Editor’s note: the following story has been submitted by the Hoard Historical Museum.
For more than 120 years, it has stood as a sentinel over the city of Fort Atkinson. It’s survived bulging walls, leaky tanks and student graffiti, and has been threatened with deconstruction. It has been carefully preserved for roughly two decades and now it has a new steward to guard it for the future.
After all, it would be difficult to imagine the city of Fort Atkinson without the iconic 1901 Historic Water Tower.
Recently, the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), which had been responsible for protecting the water tower, voted to turn over responsibilities for the tower to the Hoard Historical Museum, located just over a block from the water tower on South Fourth Street East.
Built in 1901 to serve as the first municipal water source, the water tower stands at the corner of South Fourth Street East and High Street. The tower rose above the messy politics that surrounded its beginnings.
At the turn of the 20th century, Fort Atkinson citizens wanted a municipal water source that a tower like this would provide. Prior to the water tower, households in Fort Atkinson had their own wells for water and outhouses for waste removal. Due to the potential proximity of the wells and outhouses to each other, there was a huge risk of wells becoming contaminated, which sometimes led to outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and typhoid. Water towers did away with the need for private wells and provided a clean water source.
The mayor at the time did not see the need for the tower and campaigned against it. And after a fairly nasty political referendum, the citizens voted to construct the water tower over the wishes of the mayor, who would have preferred a new bridge. In fact, the referendum passed by a 6-1 margin, a tremendous margin by any definition. The townspeople had clearly spoken in favor of the tower.
Built of locally and regionally produced Cream City bricks, the conical tower is 112 feet tall. The unique-to-this-area, cream-colored bricks rise in a column that is 77 feet in the air; the metal water tank makes up the last several feet.
Fort Atkinson’s tower remained in service until 1989. During its time, it was often the victim of senior pranks by high school students attending class at the nearby Fort Atkinson High School (now the Fort Atkinson Middle School). The remnants of some of the pranks are found in the painted graffiti on the interior of the water tower.
After it was taken out of service, the tower remained standing. In the early 1990s, the City of Fort Atkinson budgeted funds to remove the tower, which horrified local citizens who valued it. A committee was formed to save the water tower and funds were raised to preserve it.
After several years of work, the tower was opened to the public and visitors were able to climb the newly installed metal steps to the top of the tower.
The Fort Atkinson Historical Preservation Commission, which had been very active in preserving the tower, took on the responsibilities of scheduling tours, coordinating volunteers and monitoring any maintenance needs for the tower.
Under HPC’s stewardship, thousands of visitors were able to experience the tower by climbing to the top and enjoying the impressive view. But now, the Hoard Historical Museum will be in charge of the water tower.
For both HPC and the staff at the Hoard Historical Museum, this is an obvious transition.
“HPC has fulfilled their responsibilities for the water tower by working so hard to preserve it,” said Merrilee Lee, director of the Hoard Historical Museum. “The Hoard Historical Museum’s mission is to preserve, protect and promote our local history. Transferring the water tower responsibilities to the Museum fits nicely within our mission and is a logical move for both organizations.”
Julia Ince, president of the Historic Preservation Commission, agreed.
“We’ve been honored to be responsible for the water tower until now,” she said. “Multiple past members of HPC have been vital to the preservation of the tower. However, HPC now has other preservation goals and we’re pleased that the Hoard Historical Museum is willing to accept responsibility for the water tower. It’s in good hands.”
The 1901 Historic Water Tower still is owned by the City of Fort Atkinson. Both the Historic Preservation Commission and the Hoard Historical Museum are part of the City of Fort Atkinson. There will be no change in funding for the tower’s maintenance.
The Fort Atkinson Community Foundation maintains an account dedicated to the tower’s maintenance; persons may contact the foundation if interested in making a donation toward the tower’s ongoing maintenance.
“Not only are we happy to accept the responsibility for the water tower, we’re also excited to announce that the 1901 Historic Water Tower will be open for tours this year,” Lee said.
The tower was not open last year due to COVID-19, but it will be open for tours on two Saturdays, Aug. 7 and Sept. 4, from 10 a.m. to noon.
The tour is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. No reservations are required for these public tours.
There are limitations to touring the water tower. It is not handicap-accessible, individuals under 48 inches are not able to climb the tower and tours may be canceled due to inclement weather. Please contact the Hoard Historical Museum at (920) 563-7769 for more information.
“We are also very glad that two longtime volunteers for the water tower and Hoard Museum friends, Greg Misfeldt and Harriet Scherer, have agreed to be the volunteer coordinators for the tower,” Lee said. “They’ll be helping schedule volunteers for tours and ensuring that everything is set for tours.
“We’re pleased to continue working with them as well as all the other wonderful water tower volunteers,” she added.
If interested in potentially being a tour docent for the tower, please contact the Hoard Historical Museum at info@hoardmuseum.org or 920-563-7769.
Julia Ince, HPC president, stated, “In some ways, the Water Tower is a physical symbol of the community’s ability to collaborate. It was built due to the community’s wish for a municipal water source. It was saved due to the community’s desire to preserve it. It perseveres through the community’s support. Just think what the future holds for the tower with the community’s ability to rally behind it?”
The Hoard Historical Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Julia Ince, president of the Fort Atkinson Historic Preservation Commission, at right, hands the keys to the 1901 Historic Water Tower to Merrilee Lee, director of the Hoard Historical Museum. The water tower will be open for public touring on two Saturdays, Aug. 7 and Sept. 4, from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, contact the Hoard Historical Museum, 401 Whitewater Ave., Fort Atkinson, at (920) 563-7769 or info@hoardmuseum.org. Photo courtesy of the Hoard Historical Museum.
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