Water Works Pumping Station

The Louisville Water Co., incorporated in 1854, built its first pumping station in 1857-60 in the Classical Revival style, combining beauty and utility. Theodore R. Scowden and his assistant, Charles Hermany, designed and built the classic structures. The station could pump 12 million gallons in 24 hours, and the site was chosen for its distance from industry, high elevation, and good landing for coal boats. Its 169-foot tower encloses a water standpipe and was designed to represent a Roman column in the Doric order. The base is surrounded by Corinthian columns, nine topped by Greek classical figures and one by an American Indian. A tornado damaged the tower in 1890, and the station and its water tower were named National Landmarks in Nov. 1971.

Louisville, Kentucky · United States