Yesterday we drove out into the country to visit a farm in McHenry County. Just outside Marengo, on Route 20, we saw a mysterious old watchtower right by the road.
Was it originally a grain silo, later converted to another purpose? Does it really hold a spiral staircase, as it seems to? Was it used to spot tornadoes, to look for Indians, or just for — entertaining? At the base, the watchtower joins a high stone wall, which is also very unusual for these parts.
Whatever its history, this Old World watchtower is very picturesque. It dresses up a part of the Midwest that is low on surprises.
harley says
Gee—that is very, very interesting. Nice pictures—I’m sure that I’ve never seen anything like that. Maybe built in the period around 1915???
Celia says
Looks like there is poured concrete under the paint. If if were really REALLY old, it would be made of stone, or wouldn’t be so high.
Check out these articles on repurposed metal silos on Treehugger:
http://www.treehugger.com/tiny-houses/cute-cabin-made-out-old-grain-silo.html
http://www.treehugger.com/modular-design/bucky-fullers-grain-silo-houses-found-new-jersey.html
Both have some fun interior pictures.
harley says
How very odd ! One has to be very creative to figure out how to make a domicile out of an old grain bin. Nice photos and, by the by, great research to have found them !