A feasibility study funded by a DESIGN ADVANCEMENT GRANT
from the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT for the ARTS
with matching funds from the HACKENSACK WATER COMPANY and
LESTER M. ENTIN, Associates

"We may live without [architecture] and worship without her,
but we cannot remember without her." —JOHN RUSKIN

This study examines the feasibility of the adaptive re-use of a unique structure—the Weehawken Water Tower. Once a symbol of progress for the residents of neighboring communities, today the tower gives little indication of the important role it once played. At one time supplying clean water to tens of thousands of citizens, today the tower stands unused, abandoned—a curiosity for the average passerby.

The authors of this study wish to focus attention once again on the tower's past. But, more importantly, we wish to make it clear that the communities once served by the Weehawken Water Tower, like other communities across the country and throughout the world, need a monument—a symbol of civic pride that can actively function in the present and in their futures. The tower doesn't need to remain a mute reminder of a time gone by. It can continue to play a significant role in the life of the community, a role limited only by lack of imagination.

The study shows that re-use is feasible and not difficult. It outlines a clear and practical three phase program in detail.

PROJECT DIRECTOR | Roger Shepherd

Roger Shepherd is a painter/muralist who has had a long-standing relationship with art & preservation and art & architectural collaboration. As president of the Weehawken Environment Committee (1980-81) he worked towards placing the Weehawken Water Tower on the National Register. He is currently completing a television documentary on the Tower, also sponsored by Visual Artists, Inc., and partially funded by the New Jersey Historical Commission and the Hackensack Water Company. For the last four or five years, Mr. Shepherd has been working with architects on murals and large scale permanent installations both here and abroad.

ARCHITECT | Anthony Caine, A.I.A.

Anthony Caine is a principal of the New York based firm, Proposition: Architecture. The firm has wide experience in planning mixed use development projects where complex zoning or city policy is at stake or where combinations of new construction with renovated existing structures (often landmarks) are required.

MARKETING ANALYST | Kathryn Welch Howe

Kathryn Welch Howe is the principal of KWH Associates, a New York based preservation and development firm. KWH Associates specializes in use development planning for historic properties and for property located in environmentally sensitive areas.

The Study is divided into the following sections:

The Tower's History
Usage and Costs
Narrative of Design Program
Appendix A: Engineer's Report
Appendix B: Outline of Specification
Appendix C: Code Compliance
Appendix D: Work Scope Summary