Water towers frequently dominate the skylines of Florida towns. In addition to serving the practical function of storing water, they often double as advertisements for their communities, displaying welcoming messages and colorful graphics. Rarely, however, does a water tower have a story as fascinating as the St. Cloud Water Tower.
Look up, and you'll spot the St. Cloud Water Tower standing watch over downtown St. Cloud. The city's first water tower, a wooden structure, was constructed in the early 1910s by the Seminole Land and Investment Company to serve the growing community.
The steel water tower that dominates the skyline today was built later and became famous for an unusual reason. During the 1960s, a 12-foot illuminated Latin cross, donated to the city, was installed atop the tower, making it a well-known landmark throughout rural Osceola County.
In 1987, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), representing local resident Ron Mendelson, filed a lawsuit arguing that the city funded display violated the constitutional separation of church and state. In August 1989, U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp ruled that the cross had to be removed. That October, the city briefly replaced the Latin cross with a Greek cross featuring equal-length arms, describing it as a "plus sign." The ACLU threatened additional legal action, and after a costly three-year legal battle that exceeded $100,000, the St. Cloud City Council voted 3-2 in April 1990 to remove the cross entirely. Visitors interested in this unique chapter of local history can learn more at the St. Cloud Heritage Museum.
Today, the historic water tower is owned by the city. Although it no longer stores water, it remains a landmark, sealed and preserved as a symbol of St. Cloud's past. The tower now displays the city seal along with the words "St. Cloud, Florida," welcoming residents and visitors alike. A park with with a basketball court, playground, and t ball field is at the base of the tower. Since 1995, the former water tower cross has stood atop a 60-foot tower at a church in Intercession City, where you can still see it today. read more