Last month, Hubby and I had a free Saturday with nothing planned, which doesn’t happen real often. We decided to go out-and-about to wherever struck our fancy.
Erik wanted to visit a site in Minneapolis that he had driven past many times without realizing it existed. Somehow he learned of it and thought I would like to see it.
As we drove up to this striking landmark on a hill in a quiet Tangletown neighborhood, I was astonished to see that it was guarded by giant knights. Like, seriously, medieval knights … in Minneapolis. What the what?!?
We parked the car and walked up the hill to the Washburn Water Tower, which is surrounded by a black metal fence. We walked around the water tower, taking in the view and snapping photos.
The eight knights are placed equidistant from each other and decorate the base of the tower. Above each knight, near the top of the tower, is a cement eagle.
On the side of the tower opposite from where we parked the car, there was a long stairway down the hill, along with a sign explaining the history of the water tower, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The be-knighted water tower was built in 1932 to replace one that couldn’t adequately supply the area. The previous one is pictured on the sign and its plain cylindrical shape wasn’t nearly as exciting as the one with knights and eagles.
The tower is named for William Washburn, who had the first tower built. It was designed by architect Harry Wild James, engineer William S. Hewitt, and sculptor John K. Daniels. The knights are called the “Guardians of Health” and are meant to protect residents from contamination in the water supply. Go ahead, germs, just try messing with these stern fellows with long, sharp swords!
The story behind the eagles is an interesting one. In 1887, while brush was being cleared from the site of architect Harry Wild Jones’s house, which was in the area, a huge eagle attacked a worker. The eagle, which was injured in the altercation, was captured and its wingspan was measured at 7 feet across. The eight eagles on the water tower each have a wingspan of 7 feet in honor of this eagle who was defending its home. Makes me wonder what happened to that eagle after it was taken “downtown where it attracted great attention.”
If you’re ever in the Tangletown area of Minneapolis, pay the knights and eagles a visit at the Washburn Water Tower.