Louisville Water Tower Park (Louisville-Jefferson County, Kentucky)

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3005 River Rd
Louisville, KY 40207

maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=38.280399~-85.701217&...

The Water Tower of Louisville, Kentucky, is the oldest ornamental water tower in the world, having been built before the more famous Chicago Water Tower. Both the actual water tower and its pumping station are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Louisville in the 1830s and 40s had gained the nickname "graveyard of the west", due to the polluted local water giving Louisville residents cholera and typhoid at epidemic levels. This was because residents used the water of tainted private wells. The decision was made by the Kentucky Legislature to form the Louisville Water Company in 1854.

The tower is currently leased by the Louisville Visual Arts Association, who offer art displays inside, and hold an annual party during the Great Steamboat Race. Other annual events include an art auction and contemporary art dinner plates.

www.louisvillewatertower.com/