Petrolia Council plans to try, for the second time, to have its 121-year-old landmark declared of historical significance.
Councillor Liz Welsh says the tower on Centre St. north of Petrolia Line is made of steel, is 85 ft tall and 25 ft in diameter and can hold just over 257,000 gallons of water.
"It is a marvel of Victorian engineering," says Welsh. "They hand dug the entire 24 mile line from Brights Grove to the Petrolia water tower."
Prior to 1896, water was hauled to Petrolia by horse and buggy but a growing population necessitated a new water treatment plant and water line.
"They are an extremely few standpipes of this type left in all of Canada," adds Welsh. "We tried to have it designated a number of years ago, but it wasn't really supported. But with the recent demolition of one of the other similar ones in Cambridge, we realized it was time to put together another designation application to try to preserve this historic landmark."
If no objections are raised within a 30 day period, the paperwork will be submitted for heritage designation.
