Maryland Historical Trust Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties Form

1. Name of Property
historic other (indicate preferred name)

Inventory No. 31-47

Glenmont Water Tower

2. Location
street and number city, town county

12413 Georgia Avenue Silver Spring Montgomery

(give names and mailing addresses of all owners)

not for publication vicinity

3. Owner of Property
name street and number city, town

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission 4017 Hamilton Street Hyattsville

state telephone

MD

zip code

20781

4. Location of Legal Description

courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. city, town

Montgomery County Courthouse

tax map

liber

879 folio 387

tax ID number

Rockville

HQ63

tax parcel

P352

13-00983106

5. Primary Location of Additional Data

Contributing Resource in National Register District Contributing Resource in Local Historic District Determined Eligible for the National Register/Maryland Register Determined Ineligible for the National Register/Maryland Register Recorded by HABS/HAER Historic Structure Report or Research Report at MHT Other:

6. Classification
Category
district building(s) structure site object

Ownership

Current Function
agriculture commerce/trade defense domestic education funerary government health care industry landscape recreation/culture religion social transportation work in progress unknown vacant/not in use other: PUBLIC UTILITY

Resource Count
Contributing Noncontributing buildings sites structures objects Total

X public
private both

1 1

Number of Contributing Resources previously listed in the Inventory

7. Description
Condition

Inventory No. 31-47

x excellent
good fair

deteriorated ruins altered

Prepare both a one paragraph summary and a comprehensive description of the resource and its various elements as it exists today.

The Glenmont Water Tower, 12415 Georgia Avenue, is located near the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Layhill Road. (Figures 1 and 2) Built in 1947, the 189-foot tall structure is a large-capacity, multi-columned, elevated water tank with a 500,000-gallon capacity. A central riser pipe, which brings water into and out of the tank, runs from the ground to the base of the elevated tank. Support legs connected by braces extend around the perimeter of the tank. (Figures 3 and 4) In 2008-09, the water tower was the subject of a $1.5 million WSSC restoration project. Spiral stairs that had wrapped around the central pipe were replaced with a straight ladder located along a support leg. Railings were augmented to meet OSHA standards. During the project, the tower was covered with draping .1 (Figures 11-13) The Glenmont Water Tower has an array of telecommunication antennas located on its top. The first antennas were installed on the tower in 1996, for AT&T, and were augmented in 2001 (Voice Stream) and 2003 (Verizon).2 (Figure 14)

Interview, Karen Wright, WSSC, November 2, 2012. Photos of draping (January 2008) and post-restoration condition (April 2009) are posted by gibba1 at flickr.com 2 Database of telecommunications antennas; http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/apps/ttfcg/home.asp. Accessed October 29, 2012.

8. Significance
Period
1600-1699 1700-1799 1800-1899 X 1900-1999 2000-

Inventory No. 31-47 Check and justify below

economics education engineering entertainment/ recreation ethnic heritage X_ exploration/ settlement health/medicine industry invention landscape architecture law literature maritime history military performing arts philosophy politics/government religion science social history transportation other:

Areas of Significance
agriculture archeology architecture art commerce communications X_ community planning conservation

Specific dates Construction dates Evaluation for:

1942 1947

Architect/Builder

National Register

Maryland Register

not evaluated

Prepare a one-paragraph summary statement of significance addressing applicable criteria, followed by a narrative discussion of the history of the resource and its context. (For compliance projects, complete evaluation on a DOE Form see manual.)

Built in 1947, the Glenmont Water Tower is one of the oldest extant public elevated water tanks in Montgomery County. The tower is a prominent feature of Glenmont that has been identified by the community as a significant visual landmark. The water tower facilitated the postwar suburban development of the Glenmont area, much of which was subdivided starting in 1949. HISTORY In 1942, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission acquired the 0.64 acre parcel in Glenmont.3 Charles and Lischen Dwyer conveyed the property to WSSC on June 25, 1942, for $2,000. It was part of land that the Dwyers had owned since 1911, and which they had acquired from Anne and Ernst Loffler.4 Charles E. Dwyer was a local businessman who operated nearby a grocery store and gas station.5 WSSC constructed the 500,000-gallon water tower in 1947, at a cost of $65,000. 6 (Figures 7 and 8) The Glenmont water tower was one of two elevated water tanks built by WSSC immediately following World War II. The other tower was the Cabin John Water Tower (1946), at 6711 Tomlinson Avenue. In Glenmont, the 189-foot structure quickly became an icon for the community and a wayfinding landmark. In 1949, W.W. Moore included the water tower in directions to his Plainfield Orchard, five miles out, in Ashton.7

