The Leaning Tower of Niles is a half-size replica of the

Leaning Tower of Pisa The Leaning Tower of Pisa ( it, torre pendente di Pisa), or simply, the Tower of Pisa (''torre di Pisa'' ), is the ''campanile'', or freestanding bell tower, of Pisa Cathedral. It is known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unst ...

. Located in

Niles, Illinois Niles is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located in the townships of Maine and Niles, directly neighboring the City of Chicago's far northwest border. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,912. The current mayor of Niles ...

, it was completed in 1934 by industrialist Robert Ilg as part of a recreation park for employees of the Ilg Hot Air Electric Ventilating Company of Chicago."Encyclopedia of Chicago: Niles, IL"
Chicago History Museum. Retrieved March 26, 2016. It is situated at 6300 W.

Touhy Avenue Touhy Avenue is a major street throughout northern Chicago, Illinois as well as the north and northwestern suburbs of the city. It is named for Patrick L. Touhy, a subdivider who was also the son-in-law of Phillip Rogers, an early settler who ...

. Some speculate that part of the motivation to construct the tower was to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the

. A more likely explanation is its original functional purpose, to store water for outdoor recreational swimming pools.Niles Centennial History - Ch. 12
, p.116 In 1960, the descendants of Robert Ilg donated part of the park for the construction of the Leaning Tower YMCA. Other amenities of the employees' recreational park included a wooden

toboggan A toboggan is a simple sled traditionally used by children. It is also a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people (often children) down a hill ...

run, which was in decay but still visible in the 1960s. A study in 2014 concluded that the Leaning Tower of Niles is in need of about $600,000 in repairs. On November 17, 2015, the Niles Village Board approved a proposal for the village to purchase the Leaning Tower from the YMCA for $10. The Board also approved a contract to spend $550,000 to repair and renovate the building. On March 15, 2016, Niles voters passed a non-binding referendum approving of the village spending the money to renovate the tower. The Leaning Tower of Niles contains five

bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...

s. Three of the bells are thought to be several hundred years old, and to have been cast in Italy. How they came to be included in the tower is not known. The tower was listed on 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 ...

in 2020.

Symbol of city

In 1991, the village of

, established a

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

pact with

Pisa, Italy Pisa ( , or ) is a city and '' comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...

."Pisa, Italy: Niles Sister Cities Since 1991"
Village of Niles website. Archived fro
the original
on July 23, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
City of Pisa website. Retrieved May 25, 2016 A US$1.2 million renovation of the Leaning Tower of Niles was started in 1995 by Mayor Nicholas Blase and the Board of Trustees, and was completed in 1996, improving the structure, façade and the Plaza area. The Leaning Tower Plaza area now has four fountains and a 30-foot pool. Village web site and publications include images of the tower. Leaning Tower Concert Series are summertime open-air music concerts sponsored by the village since the 1990s.

References

External links

*Encyclopedia of Chicago, History o
Niles, ILGoogle earth Model
{{coord, 42.0124, N, 87.7840, W, region:US-IL_type:landmark_scale:5000, display=title Towers completed in 1934 Inclined towers Novelty buildings in Illinois Niles, Illinois Towers in Illinois Buildings and structures in Cook County, Illinois Tourist attractions in Cook County, Illinois Folly buildings in the United States Replica buildings Inclined towers in the United States 1934 establishments in Illinois Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Cook County, Illinois