History
Before construction of the tower, most water in Raleigh came from private wells and cisterns. In the 1880s a municipal system was developed to address concerns of water quality. Water from Walnut Creek was drawn by a private company and was carried from a dam by pipes to a nearby pumping station. Water was forced by steam pumps through sand filters, and either into a reservoir on site or through pipes to the water tower downtown. A 100,000 gallon water tank sat on top of the octagonal tower. In addition, offices were housed in an attached two-story building and a stand-alone building behind the tower contained a maintenance shop.
By the beginning of the 20th century the water system was supplying the entire city, however, the increasing population of Raleigh created a need for more water supply. In 1913, the city bought the facility and built a larger dam upstream, removing the one built in 1887. By 1924 the water tower had been abandoned and its tank removed. Raleigh architect William Henley Deitrick purchased the facility in 1938 and converted the aging tower into his architectural offices. He removed the nine 12x12 inch heart pine columns that once supported the tank and created four interior floors. He connected the tower to the rear building with a walled garden courtyard. Known by local architects as “The Tower,” it became a gathering place for local architects and was the location where many buildings, such as Dorton Arena, were finalized. In 1963, the facility was deeded to the North Carolina chapter of the AIA with binding preservation covenants. The AIA renovated the site in the 1990s and will maintain the property as its state headquarters until their new headquarters is complete.
Read more about this topic: Raleigh Water Tower
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