is the youngest of three remaining stand pipe-

water tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system, distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towe ...

s in St. Louis. Whereas, in 1901, more than 423 stand pipe style water towers existed in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, as of 2008 only about a dozen remain standing, three of which are in St. Louis (the other two being the

Bissell Tower Bissell Street Water Tower (also known as the "New Red" tower) is a historic standpipe water tower located at the junction of Bissell Street and Blair Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri. The tower was completed in 1886 and was in service until 1912.

and the

Grand Avenue Water Tower The Grand Avenue Water Tower is a water tower located at the intersection of Grand Blvd and 20th street in the College Hill neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. It is the oldest extant water tower in St. Louis, pre-dating both the Bissell Street ...

). The tower was built to disguise a diameter, tall standpipe in its interior. The standpipe helped to control the dangerous surges in the city's pipes caused by the reciprocating pumps and maintain an even water pressure. The water tower was designed by Harvey Ellis who also had a hand in designing the headhouse for

St. Louis Union Station St. Louis Union Station is a National Historic Landmark train station in St. Louis, Missouri. At its 1894 opening, the station was the largest in the world that had tracks and passenger service areas all on one level. Traffic peaked at 100,000 p ...

. Occasionally, the observation deck at the top of the water tower is opened to the public, allowing visitors to see 360-degree panoramic views of the city. The Compton Hill Water Tower was declared a city

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

in 1966 and 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 1972.

''The Naked Truth''

The statue ''The Naked Truth'', unveiled in 1914, was a gift to the city of St. Louis by the German-American Alliance in honor of

Carl Schurz Carl Schurz (; March 2, 1829 – May 14, 1906) was a German revolutionary and an American statesman, journalist, and reformer. He immigrated to the United States after the German revolutions of 1848–1849 and became a prominent member of the new ...

Emil Preetorius Emil Preetorius (15 March 1827 – 19 November 1905) was a 19th-century journalist from St. Louis. He was a leader of the German American community as part owner and editor of the ''Westliche Post'', one of the most notable and well-circulated ...

and

Carl Daenzer Carl Daenzer Germany.html"_;"title="n_Germany">n_Germany,_Karl(July_17,_1820_in_Östringen.html" ;"title="Germany">n_Germany,_Karl.html" ;"title="Germany.html" ;"title="n Germany">n Germany, Karl">Germany.html" ;"title="n Germany">n Germany, Karl( ...

, editors of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

St. Louis newspaper ''

Westliche Post ''Westliche Post'' (literally ''"Western Post"'') was a German-language daily newspaper published in St. Louis, Missouri. The ''Westliche Post'' was Republican in politics. Carl Schurz was a part owner for a time, and served as a U.S. Senator f ...

''. Controversy erupted over the statue's nudity before the monument was even built when a jury selected the design of

Wilhelm Wandschneider Wilhelm Georg Johannes Wandschneider (6 June 1866, Plau am See – 23 September 1942, Plau am See) was a German sculptor. Life His father was a commercial decorative painter. At an early age, he began an after-school apprenticeship in the fami ...

, the only non-local sculptor in the design contest. At the request of Adolphus Busch, who had contributed $20,000 of the $31,000 cost of the monument, the statue was made of

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

instead of white

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

to deemphasize the

nudity Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to ...

. The statue was moved to its present location south of the water tower after Interstate 44 was constructed through the northern edge of the park. The statue was designated a city landmark in 1969.

References

External links

Compton Hill Reservoir Park
official site

Facebook page
Compton Hill Water Tower
- Compton Heights neighborhood page about the water tower
The Water Tower and Park Preservation Society

- Information about the three remaining water towers in St. Louis {{Parks of Greater St. Louis Parks in St. Louis Urban public parks Water supply infrastructure on the National Register of Historic Places Landmarks of St. Louis German-American culture in St. Louis National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Tourist attractions in St. Louis 1867 establishments in Missouri

History

Compton Hill Water Tower

''The Naked Truth''

See also

References

External links