original single-sided reinforced cast aluminum plaque removed from the former richman brothers building rooftop wooden water tower. like new york city, the chicago urban landscape contains a number of these tanks that are often abandoned due to impracticalities. in addition, the cost to have these tanks removed or disassembled is largely prohibitive. according to the plaque, the tank's iron and steel superstructure was manufactured by the challenge company based in batavia, il. the extant tank is 16 feet in diameter and has a 20,000 gallon capacity. the tower was erected in march of 1929. in major cities, ordinances required building of six or more stories to be equipped with towers. this way it was more cost effective for maintaining a high pressure system that could burst pipes, etc. interestingly, the tower builders were often barrel makers who constructed the towers with wooden walls held together with steel cables. sealants were never used. instead, the wood would swell from water saturation, thereby closing any gaps. the frame measures 10"h x 24"w x 1.5"d inches. the plaque measures 7"h x 20.5"w x .5"d. the custom-built wood frame is included.