5 buildings that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 in Chicago

1) Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station

When the city's premiere water tower was completed in 1869 to house boring old machinery, no one could have guessed how iconic it would become. After the fire ravished the entire downtown area, it remained intact. Ironically, the roof of the adjacent pumping station caught on fire, rendering it useless as a water source.

Chicago Water Tower and Pumping Station

Flickr user: Warren Lemay

806 North Michigan Avenue, Magnificent Mile

https://architecture.org

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