Only Two In Minnesota Do You Know What & Where They Are?

There are two of these iconic structures in all of the United States and they are in two Minnesota towns. Do you know what and where they are?

Today a cold glass of water is only as far as the kitchen sink. There was a time when that wasn't the case.

Water Towers became a big deal in the evolution of Minnesota metropolitan towns early on.

And there are no two water towers in Minnesota and maybe the whole United States that are as iconic as these structures in Brainerd and Pipestone.

While Brainerd and Pipestone are 240 miles apart they share the designation of having the only two water towers of this type to ever be built.

These historic all-concrete sister water towers were designed by architect L.P. Wolfe in the early 1900s.

Brainerd’s water tower was built over a four-year period from 1919 to 1922.

While Pipestone's tower construction was completed in 1920 by the Campbell Construction Company at a cost of $24,610.

According to the Brainerd Dispatch, “Brainerd's tower was erected after World War I and was one of the first constructed with poured-in-place concrete, and it was built to the design specifications of St. Paul engineer L. P. Wolff. It served continuously until 1958.”

Brainerd's tower at 141 feet tall was in service until 1958 and held around 300,000 gallons of water.

Pipestone's water tower is 140 feet tall with a capacity of 150,000 gallons and served the community continuously until 1973.

Every year Pipestone celebrates this wonderful historic landmark with an annual Water Tower Festival.

It's been announced that Brainerds Water Tower may soon be getting a long-awaited renovation. Great News!