3 4

Deed 879:387. Deed 222: 35. 5 Dwyers store, later known as Xanders, was located on the site of the present-day Freestate Gas Station, at the NE intersection of Georgia Avenue and Layhill Road. The store was demolished in 1953. Michael Dwyer, Glenmont History, Glenmont Master Plan Issues Report, 1997. 6 Washington Post, February 2 and March 5, 1947. 7 Washington Post, November 7, 1949.

Maryland Historical Trust Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties Form

Name Glenmont Water Tower Continuation Sheet
Number 8 Page 1

Inventory No. 31-47

WASHINGTON SUBURBAN SANITARY COMMISSION The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission was established in 1917, amid growing concerns that the pollution of streams in the suburban districts of Montgomery and Prince Georges County could impact Washingtons water supply. Individual communities had set up separate water systems which were inadequate for the growing suburbs. A survey of conditions found that there were 53 miles of water mains and 60 miles of sewers that provided service to 25% of the population in the Maryland suburban district. The State subsequently enacted legislation, creating the WSSC as a public service corporation in 1918. The WSSC soon began purchasing existing water and sewer systems and adapting them to a regional network of pollution control and water supply. Early acquisitions included systems serving Chevy Chase, Takoma Park, Glen Echo and Kensington. For a brief period, from 1922-1928, the WSSC had State-granted authority to plan highways and review subdivisions. WSSC ceased performing these planning functions after the formation of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.8 Before World War II, the WSSCs major construction projects included building a trunk line sewer in Riverdale (1920), a water filtration plant in Hyattsville (1920), and setting up an experimental water filtration plant at Burnt Mills (1924). The Commission added new sections to their water supply distribution network to serve growing communities including Silver Spring. From 1933-36, the WSSC constructed an innovative Morse filter water filtration plant at Burnt Mills (designated in the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation, and determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places). With its completion, all other water supply sources were abandoned. The Burnt Mills facility, which supplied 10 million gallons of water a day, served a suburban population that had expanded with the influx of New Deal government workers. From 1918 to 1938, WSSCs system expanded from 50 miles of water mains serving 1,600 properties to 400 miles serving 27,000. In the World War II era, demand for water supply dramatically increased as the population boomed with returning veterans and incoming government workers. The WSSC responded with the Brighton Dam-Triadelphia Reservoir (1943) and the Patuxent River Filtration Plant (1944-1955), near Burtonsville. The Patuxent facility, which was based on the Burnt Mills prototype, became the new principal water supply facility in the 1950s, reaching a capacity of 65 million gallons per day (MGD). In 1961, the WSSC opened the Potomac River filtration plant, near Violettes Lock, with an operating capacity of 250 MGD. The Commission supplemented its available water resources with construction of Little Seneca Creek Dam and Reservoir, at Boyds, in 1985. As of 2003, the WSSC maintains 5,300 miles of water mains with 434,000 customer accounts.

Hiebert and MacMaster, A Grateful Remembrance, 1976, pp.248, 255-57. Major sources for WSSC history are Arthur P. Brigham, "History of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission", 1993. WSSC Corporate history, wssc.com, and William Bushong, Robert B. Morse Plant, MIHP form.

