“It’s sad. I mean, it’s inevitable due to the age of the tower, the costs to maintain it, to keep it up to par for EPA. You know, it’s a little bit of a sad day in New Carlisle,” New Carlisle Mayor Mike Lowrey said as he watched crews dismantle the tower.
The tower held roughly 100,000 to 150,000 gallons of water during its time of use. The Scarff Water Tower, which holds 1.7 million gallons of water, will remain in use for the area.
“I grew up on South Main Street in New Carlisle. This is what I’ve seen for the last 56 years, so it’s sad. I hate to see it go,” Council member Peggy Eggleston said.
The city council had countless discussions over the past several years as they tried to save the structure. The decision to move forward with demolition was a difficult one, said Eggleston.
“Mike and I did everything we could to save it. But it’s just the maintenance and the costs to do it,” she said.
New Carlisle resident Bud Brubaker lived in the area for 83 years, seeing the water tower for most his life.
“I’m surprised and a bit sad to see it go,” he said.
The Adams Water Tower stood over the city since 1934, and had been a landmark for the area ever since.
“It was a nice piece to our horizon,” Lowrey said.
About the Author
