page_title: Ypsilanti Water Tower
section_title: Structure
hierarchical_section_title: Ypsilanti Water Tower / Structure
caption_attribution_description: interior cross
context_page_description: The Ypsilanti Water Tower is a historic water tower in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States.
  The tower was designed by William R. Coats and built as part of an elaborate city waterworks project that began in 1889. Located on the highest point in Ypsilanti, the tower was built in 1890 at a cost of $21,435.63. Today the tower is frequently joked about for its phallic shape. It has become a well-known landmark in Ypsilanti, and due to the building's shape and location, the tower is frequently used by residents as a point for providing directions for visitors and residents.
context_section_description: The exterior was designed in the popular Queen Anne style of the period. Queen Anne design was less formal than other popular styles at the time; instead it experimented with different shapes particularly towers. Queen Anne buildings also often had more decoration than this structure.
  The stone tower is located at the highest point of elevation of the city on Summit Street. The tower is made of Joliet limestone. The tower is 147 feet (45 m) tall, has an 85-foot (26 m) base. The substructure walls taper from a thickness of 40 inches (100 cm) at the bottom to 24 inches (61 cm) at the top. The reservoir holds a 250,000-US-gallon (950,000 l) steel tank. When it was constructed it had a dual purpose. Not only did it store water but the falling water also generated electricity for the city street lamps at night.
  A marble bust of Demetrius Ypsilanti stands between a Greek and a U.S. flag at the base of the water tower. The city of Ypsilanti is named after this hero of Greek independence.
caption: Desc-i.svgCrosses embedded in the interior and exterior walls of the structure.
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