The iconic water tower in Englewood, Tennessee, has been approved by the Tennessee Historical Commission for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places after a commission vote Wednesday in Nashville.
At 80 years old, the structure that looms over the tiny McMinn County town could become the state's first water tower to make the national listing. The state Historical Commission issued a statement in early January that the water tower was on a list of proposed National Register nominees, and now the tower's nomination moves on to the National Park Service.
"We're excited, all of us are," said Beth Sizemore, chairwoman of the Englewood Water Tower Preservation Committee. "We had several people who attended the meeting and it was a very interesting process. It was interesting to see what others around the state are doing.
"Ours was very unique," Sizemore said. "One gentleman said he was wondering why in the world they put a water tower in there for him to consider. But after he read the report, he said he could understand why it was being considered and felt like more things like that needed to be put on the National Register. So that was kind of exciting."
The water tower was among seven structures the commission considered and approved this year as nominees to the National Register, according to Rebecca Schmitt, a historic preservation specialist who specifically coordinates the National Register program for Tennessee.
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HOW TO HELPThe Englewood Water Tower Preservation Committee is collecting donations to put toward the preservation of the town’s icon. Donations can made online or dropped off at the Englewood Textile Museum. Checks should be made payable to East Tennessee Foundation with a memo line stating: “Water Tower Preservation.”Donations can be mailed to:East Tennessee Foundation520 W. Summit Hill Drive, Suite 1101Knoxville, TN 37902For more information, call 423-829-5331.
"They reviewed it and unanimously voted to approve the nomination which essentially means that they believe it meets the qualifications on requirements to be listed in the National Register," Schmitt said. "From this point on our office will submit it to the National Park Service, which will make the final decision on whether it should be listed or not."
"They were very complimentary of the nomination and the local preservation group that put it together," Schmitt said. "They agreed with the nomination, which [noted] that the water tower was important for its design as well as how it helped Englewood develop as a community. For example, it attracted industry to the area because it provided a steady and reliable supply of water."
The preservation committee plans to renovate the tower, which has a 75,000-gallon capacity and was constructed in 1937 from Works Project Administration program funding under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Englewood used the tower for its drinking water until 2018.
According to Catherine May, the tower preservation committee member who is overseeing some of the more technical aspects of the renovation work said it must meet state and federal construction and safety guidelines.
"It won't be usable when it's finished, but it will be preserved," May said earlier this month.
Schmitt said the state commission approved six other sites for nomination to the National Register, including Mound Bottom in Cheatham County, Sitka School in Gibson County, Crescent School in Greene County, Stanton School in Haywood County, the Gladys "MaDear" Bennett House in Shelby County and the Webb Hotel in Warren County.
"We'll submit [the nominations] in the next couple of weeks and then in the next couple of months we expect to hear from the National Park Service on if they're listed, or sometimes they ask for further revisions," Schmitt said.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton or at www.facebook.com/benbenton1.