Steel Water Towers Associated with South Dakota Water Systems, 1894-1967: An Historic Context

Mathis, Gregory; Chlebeck, John; The 106 Group Ltd.; Short Elliott Hendrickson

From introduction: "Dakota was conducted by The 106 Group, Ltd. (106 Group) on behalf of the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in 2011-2012. The intent of the following historic context is to provide a broad overview of these ubiquitous resources throughout the state of South Dakota during the period 1894-1967. To the untrained eye, water towers can often appear very similar to one another, which can make it difficult to identify what makes one distinct. With so many similar, yet highly dispersed resources across the state, it is also a challenge to compare and contrast water towers in order to identify those that stand out as being historically significant. Therefore, a goal of this historic context is to provide cultural resources professionals with a tool they can use to identify and evaluate the historical significance of steel water towers associated with municipal drinking water systems across the state of South Dakota to determine their eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. Another goal of this document is to act as a tool to help the SHPO fulfill its obligation pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and South Dakota Codified Law 1-19A-11.1. The following historic context is intended to supplement South Dakota’s Historic Contexts Document by providing more detailed information on steel water towers associated with drinking water systems across the entire state of South Dakota. This context covers the period from the construction of the first all-steel water tower in South Dakota in 1894, through 1967, when major shifts started to take place as more stringent water quality legislation was enacted, leading to the development of regional water systems, and as new water tower designs were introduced. This historic context includes a historic overview of the early development of water works and water towers in the United States, a developmental history of water towers in South Dakota, a short history on the evolution of water tower design, and descriptions of major water tower manufacturers with a presence in South Dakota. It also includes a classification system for water towers found in South Dakota and descriptions of the most common water tower types, including significance guidelines, registration requirements and integrity guidelines, and a glossary of water tower terminology." Funding for this project was provided in part through a 2011 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office (project number SD-11-017, grant number 46-11-31948) administered by the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Steel Water Towers Associated with South Dakota Water Systems, 1894-1967: An Historic Context

Collections