The Barnard WPA water tower was completed in 1941 around the time of the United States' entry into WWII. It was the visible jewel of the newly installed municipal water system in Barnard. The tower held 50,000 gallons of water that satisfied the needs of the prospering community.
The tower held another role other than the functional water storage facility. Barnard's tower quickly became a landmark. Numerous people returning home or visiting could see the tower miles away and knew they were close to their destination. Returning soldiers from WWII knew they were close to home when the reinforced concrete tower appeared on the horizon. Ott Saunders' grandchildren always tried to see which one of them could be first to see Grandpa's water tower. When they visit Barnard nowadays, they still look for that tower. The question of "are we there yet?" was clearly answered from miles away by that tower appearing on the skyline.
Barnard's historic art deco tower watched over the town for 72 years. It was built during the years when prosperity still made its appearance in town. At that time, Barnard had several hundred residents, groceries stores, banks, drug stores, barber shops, lumberyards, a meat locker, a theater, and a functioning railroad station. The tower continued its duties as the population and local economy declined. Gradually, people left and businesses closed. Vacant buildings were demolished and the downtown business district disappeared along with a significant portion of the residential area. Barnard died as the tower watched and provided water for those who refused to give up.
When the Barnard water network was attached to the rural water district, the purpose of the tower became redundant. The pressure provided by the rural water district was more than enough (as we have recently experienced) to provide for the needs of the town. However, the silent sentry still kept watch over the town.
Even after its fate was decided by a small fraction of Barnard's now tiny population, the water tower kept up its duty. Within the last year, the water valve to the RWD was left on and the tower filled to its full 50,000 gallon capacity and water flowed from its overflow channel. The tower did not buckle, it continued to serve just as it had for over 70 years. During a recent lightening strike, the charge blew out several pipes in the water network all over town...however, the tower itself was not damaged. We were told that the tower was near collapse, but even as it is being torn down it is showing its strength, having to be slammed repeatedly by the wrecking ball before a little bit of concrete gives away and falls to the ground near the base of the tower.
I am relatively new to this community and the first time I saw that tower, it left me in awe. As I learned more about the town, it almost seemed like a glorious tombstone for a once vibrant lady. However, today...as I drove out of town to go to work, I looked at the tower in my rear view mirror...it seemed more like the image of a kindly old gentleman being beaten to death by the town bullies. Its height had only been diminished by a fraction but it was less prominent on the horizon. What will replace it will be absurdly mundane. Where this tower was immediately recognizable as Barnard's, the new one will be a metal tube like thousands of metal tubes just like it scattered across the United States. You will only be able to tell it is Barnard's because BARNARD will be painted on the side. Since it is smaller, by the time you can see the print, you will already be in town. It will be non-descript and like the town...many people will not even realize it is there.
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