Minneapolis is making some major moves toward reopening the iconic Prospect Park Water Tower, more commonly known as the “Witch’s Hat Tower”.
The 110-year-old structure has been closed since 2019 and was facing some serious safety concerns like cracked stairs and more structural issues. But after a request for inclusion in the the 2024 Minneapolis city budget, $350,000 has been approved to make repairs.
Prospect Park Association member Joseph Ring says keeping the park going is important.
"If you were to demolish the tower, the park would lose its standing on the national register," says Ring. "The tower and the park were significant contributors to the city's history.
The "Witch's Hat" water tower is in an area known as Tower Hill Park, the highest natural land area in the city of Minneapolis. Along with the Kenwood and Washburn water towers in Minneapolis, the Prospect Park water tower is one of the few original water towers standing today in the Twin Cities area.
The 110-foot Prospect Park Water Tower was built in 1913 with a holding capacity of 150,000 gallons. Originally designed by Norwegian architect Frederick Cappelen, the tower was built to improve water pressure in the homes of Prospect park residents. The tower was decommissioned in 1952.
The last major renovation of the tower was done in 1986 and there have been numerous efforts by Ring and others to remove graffiti from the tower's base.
In 1997 the Tower and Tower Hill Park were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. A historic plaque was added in 1997 to the base of the Tower, which also helped reduce graffiti.
The tower is set to reopen in fall 2024.