Highland Park Water Tower

By Chris Hudson | May 18, 2023

LAST DETAIL

On the back page of the 2023 ENTER print annual, we asked readers a question: Can you identify this Minnesota landmark from the section drawing? The answer is the Highland Park Water Tower in St. Paul, Minnesota. Its lead architect, Clarence “Cap” Wigington, was the first African American municipal architect in the U.S. Wigington served the City of St. Paul from 1915 until his retirement in 1949. In all, he led the design of more than 90 buildings (schools, fire stations, park buildings) and five Winter Carnival ice palaces. The Highland Park Water Tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Wigington’s legacy lives on in the buildings he designed—60 in St. Paul remain—and in the Minnesota Architecture Foundation’s Clarence Wigington Architectural Scholarship, which supports underrepresented students who have a specific interest in pursuing a professional architecture degree. Visit this page to learn more about the scholarship, including how to donate to the fund.