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Friday, October 1, 2010

Pot Luck Friday #11: Old Raleigh Water Tower


The Raleigh Water Works, a private company, built the tower and an attached two story building in 1887. It was used to store and distribute water throughout the city.
The tower was once topped by a 30' iron tank that held as much as 100,000 gallons of water and reportedly made the tower the city's tallest structure.


The tank was dismantled in 1924.

In 1938 the city planned to tear down the 85' octagonal tower. William Deitrick a local architect purchased it from the city. He removed the pine columns that once held up the tower and built four octagonal rooms, one on top of the other in the bottom third of the tower. From the top room, long used for storage, you can look up about 50' to the bottom of the wooden platform where the water tank once sat. He moved his architecture firm into the old granite and brick water tower in downtown Raleigh...where he designed many local buildings including last Friday's Dorton Arena. Mr. Deitrick donated the building to the State Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in 1963.


This gate leads to a

to a lovely courtyard and garden behind the tower.

The State AIA has outgrown the building. It is now for sale. They are only asking
$685,000 for what is a one-of-a-kind building.
For those interested the phone number is below. (HA!)

26 comments:

  1. What an interesting history! I sure wish I had a spare 685,000 in which to buy it! But then, don't we all?! It really is pretty!
    Ann

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  2. Madi
    What an intersting building. You have lots of neat buildings where you live!!

    wags
    Jazzi

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  3. Madi, thank you for all that information. We have a penny jar where we put all our spare pennies. We will go count it now as we would quite like to buy that building....!
    Happy Friday
    love
    Martha and Bailey xxx

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  4. Interesting! Thanks for sharing this information Madi! I also would like to thank you for being my friend here especially on TTS. I have something for you here: http://junnethllesis.blogspot.com/2010/10/versatile-blogger-award.html

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  5. Hi Mom & Madi,

    That is a most interesting building, I really like the tower. I'm glad the architect bought it in 1938 and it didn't get torn down.

    Hopefully it will be sold to someone who will take care of it and preserve the history. If it were in this area it would probably be a winery by now.

    Hugs & purrs,
    J and Cindi Lou

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  6. That is really, really nice! Not interested in buying it though. Don't think I have enough in the coin jar yet!

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  7. That is a lovely building. Mum says she is very glad the tower wasn't pulled down. Too many unique buildings are demolished and replaced by boring ones. She would love to live somewhere like that if she had the money to afford it.

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  8. That place would be perfect for Liz over at "Ninny Notes" :)

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  9. What a unique building with interesting history!
    I hope they find a buyer who will maintain it!

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  10. Lovely building, I do hopes dey find a buyer fur it. Mom says it would make a neat house to lives in. :)

    Woofs and Licks,
    Maggie Mae

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  11. That looks like a REAL nice and interesting place. I wrote down the number. Now I just gotta gets my mom to call 'em. Mom won't let me use the phone anymore after the last, um, incident with the doggie that shall remain nameless but whose name starts with P-U-D-D-L-E-S. Anyways, we'll prolly be living there in that nice house in about a week so you should come visit us!

    Wiggles & Wags,
    mayzie

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  12. What a lovely building. That seems like quite a bit of money, especially in these times, but, I hope that they find someone who will treat it with respect and love.

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  13. Interesting. I love old buildings with such a great history. Don't want to own one though.

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  14. A little out of my price range....

    I do luv the design.

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  15. Very interesting...
    It's lovely!
    I wonder who will buy it and how it will be used?

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  16. Hey Madi, can you asks your mom if I can borrow $685,000...we'll just leave it as an IOU...hehehe! Ummm, yea, I pays it back at a later date...cross my heart.

    Puddles

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  17. Oh and PEES...I haves NO IDEA what Mayzie be talkin' bouts...wink wink

    Puddles

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  18. Great slice of Raleigh history!

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  19. Nice building. Blog Mom says we don't have that kind of money, but I told her to pick up a lotto ticket and we'll see what happens. Anyway, it sounds like Mayzie is planning to buy it, so it should be in good paws anyway.

    lotsa licks, Lola

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  20. That is a very cool sounding building - too bad it costs so much - it could be fun to make into a house or something!

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  21. The line was busy....EVERYONE must want it!

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  22. I know I would like to live there.

    Oh, and that was me calling, Remington. I wanted to know if they had seen Alien.

    Hugs

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  23. That's a very interesting building, Madi!

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  24. That was neat.
    BTW - I can't figure out the license plates either.

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Life is short, spend it with those who make you laugh
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Cecilia and Angel Madi
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