Property Record
JUNCTION ST, END
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Waterworks Powerhouse |
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| Other Name: | old pump house |
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| Reference Number: | 116897 |
| Location (Address): | JUNCTION ST, END |
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| County: | Waupaca |
| City: | Waupaca |
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| Year Built: | 1905 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1998 |
| Historic Use: | water utility |
| Architectural Style: | Astylistic Utilitarian Building |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | The old pump house is a one-story brick building with a circular main block and a rectangular ell. The main block has a pent roof, while the ell has a hip roof. There are several openings in the building, but they havge been boarded up. They are decorated with segmental brick arches. Brick arches also decorate entrances, which consist of wood paneled doors. The building sits on a concrete foundation. Conrad Gmeiner, the builder, was an expert brick silo contractor, which might explain the unusual shape of the building, which has a high degree of integrity. The old pump house is historically significant because it represents the growth and development of the city's waterworks system. The original system was installed in 1897, but the city had problems from the beginning in maintaining the lines and water source. The first solution was to construct this pumping station to take water from Mirror Lake for the waterworks. It was only a partial solution, but it helped keep the waterworks system operating. Eventually, the city invested in deep wells and modern pumping works for its water system. This building is also one of the few historic buildings associated with city government still extant. It is an important resource in the history of city services in Waupaca. |
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| Bibliographic References: | "The Waterworks Muddle." Waupaca Post, 21 July 1904, p. 1. "Water From Mirror Lake." Waupaca Post, 23 June 1904, p. 1. "The Contracts Let." Waupaca Post, 5 October 1905, p. 1. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |