The historic Raleigh Water Tower is located in Downtown Raleigh on West Morgan Street. Built in 1887, it stands 85 feet tall. It held 100,000 gallons of water. At the time, it was Raleigh's tallest building.
The water tower marked the beginning of water quality concerns and the move away from private wells and cisterns. Fires were another big concern.
Walnut Creek water was the water source, and the tower used steam pumps and sand filters. The vertical design ensured adequate water pressure for everyone in Raleigh.
Structurally, the iron water tank sat atop a massive octagonal red brick tower supported by a five-foot-thick, locally quarried granite base that transitioned seamlessly to a matching two-story office building. The city took over the infrastructure in 1913, but by 1924 it could no longer meet the area's needs because of population growth. They dismantled the tank, and the building sat neglected for 15 years.
It was set to be demolished until Raleigh architect William Henley Deitrick bought the property and made it his office. He preserved a rare example of Romanesque Revival industrial architecture in downtown Raleigh. It was the first time a historic property got an adaptive reuse. He built four floors inside the tower's cavity, with a spiral staircase winding along the brick walls. He preserved the pine framing beams visible at the roof's apex.
He worked on the blueprints for mid-century modern structures like the E.B. Bain Water Treatment Plant, Dorton Arena, Halifax Court, Chavis Heights, and a modernization of the News & Observer Building.
In 1963, Deitrick deeded the historic building and its covenants to the North Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, which used the building for almost 50 years before outgrowing it in 2010.
In 1971, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a preserved piece of Raleigh's history. It is currently home to Tower Escapes, a premier multi-level Raleigh escape room that lets visitors climb through Deitrick's historic spiral layout to solve immersive puzzles. It is a must-stop for history buffs and architecture enthusiasts alike! read more