What Is the Thomas Hill Standpipe?
This is the main water storage and pressurization tank for the city of Bangor, Maine!
What Makes It Historical?
A standpipe is a huge cylindrical tank that stores a town’s water and regulates pressure in its pipes, and they’ve been in use in the USA since the first was installed in Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1851. Bangor’s came about in 1898 as a way to help firefighters in the city once called the Lumber Capital of the World! Despite that famous nickname, the city ultimately sourced its pine planks from the city of Portland!
Construction of this huge tower took only six months, spearheaded by Major James M. Davis in collaboration with Ashley B. Tower of New York’s Tower & Wallace and twenty-two workers, who set up a special saw mill and blacksmith shop onsite just for this project! When complete, its wrought iron tank was able to store 1.5 million gallons of water! But the standpipe was meant to be more than storage. It was set up with a spiral stairway leading up to a promenade deck, where folks could look out over Bangor from the top of Thomas Hill!
All that changed in the 1940s, partly for security during World War II, partly because an 11-year old boy fell from the beams and died here! Though it reopened in 1945, access to the standpipe has been more restricted since then. The accident and the inaccessibility of this huge tank would later infiltrate the dreams of writer, Stephen King, who made it a central fixture of the town, Derry, in his creep classic, It!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Become a member of the Bangor Historical Society!
- Donate to the Bangor Historical Society!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
41 Thomas Hill Rd
Bangor, ME 04401
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Whenever the mood strikes you!
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