927 N Taylor Dr (SE corner of Taylor Dr and Kohler Memorial Dr)

Historic Name:
Taylor Hill Reservoir

Other Name:

Reference Number:
82344

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Property Location

Location (Address)	927 N Taylor Dr (SE corner of Taylor Dr and Kohler Memorial Dr)
County	Sheboygan
City/Village	Sheboygan
Township
Unincorporated community
Town
Range
Direction
Section
Quarter Section
Quarter Quarter Section

Property Features

Year Built	1933
Additions
Survey Date	2005,2010,2020
Historic Use	public utility/power plant/sewage/water
Architectural Style	Astylistic Utilitarian Building
Structural System
Wall Material	Brick
Architect	Stubenrauch and Donohue
Other Buildings On Site
Demolished	No
Demolished Date
Additional Comments	A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. An arcade supports the second story on this round brick water tower which was built in 1933 and was one of the largest elevated tanks in the world at the time of construction. 4,000,000 gallon capacity. Designated a Sheboygan County Landmark in 1983. 2011: Twenty-eight exterior concrete piers and fifty-two interior concrete columns support a flat, 16-inch-thick, reinforced concrete slab 196 feet in diameter upon which a 185-foot (in diameter) cylindrical steel tank rests. The tank is located 27 feet above ground and has a capacity of 4,000,000 gallons. An 8-inch-thick brick wall encloses the tank, but which is also located 3 feet from the tank to allow for a circular passageway around the tank. Twenty-eight brick pilasters with stone caps rise above the concrete piers, in between which are located expanses of brick within which rests tall-and-narrow slit-like windows. A conical steel roof covers the structure. Statement of Significance Construction of the Taylor Hill Reservoir began in October 1932 and was put into service in July 1933. At the time of its completion, the 4,000,000 million gallon structure was regarded as the largest elevated reservoir in the United States and the second largest in the world. Although the basic designs and calculations for the reservoir were done by the Sheboygan Water Department Superintendent Arthur H. Miller, the architectural firm responsible for the design of the structure was Edgar A. Stubenrauch, while the engineering was taken care of by The Jerry Donohue Engineering Co., both of Sheboygan. Additional consultation was made with Prof. William S. Kinne of the University of Wisconsin and the actual tank itself was built and assembled by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. The roof of the structure originally included the name of the city, as well as a north arrow for the aid of aviators; however, the markings were painted over following the start of World War II; it was also at that time that the chain-link fence was added. As of 1951, Sheboygan (and the subject reservoir) provided water to the City of Sheboygan Falls and to the Village of Kohler in 1973. In 1983, the structure was designated a county landmark. Although additional reservoirs have been added to the overall system, the subject reservoir is still a vital part of Sheboygan’s water utility. The construction of the Taylor Hill Reservoir and its ability to supply water to a larger population, allowed for the later expansion and development of the City of Sheboygan. While the reservoir technology was not new, the subject structure was, at its completion, the largest of its kind in the United States (please note that other larger reservoirs had been built in the United States; however, they were either of the ground-level or subterranean type, not an elevated tank).
Bibliographic References	LJM Architects, Inc. "City of Sheboygan, Wisconsin: Architectural and Historical Intensive Survey Report." City of Sheboygan Historic Preservation Commission & Department of City Development; 2002, 2004 & 2006. “Architecture/History Survey: Taylor Dr. Bike Trail: Crocker Ave. To Kohler Memorial Dr.” WHS project number 12-0940/SB. May 2010; reviewed April 2012. Prepared by Heritage research, Ltd. 2019 Best of Sheboygan Awards - Historical Landmark. http://sheboygan.2019Local-AwardDecision.org/spn56j2p_TAYLOR-HILL-WATER-RESERVOIR

National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings

National/State Register Listing Name	Not Listed
National Register Listing Date
State Register Listing Date
Contributing

public utility/power plant/sewage/water Astylistic Utilitarian Building

Sheboygan
County

Sheboygan
Community

1930-1939
Decade

National and State Register Listing

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