CHICAGO ( August 7, 2017 ) — According to an alert today from the Swedish American Museum ( 5211 N. Clark ), work to complete the installation of the new blue-and-yellow Andersonville Water Tower on the roof of the Swedish American Museum is scheduled for tomorrow morning, Tuesday, August 8. Clark Street will be closed from Foster to Farragut to accommodate two lifting cranes starting at 7AM until the duration of the project is complete later in the day. The tower is expected to start moving around 8AM.
Onlookers are advised to avoid the East sidewalk of Clark Street between Foster and Farragut and to use caution around the perimeter of the street closure. Andersonville Chamber of Commerce and Swedish American Museum staff will be present to guide onlookers to safe watch locations; the West sidewalk of Clark Street between Foster and Farragut will open at some point for viewing ( as directed by staff ), and both sidewalks South of Foster and North of Farragut will be open for viewing.
"We are excited to be returning the Water Tower to Andersonville and the Swedish American Museum," said Swedish American Museum Executive Director Karin Moen Abercrombie. "Thanks to everyone for all your support in making this possible."
More than three years after the iconic historic blue-and-yellow Andersonville water tank was removed from the roof of the Swedish American Museum, the fiberglass replica has undergone assembly in the Museum parking lot for the last few weeks prior to tomorrow's installation.
The original tank was taken down from the Museum roof in March 2014 after it was damaged beyond repair during an extremely harsh winter. Funding for construction and erection of a replacement was realized through large and small contributions. An impressive $165,000 was raised and the remaining cost was covered by the Swedish American Museum.
The three-story building where the water tank stood was built for the Lind Hardware Store in 1927. Water from the wooden tank served as a fire-suppression system for almost a century, but the fiberglass replica will not contain water.
The Swedish American Museum relocated to the vacant building in 1987, and the tank was painted in the colors of the Swedish flag about 20 years ago. It has long since been considered a beacon of the Andersonville community.
This project was made possible by the support of:
Donors and Community, Karin Moen Abercrombie, Miles Lindblad, Mark Schall, Kevin Kazimer, Arcorp Structures, Industrial Fiberglas, Inc., Perry & Associates, LLC., Swedish American Museum.
The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce fosters a vibrant environment in which Andersonville businesses can thrive by attracting a diverse customer base; providing business support services and advocacy; and engaging in business attraction, long-range planning, and economic development.
