{"nrhp_refnum":"83000322","name":"North Shore Sanitary District Tower","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Cary Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Highland Park","county":"Lake County","state":"IL","lat":42.16781227600006,"lon":-87.77171425999995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-06-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 50-foot semi-circular brick tower topped with a stainless steel ornamental spire, built in 1931 on a wooded ridge at Cary Avenue overlooking Lake Michigan in Highland Park, Illinois. It was designed by Greely & Hansen, Engineers.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the tower is significant for its unusual Art Deco detailing, which rarely appears in a utilitarian structure. Details include a flat steel Dutch door trimmed in cut stone and decorative cut stone window sills. The sanitary district owner objected, but because the tower is publicly owned the objection did not block listing.","narrative":"Built in 1931, this 50-foot semi-circular brick tower rises from a wooded ridge at Cary Avenue, overlooking Lake Michigan just north of Highland Park's Rosewood Beach. Engineers Greely & Hansen designed it as a venting tower for sewer gases, and it stands near a pumping station. A stainless steel ornamental spire crowns the structure. Although it is no longer in operation, the tower is described as being in excellent condition and unaltered. Its importance rests on Art Deco detailing that seldom appears in a purely utilitarian structure. A flat steel Dutch door is trimmed in cut stone, and the windows have decorative cut stone sills. The sanitary district that owns the tower objected to its listing, but because the owner is a public entity, that objection did not prevent listing. The tower was entered in 1983 as part of Highland Park's multiple resource group, recognized for the architectural quality given to an everyday piece of infrastructure.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Greely & Hansen, Engineers","architectural_style":"Art Deco detailing","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Rated excellent condition and unaltered; originally used as a venting tower for sewer gases, now inoperative.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:35.939668-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/10/8912/28891210/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/83000322.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000322/2e7f041d5e-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83000322/2e7f041d5e-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Thshriver","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Shore_Sanitary_District_Tower_2.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Thshriver</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Shore_Sanitary_District_Tower_2.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28891210","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Shore_Sanitary_District_Tower","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14687977"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/lake-county/north-shore-sanitary-district-tower-83000322/"}