Worthington Ohio real estate

Maureen

What a neat bit of history! That water tower is a classic!

Jeff

Hi Maureen, I love history stuff and this post has given me some cool ideas for future posts in my area, thank you.

the water tower is long gone. 

I would just like to add some additional comments about the old Worthington water tower and Worthington's original water system. 

Worthington's old water treatment plant was located on the NW corner of 161 and Farrington, just south of the swimming pool.  The treatment facility was a small cement building with 2, possible more pools for treating the water that was pumped in from the pump house.  The old brick pump house was small and located south of the treatment facility, just off 161 and east of the current shelter house.  The old water treatment facility was closed in the mid to late 50's, and was finally demolished in the early 60's.  The old pump house remained at least until the early 70's, as I recall.  Worthington's water system remained operational until the mid to late 50's, when Columbus started to supply us with their water.  I believe the system was closed because of it's age and inability of supplying a growing city.  Columbusthough, would only supply us with water if we agreed not expand our city borders by annexing more land.  That is why Columbus surrounds us today.

The old water tower was located at the back of the old Worthington Bank, and remained there until the early 60's when it was finally cut up.  The water tower also supported a large siren that was used by the Worthington volunteer Fire Department to alert the volunteers when they were needed.  The siren was also used as a means of alerting the people if a tornado was sighted in the area, and as a sign of the times, if we were being attacked by Russian nuclear missiles.  You also have to remember this was at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis and almost everyone was paranoid.  I remember my teacher telling us instead of doing the duck and cover, the school would simply send us home.  Fortunately, the siren was never used for that purpose.  To distinguish between the two signals, the fire departments signal was continuous long bursts of wailing, while the weather and attack signal was continuous shorter burst of wailing.

The tower was also used in the 50's for pranks for our main football rival, Upper Arlington.  They use to climb up to the water tank itself before our fall game and write agitating messages aimed at our football team.  Naturally, the city was concerned for safety of the students and would pay close attention to the tower during that period.  My brother once told me the city wanted to hire my father to go up to the tank before the game and write messages on the tower so Upper Arlington students would think someone had already beat them to it.  Fortunately, I don't recall anyone being hurt or even killed.  

In my comment I mentioned the siren that sat on the water tower.  In the picture you can see just part of the siran on the SW leg, sitting on the first cross member of the tank.  It's mostly blocked by the tree, but is right below a fork in the tree.

Thanks.  I know I have seen photos of the water treatment on 161. 

I think I can see the siren.

I am so afraid of heights I never understood how teenagers were able to climb up to paint things on water towers.