Maryland Historical Trust Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties Form

Name Glenmont Water Tower Continuation Sheet
Number 8 Page 2

Inventory No. 31-47

ELEVATED WATER TANKS (WATER TOWERS) Elevated water tanks are an essential aspect of a municipal water system. The purpose of an elevated water tank is to help meet the consumer demand for water during the day, which is much greater than at night. By day the tank releases its water into the system, and at night water is pumped back up to the tank at the top of the tower. (Figure 15) Among the benefits of water storage tanks is their ability to maintain constant water pressure for the water main pipes in the nearby area, and to provide relief if there is a pressure increase throughout the nearby water mains.9 A variety of water tanks have been constructed in Montgomery County over the years, including standpipes, elevated tanks, and reservoirs. Standpipes and reservoirs are ground-supported, flat-bottom cylindrical tanks. The standpipe tank is taller than its diameter, and is usually built on a height of land. Less common is the reservoir tank, which has a height less than or equal to its diameter. Elevated tanks, composed of a tank and a support structure, are typically used when ground elevation is insufficient to ensure enough pressure for water distribution. Among public Montgomery County water tanks, an initial survey has identified six multiple-columned elevated tanks, three single pedestal tanks, and six standpipe tanks. The Glenmont Water Tower is one of the oldest standing water towers. 10 The Glenmont Water Tower has a central riser pipe running from the ground to the base of the elevated tank through which waters is brought into and out of the tank. An overflow pipe is necessary on all tanks as a safeguard in the event that water flowing into the tank cannot be turned off, so that water can be safely released out of the tank. The pipe discharges to a drain below. Vents in water tanks allow air intake and outtake as water level falls and rises. Water level is measured by a sensor. A hatch provides entry and ventilation during maintenance and inspection. (Figure 16) A ladder provides access to the tank for maintenance and inspection. The Glenmont Water Tower originally had central spiral stairs that were removed during recent renovation. (Figures 12 and 13) Entry is through a hatch which also provides ventilation for workers. The Commission acquired previously existing water tanks in 1918, when it was first formed. Among these were the Chevy Chase Tower, built by the Chevy Chase Land Company; the Kensington Elevated Water Tank; and the Friendship Heights Elevated Water Tank. None of these early towers are still standing. Anticipating postwar population expansion, the Commission acquired land for new water towers and, in 1946-47, built two elevated water tanks: at Glenmont, and Cabin John. WSSC had built a million-gallon water tank in Woodside about 1922. That tank was replaced on the same site by a 7.5 million gallon tank, 130 feet tall, in 1962.11

http://www.wsscwater.com/home/jsp/content/waterworks.faces?pgurl=/Communication/watertank.html American Water Works Association, Steel Water-Storage Tanks, pp 3-16. 11 Washington Post, November 8, 1962. Painted with orange primer before Halloween, the Woodside water tank was briefly dubbed the Great Pumpkin by locals.
10

Maryland Historical Trust Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties Form

Name Glenmont Water Tower Continuation Sheet
Number 8 Page 3

Inventory No. 31-47

Today, WSSC has 55 water towers or tanks in Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties. The most recent is in Laytonsville, completed in August 2012.12 This survey effort has identified 16 public water tanks in Montgomery County. (See Inventory)

COMMUNITY PLANNING The water tower facilitated development of the Glenmont area, by making public water available for the first time in this part of the county. Before the Glenmont Water Tower was built, the Glenmont area was characterized by farms and country estates. In the 1930s, small subdivisions of Lutes, Glenmont Heights, and Glenallen were platted and a few dozen houses built. Without public water, large-scale development was not feasible. (Figure9 ) With the construction of the Glenmont Water Tower in 1946, the community changed. The 246-house subdivision of Glenmont Forest was platted in 1948. The following year, hundreds of additional houses were being built in Glenmont Hills and Glenmont Village. (Figure 10) The area became characterized by single family housing. In addition, the Glenmont Shopping Center was constructed after the property was zoned commercial (C-1) in 1946.

COMMUNITY LANDMARK Water towers have been community focal points for well over a century. Chicago and Baltimore are examples of cities with prominent standpipe water towers that have become historic landmarks. Locally, Chevy Chase had a prominent and much-photographed water tower constructed about 1890 on Rosemary Circle (no longer standing).13 The Glenmont community has identified the water tower as a significant local landmark. Highly visible from many vantage points in Glenmont (Figures 4-6), the Glenmont Water Tower has been a favorite among local photographers, artists, and bloggers. It has figured prominently in blogs on life in Glenmont past and present. One blogger recalled the sight of the water tower as one of his first memories as a child in Glenmont, in 1951. Other bloggers followed the recent renovation of the water tower closely, as the tower first donned a crown, then a skirt and showercap. The repainting of the water tower, blogger Photocynthesis wrote, in 2009, that the tower used to be more of an aqua color, but now it's a very pale blue - almost white. I always enjoy seeing it in the distance as I drive over to work on my house. 14

