Just what are those castles in the Mississippi River?

See the historic water intake towers that sit on the Mississippi River near the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge from a drone's point of view.

Water intake Tower 1, right, and Tower 2, left, sit on the Mississippi River next to the Chain of Rocks Bridge.

Crossing the Interstate 270 bridge over the Mississippi River, it is easy to spot two stone buildings close together in the middle of the river. Perched on oval platforms jutting out of the water, they appear as though they may be all that remains of a historic medieval castle, the rest perhaps washed away by the strong current.

The reality is a bit less mysterious or romantic. "The towers are basically ornate water intake structures built around a tube," says Curtis Skouby, the director of public utilities with the city of St. Louis. "Ports are built into the sides of each tower at different levels below the surface of the river water to allow for changing levels in the river. When the gates covering the openings are removed, gravity allows the water to flow 70 feet down to a slanted tunnel that delivers the water to the water treatment plant."

Both were in use until high water in 1993 flooded the intake tubes and filled them with mud and debris. While there are no plans to return the towers to service, it is possible. "The equipment to open the gates would need to be overhauled and the chutes carrying the water would need to be cleaned," Skouby says. "There is no electricity to the towers so they cannot be operated remotely."

Water intake Tower 2 was designed with living quarters inside.

Despite their majestic appearance and the fact both have been granted landmark status in 1971 by the city of St. Louis, and their past importance of delivering water to St. Louis residents, it seems an injustice that neither has ever been named. Instead, they are referred to as "the tower on the east side of the river," or "the tower on the west side of the river." Or "Tower 1," or "Tower 2." Or the "big tower" and the "small tower."

For those who know the history of the buildings, they are also called the "old tower" which was placed in service in 1894, and the "new tower completed in 1915." (The new tower is the one on the east side of the river.)

Water intake Tower One, left, and Tower Two, right, sit on the Mississippi River next to the Chain of Rocks Bridge on Sunday, April 23, 2023.

"In the early 1800s the first water intake towers were near the Arch grounds," Skouby says. "As St. Louis grew, and in order to provide cleaner, healthier water to the city above where industrial waste was being allowed to flow into the river, new treatment facilities, along with their intakes were successively moved up the river."

Once or twice a year Skouby and a few other employees with the city of St. Louis venture out to inspect the structures. "It is a difficult maneuver to dock the boat and then grab and climb onto the 30-foot steel ladders," he says. "The towers are in the middle of the river where the current is most swift, and if someone falls into the water or the engines on the boat fail it is only a few hundred feet downstream to the rapids where the actual chain of rocks stretch across the Mississippi River."

Also, as someone climbs up the tower ladders the water rushing by below gives the impression the tower is moving upstream against the current, and that can be disorienting.

Despite the danger, infrequent trespassers used to be a problem until a locked steel cage was erected over the ladders in 2010.

Water intake Tower One, left, and Tower Two, right, sit on the Mississippi River next to the Chain of Rocks Bridge on Sunday, April 23, 2023. Photo by Michael Clubb, [email protected]

Interestingly, the water once provided for city water is quite different from one tower to the other, although they are quite close to each other. Tower 2 (the new tower on the east side of the river) took in water from the Mississippi River. Most of the water from Tower 1 comes from the Missouri River, which joins the Mississippi River a few miles upstream, and which is not entirely co-mingled with the Mississippi River water when it arrives at the towers.

Both towers were built around the turn of the 20th century when St. Louis was emerging as a city of significance. The towers proudly demonstrated the vitality and prosperity the city was enjoying.

The more castle-like tower is Tower 1. It was designed by William Eames, a prominent St. Louis architect in the late 1880s. Among the other buildings he is known for designing were the Palace of Education at the 1904 World´s Fair and the Cupples Warehouse Complex in downtown St. Louis.

Eames’ tower features walls of rough-cut limestone, arched windows, an iron fence, and balcony encircling the tower, a high stone chimney and a round tower at one end covered by a conical copper roof.

