Roland Water Tower
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The Roland Water Tower (Map) is located in northern Baltimore near the Hoes Heights neighborhood. It stands in a popular dog walking site at the intersection of W. University Parkway and Roland Avenue. The tower only served its intended purpose for twenty-five years, but over one hundred years after its completion the structure continues to draw attention. In the past year a fence has been put up around the tower and it appears plans are in place to renovate the iconic building.
The Roland Tower, at the corner of Roland Avenue and University Parkway, built in 1905, has faced the prospect of demolition several times within it’s life. The tower appears to have become inactive in 1930, when Roland Park was connected to the Reservoir system. In 1940, the property surrounding the tower was turned into a makeshift transit terminal, when trackless trolleys from the newly converted #10 began using the “Water Tower Loop as their Northern terminal, met by streetcars of the #24 line which changed ends in the middle of Roland Avenue. Use of the driveway as a transit loop continued until 1992. At times, the tower faced the threat of removal in the interests of developers who sought to create an Apartment Building on the property. Thankfully, this did not come to pass, and the tower stands on, slightly tattered, but still retaining an overall noble appearance. It’s original purpose, while long discontinued, is still known by many locals who refer to the structure as the “Water Tower”