12 13

Morgan Young, Damascus Water Tower, Gazette September 18, 2012. Washington Post, May 18, 1887; 14 Bob Simpson, Open Salon Editors Pick, open.salon.com/blog/bobbosphere/2012/01/19/ a_stroll_through_my_old_formerly_segregated_neighborhood, January 19, 2012. Ben Schumin, www.schuminweb.com, November 2, 2008. Cynth, July 3 & November 27, 2009 blog, photo-cyn-thesis.blogspot.com/. www.davidrehunt.com

Maryland Historical Trust Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties Form

Name Glenmont Water Tower Continuation Sheet
Number 8 Page 4

Inventory No. 31-47

Of all the DC area landmarks visible in a photo of the Space Shuttle flyover, one observer noticed the prominence of the Glenmont Water Tower.15 In a recent novel, Silver Spring writer Hannah Moskowitzs main character makes a point of not only observing that he admired the Glenmont water tower, which was not squat and watchful like other water towers .16 Planner and local blogger Dan Reed has noted that the Glenmont Water Tower is an icon of the Glenmont community.17

15

Christian Martinez, topsy.com/www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/7088014787/ Hannah Moskowitz, Gone, Gone, Gone. Simon Pulse, 2012, p20. Untilhannah.com. 17 Dan Reed, October 8, 2012, photograph and caption, www.flickr.com/photos/thecourtyard/8072603840/
16

9. Major Bibliographical References

See continuation sheet.

Inventory No. 31-47

10. Geographical Data

Acreage of surveyed property Acreage of historical setting Quadrangle name

0.64 ac (27, 878 sq ft)

Quadrangle scale:

Verbal boundary description and justification

11. Form Prepared by

name/title organization street & number city or town Clare Lise Kelly Montgomery Planning Department, M-NCPPC 8787 Georgia Avenue Silver Spring date telephone state October 2012 301-563-3402 MD

The Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties was officially created by an Act of the Maryland Legislature to be found in the Annotated Code of Maryland, Article 41, Section 181 KA, 1974 supplement. The survey and inventory are being prepared for information and record purposes only and do not constitute any infringement of individual property rights. return to: Maryland Historical Trust Maryland Department of Planning 100 Community Place Crownsville, MD 21032-2023 410-514-7600

Maryland Historical Trust Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties Form

Name Glenmont Water Tower Continuation Sheet
Number 8 Page 1

Inventory No. 31-47

BIBLIOGRAPHY American Water Works Association, Steel Water-Storage Tanks, AWWA Manual of Water Supply Practices Series, Vol 42. American Water Works Association, 1998. Brigham, Arthur P. "History of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission: 75th Anniversary, 1918-1993", WSSC, 1993. Bushong, William. Robert B. Morse Water Filtration Plant, Resource 33-22, MIHP research form, 1994. Glenmont Yesterday, in Glenmont Master Plan Issues Report, 1997. By Jane Sween, Michael Dwyer and others, pp6-7. Hiebert, Ray E. and Richard K. MacMaster, A Grateful Remembrance: the Story of Montgomery County, Maryland, Rockville, Md: Montgomery County Government and Montgomery County Historical Society, 1976. Klinge, Frank H. M. Montgomery County, Maryland, Real Estate Atlas, Vol 1. Lansdale, Pa, 1948; updated 1953. Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation, Real Property database. http://sdatcert3.resiusa.org/rp_rewrite/ Montgomery County Land Records, Deeds. v3.mdlandrec.net/ Moskowitz, Hannah. Gone, Gone, Gone. New York, NY: Simon Pulse, 2012. books.google.com/books?isbn=1442407530 Plat No. 5382, Lot 1, Thomas H. Martin Subdivision, February 1958. Sanborn Fire Insurance map, Washington Suburban, Vol. 3. New York, NY: Sanborn Map Company, 1950; updated to 1963. Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, corporate history, http://www.wsscwater.com/home/jsp/content/wsschistory.faces, accessed October 30, 2012.

Wright, Karen, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. Interview by Clare Lise Kelly, November 2, 2012.