Old Fresno Water Tower
Why it's listed
Rising about 100 feet above Fresno, this brick water tower was completed in November 1894 and held 250,000 gallons in its tank. Chicago architect George W. Mayer was commissioned in 1891 to design it, basing his plan on the Chicago Water Tower, which had survived the great fire there. His design even provided space for a library, but that part was never carried out, and only a second floor with a very high ceiling was built, reached by a winding staircase. The tower is made of ordinary red brick, with each layer stepped in to give a beehive effect. It has a thick inner wall over two feet thick, an outer wall of about fourteen inches, and a passage about three feet wide between them. The surface is painted. The tower served the city continuously until 1963, when the pumping machinery was no longer adequate. It is now valued for its graceful beauty and symmetry, and it remains in excellent, unaltered condition on its original site.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites the tower's architecture and engineering. It was designed by Chicago architect George W. Mayer, modeled on the Chicago Water Tower, and served Fresno until 1963. Its value now lies in its graceful beauty, symmetry and stately nineteenth-century charm.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 71000139, listed October 14, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2444 Fresno St., Fresno |
|---|---|
| County | Fresno County |
| Listed | October 14, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000139 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | George W. Mayer, a Chicago architect |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as kept in excellent condition, unaltered and on its original site; it no longer stores water, having been in constant use until 1963 when the pumping machinery became inadequate. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 36.73907, -119.78725 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 71000139.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15263783
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.