Tower 2 was designed by the architectural firm of Roth and Study, which used an Imperial Roman design resembling an Italian Renaissance villa. The firm also designed many of the elegant homes in the Parkview subdivision, which begins on the western edge of the city of St. Louis and continues into University City.

Water intake Tower One sits on the Mississippi River near the Chain of Rocks Bridge on Sunday, April 23, 2023. Photo by Michael Clubb, [email protected]

Perhaps twice the size of Eames’ tower, Tower 2 features outside arched windows outlined by thick decorative stone casing. Two columns bracket tall 10-pane entry doors with arched tops that on a normal building would lead to a stately center hall. An ornate iron railing comparable to those seen surrounding some of the stately homes in Lafayette Square encircles the walkway around the building. Both sides are mirror images of the other.

Tower 2 was built as a backup to tower 1 and includes living quarters inside for workers to monitor the machinery diverting water to the water plant. Inside, walls are white subway tile, and there is a coal furnace used for heat. But there has never been electricity, water or bathrooms.

When built, boats plying the Mississippi River had to navigate between the towers, which is where the main channel of the river is located. It is also a portion of a 17-mile stretch of river where there are a series of underwater rock ledges close to the surface. Navigation through this area was impossible during lower water, and dangerous during high water.

Further complicating the journey for river pilots was the Chain of Rocks Bridge built in 1929 and just a few hundred feet upstream from the towers.

To solve the problematic river obstacles and avoid the expense of cutting a channel through the bedrock, in 1940 the US Army Corps of Engineers designed and built the Chain of Rocks Canal to bypass the area. The canal stretches from just south of the mouth of the Missouri River to just north of downtown St. Louis.

Water intake Tower One sits on the Mississippi River near the Chain of Rocks Bridge on Sunday, April 23, 2023. Photo by Michael Clubb, [email protected]

Despite being a hazard to boats navigating the river prior to 1940, only one is known to have collided with either tower. On June 20, 1914, the paddlewheel steamboat Majestic slammed into Tower 2 when it was under construction. Wedged up against the tower, the hull of the boat was used as a platform to store construction material.

Despite each tower being well over 100 years old and sitting in rapidly flowing water the whole time, the stone platforms are in remarkably good condition, partly due to the fact each was built with a prow to deflect the ice, logs and water from around the base. The buildings themselves could use some maintenance. Repair has been deferred due to budget issues.

Andrew Weil, executive director of the Landmarks Association of St. Louis, says, "The towers were built when a lot of time and effort was being put into embellishing our community architecture. They could easily just have been ‘holes’ in the river instead of little castles."

The morning sun illuminates the Compton Hill Water Tower at South Grand and Shaw boulevards in Compton Hill Reservoir Park on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.

Weil also says the river towers are historically linked to the three standpipe water towers in St. Louis proper, each built during the same era, also as symbols of community pride. "Those were used as pressure valves to maintain a steady water pressure throughout the city," he says, "but they could have been built as large pipes with no character."

The Bissell Point Tower at Bissell and Blair Avenue stands 195 feet and was erected in 1885, while just a few blocks away at North Grand and 22nd Street the East Grand Tower is 154 feet high and was built in 1871. The Compton Hill Tower at South Grand and Shaw boulevards and stands 154 feet and was erected in 1871.

"All five towers were built at a time when the people in charge were creating beautiful architecture instead of something just utilitarian. Each are very significant landmarks in the history of our city," he says.

If you go The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge offers an opportunity to walk out on the bridge and get as close as possible to the water intake towers. Opened daily by volunteer gatekeepers from 9 a.m. to 30 minutes after sunset, the bridge once carried historic Route 66 across the Mississippi River and features several historical displays, as well as the closest view possible of the "castles without a kingdom."

For an even better view, bring binoculars.

The parking lot on the Missouri side of the bridge is currently closed, but access to the bridge is available from Illinois: To get to the bridge from Missouri, take I-270 and exit at IL Route 3. Go south to Chain of Rocks Road and follow the road west to the bridge entrance parking area.

Parking and access to the bridge are free.

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See the historic water intake towers that sit on the Mississippi River near the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge from a drone's point of view.