the celestial symbols of the zodiac constellations and compass points . This may seem an unusual amount of energy spent on decorating a water tower , but it was not uncommon for a great amount of care to be taken with design details in the 1930s .
Visitors with enough lung capacity could climb the 154 steps to the top , reaping the reward of breathtaking views of Oakland and downtown Pittsburgh .
The tower is what ’ s known as a standpipe water tower . The first standpipe tower was built in Germantown , Pennsylvania , in 1851 . It ’ s a ground supported tank , rather than many of the popular big round tanks supported high above spindly legs . The design of the standpipe naturally helped generate pressure and it would have been more cost efficient to build than the elevated tank varieties , a big consideration in the dire economic times of the 1930s .
Unlike many water towers that were unsafe to climb , the standpipe tower welcomed visitors . It was a very popular local fixture for people in the mid-century modern era , until it became unsafe from age and disrepair , and finally closed to the public in the 1970s . But on March 23 , plans were announced by the Allegheny County Parks Foundation , to restore the tower with a grant from the Babcock Charitable Trust of $ 500,000 . The design will be completed by Buchart Horn Architects and the restoration could be completed as early as fall of 2023 . Thankfully , the mosaic art has survived intact and will now be enjoyed by a whole new generation of visitors .
The tower , known officially as the Allegheny County North Park Water Supply System , is located off North Ridge Road , close to North Park Lodge . Residents in the North Hills will have a ringside seat to the transformation of this old friend . n
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