Tower Museum

Visit Western Spring’s iconic water tower.

Exhibits

The Tower Museum is a place to learn about the Who, What, and Where of Western Springs history through both permanent and rotating exhibits. The first floor features a tribute to prominent residents from Western Springs’ past including John Laidlaw (of Laidlaw Elementary) and Thomas Ford (namesake of the local public library). Next to this tribute is a timeline of major events in the history of Western Springs, from early settlement by the Potawatomi Indians to the dedication of the Ekdahl House Museum in 2009. The ground floor also features historic maps of the village including a copy of the newly restored 1880 map of Western Springs.

Also on the first floor is our current rotating exhibit, “The Case of the Missing Window.” Words from John Brannen tell the story of the journey a stained glass window from the Benezette Williams home on Central has taken. Many thanks to the Brannen Family for this amazing story and donation.

The second-floor exhibits simulate earlier life in the village and boast an assortment of artifacts dating from 1900-1920. Household items, clothing, school supplies, tools, and uniforms are among a wide variety of items displayed.


Children’s Museum

Designed for enjoyment by pre-schoolers with a caregiver, the Children’s Museum on the third floor is a place where little visitors can play with vintage toys, explore the big vintage dollhouse and set up housekeeping in a large kitchen built for cooks just their size. Lots of dress up and toy trains are there for their enjoyment too.

We need to keep the Children’s Museum closed for the rest of the summer, but our LT student volunteers have created Scavenger Hunt activity worksheets to keep our younger visitors engaged. We also have outdoor activity worksheets including a walking tour for a fun and educational adventure. Stop in on any Saturday and do all the activities in one visit or spread them out over several visits.


History of the Tower

On December 12, 1891, Mr. Wickerson, the village president at the time, sought the village’s right to place a water tower on land that had been originally known as “Block A.” On January 27, 1892 Charles and Ruth Collins donated “Block A” to the village of Western Springs with the understanding that it be used solely as the site for a water tower and public park. The deed also specified that the land could not be used for commercial purposes either then or at any time in the future.

Design and construction of the new water tower began shortly thereafter. Both were a collaboration between Benezette Williams and Edgar Williams of the firm of Williams and Williams (which later became known as MacRichie and Nichol) and Ethan Philbrick. All three were civil engineers and residents of Western Springs. Benezette Williams and Ethan Philbrick eventually served as village presidents. The cost of the Tower combined with the sewer and pumping system and the pumping station was $79,119.10.

Construction required 156 carloads of stone ordered from the Chicago and Naperville Stone Company. Each stone was cut and shaped by hand on-site. The Tower is 112.5 feet high at its tallest point and 36.5 feet in diameter. The walls are 6 feet thick at the base and the original water tank held 133,000 gallons of water. The Tower itself, which has three floors and a basement, served as the village offices, police department, and police magistrate court until 1957 when the village offices were relocated to the new firehouse on Wolf Road. Even this change proved inadequate and in 1968 a new administration building was built at 740 Hillgrove Avenue.

After 65 years the tower now stood empty. It was not until 1966 when a group of civic-minded individuals formed the Western Springs Historical Society and the village agreed to allow them establish a museum in the Water Tower. After three years of extensive renovations, the museum opened in 1970.

Improvements and maintenance of the park have continued thanks to the efforts of residents, civic organizations, and the Village. On April 10, 1981, the Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places, as one of the few municipal water towers that also housed government offices.

At 1:00 a.m. on August 30, 1991, lightning struck the roof of the Tower and sparked a fire that smoldered until 5:00 a.m. when commuters reported 30 ft high flames. The water tank was punctured and is no longer capable of holding water. Fortunately, firefighters covered many of the valuable items in the museum preventing water damage. After two years of repair and restoration, the museum reopened in 1993. The Children’s Museum on the third floor was opened in 1995.

Hours and Location

Open Saturdays
10:00 AM – Noon

Closed on major holiday weekends.

914 Hillgrove Avenue
Western Springs, IL 60558

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