Andersonville's Historic Water Tower Another Victim Of Chiberia
By Chuck Sudo in News on Mar 18, 2014 10:00PM
The Swedish American Museum in Andersonville is closed until further notice until crews remove the iconic water tower that rests atop the building. The tower, which was built in 1927 and has stood atop the building since it was built, became another victim of Chicago’s brutal winter of 2013-14.
The decision to remove the tower came after museum officials noticed something was wrong with it recently. After calling structural experts to assess its condition Monday it was determined the tower needed to be removed after water inside it froze during our extended periods of brutal cold. That will happen as early as Thursday, according to DNAinfo Chicago.
Museum executive director Karin Moen Abercrombie told the Tribune the tower, which is part of the neighborhood’s historic district and painted to resemble the Swedish flag, has to come down. “Safety comes first,” Ambercrombie said.
Ambercrombie did not say whether the tower would be restored at a later date.