WHITEWATER, Wis. — The Starin Park water tower and its history with possible witches has fascinated Whitewater for more than 130 years. It will take more than magic to maintain this city landmark.
The water tower was decommissioned in 2022 and the city of Whitewater has tried to figure out how to pay for the upkeep ever since. A non-binding referendum to possibly use up to $600,000 in tax money for repairs was rejected by Whitewater voters in 2024.
Whitewater's Landmarks Commission talked about possibly establishing a city-sponsored fund for a community water tower preservation group Wednesday night, but no action followed the short discussion.
The water tower has become a tourist attraction for people such as Jamie Esser of Waukesha, who said the tower's spooky history is the main reason she drove to Whitewater.
Watch: Fans of old Whitewater water tower wonder about its uncertain future
"I've heard all of the legends and stuff, so I wanted to check it out," Esser said. "It's taller than the pictures make it seem."
Bob Herold owns Dale's Bootery in downtown Whitewater. He says the water tower fascinated him ever since he moved to the city to attend UW-Whitewater.
"To me, it's probably the main icon in Whitewater," Herold said. "One of the first things I heard about as a student was the legend of the water tower."
Herold hopes the city can find a way for interested residents and donors to invest in the water tower if Whitewater chooses not to pay for the maintenance.
"It's stood for 130 years and there's no reason to believe that it can't stand for another 130 years just with a little TLC," Herold said.
The failed ballot measure claimed the city would have needed to spend $1 million for upfront repairs and $250,000 every decade to maintain the water tower.
Herold believes there's a way for private citizens to not pay as much as the city thinks it should spend.
"We're not talking a full restoration, we're talking preservation," Herold said. "It's going to be more cost-effective to preserve it than it would be to tear it down and remove it."
The water tower is still stable, so tourists such as Esser can still see the spookiness up close.
"I think it just brings a lot of fascination to the city in general," Esser said.
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