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West Loopers Selling Massive, 100-Year-Old Wooden Water Tower

By  Joe Ward and Bettina  Chang | October 2, 2015 9:16pm | Updated on October 5, 2015 8:51am

 A Craigslist poster is advertising for sale an antique water tower that used to be on a West Loop building.
A Craigslist poster is advertising for sale an antique water tower that used to be on a West Loop building.
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Craigslist

CHICAGO — In the market for a 100-year-old, 8-foot-tall water tower? A West Loop couple may have exactly what you need.

Dorota Gosztyla and her husband Daniel Landis posted an ad for the antique wooden water tower to Craigslist Friday night. The tower, up until recently perched on the roof of their building at the corner of Washington and Ada, is now on sale to the highest bidder.

The antique is made of cyprus wood that is two inches thick, and the tank is 8 feet tall with a 6 foot diameter.

Landis, who is on the board of their building, said they believe the tower dates back about 100 years, when the Jewel Tea Company occupied the building. He said it was likely part of a fire suppression system, along with a larger steel tank (14 feet tall and 9 feet wide) that was taken apart and removed when the building could not find an immediate buyer, and another more "iconic" Chicago water tank that they donated to Skinner West Elementary School years ago.

While the tank isn't exactly functional, Landis said he hopes it goes to someone who can appreciate its asthetic: "It's beautiful, it's interesting, it's a piece of art. Hopefully someone can keep it in its original form and [let it] be viewed by others."

 A Craigslist poster is advertising for sale an antique water tower that used to be on a West Loop building.
A Craigslist poster is advertising for sale an antique water tower that used to be on a West Loop building.
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Craigslist

The couple, who've lived in the West Loop for two years, estimates that the salvaged wood would be worth about $500, but that the tank itself should garner more value — around $1,000 to $2,000. "It's new for all of us. I mean, how many times in your life do you try to sell an old water tank," Gosztyla said, laughing.

They've been in contact with a few local antique salvagers, in addition to a few people who said they would like to have it as a decoration on their farms.

"If you go on Craigslist and look for wood, you can find old barns that are dissembled and people put a lot of value on old hard wood that's kind of hard to come by these days," Gosztyla said.

Even if you don't have the cash (or space) to own this historical tank, Gosztyla said you can sneak a peek from Washington Boulevard: "It's standing in our parking lot ... it'll be there 'til we sell it."

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