806 N. Michigan Avenue, at Chicago Avenue
http://www.wcwp.com/tour/water_tower.htm

For a city constructed largely of wood, the Joliet limestone used to construct the Water Tower must have seemed a worthwhile investment on that October morning in 1871 following Great Chicago Fire. The Water Tower stood alone amid the wreckage, a North Side beacon that would soon be consecrated to the memory of those who lost their lives in the conflagration.

At an impressive 154 feet, the Water Tower must have seemed a marvel of engineering. But it’s what you can’t see that really constitutes a technical feat. A tunnel two miles long once thrust out into Lake Michigan from this location, drawing water for the growing city. This city on the edge of a lake has had a lot of adventures with water. Reversing the course of the Chicago River was one such trick, effectively curbing the rampant disease that had been caused by a supply of drinking water polluted by industrial and human waste. The water supply for Chicago was originally a limited (and ultimately inadequate) private concern. City fathers elected to build the Water Tower with municipal money in the years after the Civil War. That’s the kind of big government we like.

Architect William W. Boyington designed the slim tower in 1867, and construction was completed in 1869. Its soft yellow stone, quarried southwest of Chicago, glowed then as it does now in the early winter twilight. A crenellated cap makes the tower resemble nothing so much as a traditional chess piece. Set in its own parklet among highrise hotels and chain stores, the Water Tower holds itself with dignity in a relentlessly commercial quarter of the city. It was designated a City of Chicago landmark in 1972. Don’t miss the City Gallery at street level that shows really top-drawer work by Chicago photographers.

Outside, enjoy the swirling eddies of activity as shoppers on North Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile mix with office workers on their errands. An urban mall across the street calls itself Water Tower Place, but stick with the original. Street musicians of varying proficiency strum, pick, and tootle classics, including the ubiquitous seasonal carols, alongside colleagues who offer surprisingly delicate folk melodies. Contribute a quarter to the common weal as you enjoy the parade of life from a park bench.

In the less glamorous Pumping Station across Michigan Avenue, you will find a tourist information office, toilets, an occasional art exhibit, and a café with unpredictable hours. A tour of the premises will introduce you to individual pumps bearing charming names. These are treated with the affectionate care usually lavished on racehorses put out to pasture.

Check out informative architectural information on this historic treasure at: http://www.wcwp.com/tour/water_tower.htm