Landmark tower gets $1M worth of attention
For too long the Roland Avenue Water Tower has been surrounded by a fence, wrapped up at its substantial base, but the good news is that a $1 million stabilization program is about to get underway. Its crumbling roof tiles and terracotta fancy bits and pieces are due for the overhaul they’ve needed for years.
“The top of the tower is in an extensive state of disrepair,” said Suzanne Frasier, a neighborhood activist and Morgan State University professor. “The ornate wedding cake section just under the cone-shaped roof is the most damaged. The chain link fence went up 11 years ago to protect people from falling pieces.”
The tower, which once held 211,000 gallons, stands empty now and is not a working part of the city’s water supply system. But in the last 115 years this masonry treasure has established itself as one of Baltimore’s essential landmarks. It’s also a nesting spot for Peregrine falcons.
It was, curiously, not designed for the needs of nearby Roland Park, which once had its own private water supply system.
While the topmost parts of the tower are in need of repair, the interior is less affected.
“The interior tank and the shaft are in very good condition,” Frasier said. “The base is in good shape too. I’ve been up to the top once on the spiral staircase. Many of its cast-iron treads are broken, so it’s not possible to get up easily.”
The Roland Park Community Foundation contributed to the repair cost, as did the
State of Maryland, through a bond bill. Baltimore City, which owns the building, contributed the cost of its estimated demolition. Frasier said it was estimated to cost $300,000 to raze the tower and dispose of the remains.
The water tower did not make much of a splash in newspapers when it was completed.
The Sun noted in early 1906 that it was ready, about 90 days past the 180 days in which it was supposed to be completed. The City Council was lenient with the builder.
The builder was John Stack, a Bolton Street resident who specialized in this type of work and also built numerous churches. It was designed by William J. Frizone, who created a watercolor rendering of Baltimore’s finest citizens in awe of his grand creation. The Municipal Art Commission weighed in on its final, octagonal design.
The paper reported that the “Roland standpipe” went into service Oct. 16, 1905. The article stated that the higher sections of Hampden and Woodberry would benefit from this service. And if Charles Street was upgraded with a boulevard (it was in a few years), the excavation would allow waters from the new tower to flow to Waverly.
The tower will get its own special day, Oct. 10, as part of Doors Open Baltimore. In non-pandemic conditions, there would be public tours. This year, the tours are virtual and can be accessed on the web at 12:00 p.m. that day at doorsopenbaltimore.org
There are other ways to learn about some
of Baltimore’s curious water supply landmarks. The Eastern Avenue pumping station near Harbor East and Little Italy also will be explained through Doors Open Baltimore, as will the Vernon Pumping Station. This curious building appears small from the Jones Falls Expressway’s interchange at 28th Street. It is a1931pump house masquerading as an Italian villa or small train station. It pumps water from Druid
Lake throughout the city.
Baltimore has another neglected water tower landmark and it’s a beauty too. It’s in the West Arlington neighborhood of Northwest Baltimore.
“I’m ready to turn my attention to the Arlington Tower,” Frasier said. “The neighborhood is ready to have it repaired and stabilized. And we’ve learned a lot from our experience on Roland Avenue.”