Louisville Water Company Pumping Station
United States historic place in Louisville, Kentucky. Built 1860. Added to the National Register in 1971, and a National Historic Landmark.
.jpg/960px-Louisville_Water_Tower_(upwards).jpg)
What it is
The Louisville Water Tower, located east of downtown Louisville, Kentucky, near the riverfront, is the oldest ornamental water tower in the world, having been built before the more famous Chicago Water Tower. Both the actual water tower and its pumping station are a designated National Historic Landmark for their architecture. As with the Fairmount Water Works of Philadelphia, the industrial nature of its pumping station was disguised in the form of a Roman temple complex.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | Zorn Ave., Louisville, KY |
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | Nov 11, 1971 |
| Listed for | Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Reference number | 71000348 |
| Built | 1860 · more from the 1860s |
| Type of place | water tower, pumping station |
| Style | Neoclassical architecture |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark, Historic Civil Engineering Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 building, 1 structure |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | Zorn Ave., Louisville, KY |
| Website | louisvillewatertower.com ↗ |
| Coordinates | 38.2806° N, 85.7014° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Louisville | 404 listed places in Louisville → · walking tours → |
| Nearest national park unit | Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park · 48 miles · on Park Atlas |
Explore
Drawings & photographs
Measured drawings and photographs from the Library of Congress. Public domain. All 5 records ↗
Map
Nearby in Jefferson County
Local history books for Louisville
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Kentucky travel guides
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Louisville Water Company Pumping Station listed on the National Register?
Nov 11, 1971. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
When was Louisville Water Company Pumping Station built?
1860, in the Neoclassical architecture style.
Source: Wikidata
Can I visit Louisville Water Company Pumping Station?
Probably. Places of this type are usually open to the public, but the record lists no hours; the official website will have them.
Source: Official website
Where is Louisville Water Company Pumping Station?
Zorn Ave., Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky. The nearest national park unit is Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, 48 miles away.
What does the Louisville Water Company Pumping Station listing include?
The listing counts 2 contributing resources. Those are 1 building and 1 structure. A contributing resource is a part of the listed property that carries its historic significance.
Source: National Park Service
Are there historic photographs or drawings of Louisville Water Company Pumping Station?
Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.
Source: Library of Congress
Where is the nomination form for Louisville Water Company Pumping Station?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Is there cell service at Louisville Water Company Pumping Station?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 71000348. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.