{"nrhp_refnum":"97000034","name":"Lena Water Tower","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"201 Vernon St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lena","county":"Stephenson County","state":"IL","lat":42.380383367000036,"lon":-89.82807770699998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1997-02-20","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 122.5-foot limestone and brick water tower at 201 Vernon Street in Lena, Stephenson County, Illinois, built in 1896 by the U.S. Wind, Engine and Pump Company of Batavia, Illinois. A 1907 underground reservoir on the same parcel is also counted.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the tower is locally significant under Criterion A for politics/government. It supplied water to Lena's residents and businesses from 1896 on, and it ended a long run of destructive fires and failed fire-protection measures. The first tower attempt collapsed in December 1895 before this one was completed.","narrative":"Rising 122.5 feet above a triangular lot at 201 Vernon Street, this water tower was completed in 1896 to give Lena, Illinois, a reliable public water supply. The lower 56 feet are rock-faced limestone with six buttresses, and red brick with yellow brick corbelling continues above. A stainless steel tank, installed in 1984 to replace a redwood one, caps the structure. An underground concrete reservoir from 1907 on the same parcel is also counted as part of the property. The tower followed decades of fires that destroyed businesses and homes in the town despite wells, cisterns and a fire department. An earlier stone tower collapsed on Christmas morning in 1895 because its foundation was too shallow. The U.S. Wind, Engine and Pump Company of Batavia then rebuilt it on a new foundation. Water mains and set rates followed in 1896, bringing running water and better fire protection. The tower was recognized for its role in local government services between 1896 and 1946.","period_of_significance":"1896-1946","architect_builder":"U. S. Winds, Engine and Pump Company of Batavia Illinois","architectural_style":"Other: Watertower","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Still owned by the Village of Lena and listed with a current function of Government/Public Works. The adjacent former electric plant is used for storage by village departments and houses the town pump. The stainless steel tank replaced an earlier redwood tank in 1984.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.405007-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/76/8941/28894176/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/97000034.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/97000034/eca0fd8c44-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/97000034/eca0fd8c44-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 2.5","author":"IvoShandor","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lena_Water_Tower16.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">IvoShandor</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 2.5</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lena_Water_Tower16.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28894176","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lena_Water_Tower","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6522191"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/stephenson-county/lena-water-tower-97000034/"}