Trivial Water and Sewer Fun Stuff

During the creation of the City of Coral Gables two water towers were built to supply the residents. One was lost to a hurricane, but thankfully the Alhambra Water Tower still stands. For those who wonder where the name originated, Alhambra was the palace of the Moorish kings in Granada, Spain.

Erected in 1924, the Alhambra Water Tower is an example of the Mediterranean Revival architecture that has been described as a "lighthouse that has never seen the sea." It was built for George Merrick's first platted subdivision north of Coral Gables and was used for storage as part of the water supply system for the city from 1926 to 1931.

Purchased by the Consumer Water Company in 1926, the Alhambra Water Tower was part of the City’s domestic water supply system until 1931 when it was disconnected from the system and abandoned after the utility company started buying water from the City of Miami. It was abandoned during the Great Depression, the tower fell into disrepair and was scheduled for demolition in the 1950s. However, public outcry forced the city to save it from the wrecking ball who then purchased it for a token sum in 1958, avoiding the destruction of this unique landmark. In 1993 the tower was extensively  restored based upon 1924 photographs.

The tower houses a steel tank that resembles any other water tower in terms of looks and purpose. But around it Merrick had a façade created of a wood frame and reinforced concrete to resemble a lighthouse making the structure more eye appealing.

Listed on the Coral Gables Register of Historic Places since 1988, the Alhambra Water Tower is a local landmark. You can see the tower by going to Coral Gables. It's in a landscaped median at 2000 Alhambra Circle, which is at the intersection of Coral Way, Greenway Drive, DeSoto Boulevard, and Anderson Road.


The one that was destroyed: