From 1922 to 1966, the historic water tower and pumping station served Manistique. The new pumping station station was located at Intake Park. With some renovations, the water tower became the home of the Manistique Hall of Justice from 1966 to 1968.
The historic water tower was built in 1921 and 1922 by a local contractor Fridolph Danielson. A native of Sweden, Danielson came to Manistique in 1897.
In 1968, the Chamber of Commerce installed a circular drive around the tower and made it their home for only a couple of years. The tower began its down-hill slide with a leaky roof and episodes of vandalism.
The first effort to get it names to the National Register of Historic Building’s began in 1979. It was names to the state register of historic sites in 1980.
Charles Cotman, a historian with the Michigan History Division, researched the water tower for its 1981 nomination for the National Register. His comments were that:
“Architecturally the tower is unique in the state, in that, it is an example of the use of a classical style of architecture to house a utilitarian structure.”
River Street to Watertower dated mid 1920’s-in what appears to be the dedication to the monument before the Siphon Bridge. The ever familiar landmark Manistique Water Tower (in the background) was completed in 1922 in which stands 137 feet high.
On October 26, 1981, our tower was finally named to the National Register of Histric Sites, as the Manistique Pumping Station. Unfortunately, being named a historic site does not bring any dollars, so the Manistique Pumping Station continued it’s decline.
In 1982, an estimate by the Chippewa Architects and Engineer Inc. of St Ignace to restore and add a viewing platform at the top was estimated at $426,836.
In 1994, the GFWS Manistique Woman’s Club, the Schoolcraft County Historical Society, and the City of Manistique combined efforts to raise money for repairs and maintenance on the water tower, with the hopes of opening its doors to the public. Several thousand dollars were raised, but that was not sufficient to launch this project, so some of the money was used to make minor repairs to the roof, evacuate pigeons, install a sump pump, and replace all of the windows at the top of the tower.
The badly damaged ceiling of the historic Water Tower.
During the winter of 2000-2001, several civic organizations approached the Manistique Downtown Development Authority about financially supporting a grant application to the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs in order to restore the tower.
The DDA hired U.P. Engineers and Architects to estimate costs involved to the project. Their estimate to restore the tower was $344,000. The first grant was applied for in May 2001, with hopes of receiving two more years of support.
Through 2004, we received $65,900 in three phases, with matching funds from the DDA plus $18,000 donated by businesses, private individuals and organizations.
The only progress made in 2002 was to encapsulate the roof to prevent further leakage and destruction within the tower.
In 2003, the second, third and fourth generation of Thorells (Ken, son Guy, and grandson Nathan) worked on the tower, following in the footsteps of Ken’s father, who had been one of the original craftsman. Most of the work involved securing the external brickwork, and rebuilding internal structures above the plaster ceilings.
Phase three in 2004 completed the plaster ceiling, painting, patching and adding electricity and heat. As a result of all of these efforts, the water tower will re-open to the public with a gala celebration on Saturday, June 25, 2005.
The Historic Manistique Water Tower standing tall through the decades.