Water Tower

Historic Property

Alternate Name:

Unknown

Street Address:

900 King St., Charleston, SC (Charleston County)

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Site Number:

0075.26

Control Number:

U/19/0075.26

Tax Number:

4631601001

Date Surveyed:

April 16 2003

Category:

Building

Construction Date:

1889

Historic Use:

Other

Current Use:

Other

Architect or Builder:

Howe, W.B.W. (architect), Grant, Colin P. (contractor), McArrel, Robert (mason)

Number of Stories:

2

Construction Method:

masonry

Exterior Walls Materials:

Brick

Foundation Materials:

Brick

Roof Shape:

conical

Roof Materials:

composition shingle

National Register Determination:

listed;

Signficant Architectural Features:

The water tower has an octagonal upper story with corbelled brick and concrete cornice, concrete voussoirs and keystone in round arch lintels, decorated springers and belt course at springer level, and vertical 1/1 windows. The lower story has corbelled cornice with shaped brick, belt course with egg and dart molding, and 1/1 windows with flat brick arch lintels. The tall concrete pediment entry with round-headed door and “William Enston Home” is written in raised letters in the pediment.

Alterations:

Roof replaced

Historical Information:

Part of a model sewage system designed by Rudolph Hering, a Philadelphia Engineer, for the Enston Home Complex. William Enston died in 1859 and left money in his estate to establish a home for the elderly based on examples in his native Canterbury. Architect W.B.W. Howe designed Picturesque rows and Romanesque buildings. Contractor Colin P. Grant and mason Robert McArrel oversaw construction.

Source of Historical Information:

The William Enston NRHP nomination

Quadrangle Name:

Charleston

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