Andersonville Water Tower Replica To Be Hoisted Tuesday

From Ald. Osterman:

"Installation of the new blue-and-yellow Andersonville Water Tank on the roof of the Swedish American Museum is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, August 8.

Clark Street will be closed from Foster to Farragut to accommodate two lifting cranes beginning at 7 a.m. and will remain closed until the project is complete later in the day.

• Onlookers are advised to avoid the East sidewalk on Clark between Foster and Farragut.
• Museum staff will be on hand to guide viewers to the west side of Clark Street or south of Foster and north of Farragut. 
• Motorists are advised to avoid Foster Ave. between Clark and Ashland tomorrow morning while the tank is moved from the lot to the museum.

The Museum will be closed to the public all day to ensure everyone’s safety while the tower is being placed on the roof.

More than three years after the historic blue-and-yellow Andersonville water tank was removed from the roof of the Swedish American Museum, the replica has undergone assembly in the Museum parking lot for the last few weeks prior to tomorrow's installation.

The tank had to be taken down from the Museum roof in March 2014 after it was damaged beyond repair during an extremely harsh winter. Funding for construction and erection of a replacement was realized through large and small contributions. An impressive $165,000 was raised and the remaining cost was covered by the Swedish American Museum.

The three-story building where the water tank stood was built for the Lind Hardware Store in 1927. Water from the wooden tank served as a fire-suppression system for almost a century, but the fiberglass replica will not contain water. The Swedish American Museum relocated to the vacant building in 1987, and the tank was painted in the colors of the Swedish flag about 20 years ago. It is considered a beacon of the Andersonville community.

This project was made possible by the support of

• Donors and Community
• Karin Moen Abercrombie
• Miles Lindblad
• Mark Schall
• Kevin Kazimer
• Arcorp Structures
• Industrial Fiberglas, Inc.
• Perry & Associates, LLC.
• Swedish American Museum

I hope you'll join me in celebrating the return of this iconic landmark. Congratulations to the Swedish American Museum on a successful fundraising campaign!"

A look back at March 2014, when the damaged water tower was removed:

• Water Tower Coming Down; Clark Street To Be Closed Thursday
• Andersonville Water Tower's Last Day
• Grounded! But You Can Help Restore It