The Alhambra Water Tower reflects Coral Gables’ early boom years, when practical structures could be made into works of art. Built circa 1923 and credited in design to Coral Gables artistic designer Denman Fink, it began as a steel tank that was later enclosed within a wood frame and reinforced concrete structure made to resemble a lighthouse, hiding the less attractive tank behind an architecturally playful exterior. Purchased by Consumers Water Company in 1926, it formed part of the city’s domestic water supply system until 1931, when it was disconnected and abandoned after the utility company began buying water from the City of Miami. After citizen opposition to its destruction in 1958, the city bought it for a token sum and preserved it. It was listed in the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places in 1988 and extensively restored in 1993 based on 1924 photographs.