Monday, 14 March, 2011 11:13
by Sarah Madalyn McKinney
The Tower at the McNeill Street Pumping Station held water used to clean filter screens that helped purify Shreveport's drinking water until 1980.
The Shreveport Water Works Museum also known as the McNeill Street Pumping Station is more than just a National Historic Landmark and National Civil Engineer Landmark. The building/facility has most recently been used for fundraising and entertainment events by organizations like Minicine, a group dedicated to the arts. In a comeback of sorts, the Pumping Station is showing that it’s more than a museum, it’s a hot place to be in downtown Shreveport.
Stop by any Tuesday-Friday between 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. for a tour of the facility where you will find larger-than-life water tanks, hundred-year-old steam pumps and a fascinating history Shreveport should be proud of. The museum is home to Shreveport’s first municipal water system built back in 1887. It houses one of the longest running steam-driven pumping systems in the U.S., retired just over 30 years ago in 1980. A tour of the museum is sure to interest residents, visitors and especially history buffs and engineers.
As one of the oldest downtown attractions, the Shreveport Water Works Museum has seen its fair share of change. Walking through the facility, individuals can see the change in architecture and design of equipment as new technology was developed and installed in the station. Two of the Worthington pumps, still somewhat capable of functionality and in their original historic locations, are the only remaining pumps of their kind. Thanks to careful preservation of the equipment overtime Shreveport’s water was filtered through the pumping station until 1980.
For more information about Shreveport Water Works Museum click here
Lagniappe:
The Shreveport Water Works Museum has received the following national historic designations:
- National Historic Landmark
- National Register of Historic Sites
- Historic American Water Landmark
- National Civil Engineer Landmark
Below is a photograph of the McNeill Street Pumping Station taken when the facility was still functioning as a water filtration plant.
