Today we’re flying the DJI Mini 2 drone over the Leaning Tower of Niles, Illinois. I’m glad you came for a visit! – Christian
In the 1920s, a businessman named Robert Ilg, built a 22-acre park with two large pools in Niles, Illinois. The pools would need to be supplied by a large water tank and Ilg was concerned about preserving the natural beauty of the area. Ilg decided to build a replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to conceal it.
The tower would be half the size of the original in Italy: 94 feet tall, 28 feet in diameter, leaning 7.4 feet, and would be built with reinforced concrete. Construction began in 1931 and was completed in 1934.
In 1960, the descendants of Robert Ilg donated part of the park for the construction of the Leaning Tower YMCA. Arrangements were made to turn the tower over to the YMCA with the stipulation that the YMCA would spend a minimum of $500 annually to maintain the tower and surrounding area until the year 2059.
The tower soon showed signs of aging. Cracks in the concrete widened with every freeze-thaw cycle, and the $500 annual budget to keep up the tower and grounds proved inadequate.
In 1991, the Village of Niles established a sister city pact with Pisa, Italy. In 1995, after leasing the area and tower from the YMCA, the Village began a $1.2 million renovation project. Concrete was repaired, new lights were added to each of the eight floors, and a plaza was developed around the tower with four fountains, a 30-foot reflecting pool and landscaping. The Leaning Tower Plaza was formally dedicated in 1997.
Over the next 20 years, efforts were made to get the tower onto the National Register of Historic Places in order to increase the awareness and appreciation of it. As a registered place, the availability of state and federal funds would help with its upkeep.
With consideration for national historic status approaching, another major hurdle needed to be overcome; the restoration of the bells.
You may have noticed the ages of the bells on the plaques. Three of the bells, cast in 1623, 1735 and 1747, hung in a church in the Italian city of Cavezzo. Another was cast in 1912 by a foundry in San Francisco. Those bells were removed from the tower for restoration in June 2018.
Three of the five historic bells were recast and four new bells were cast but the origin of the fifth bell is unknown. The smallest bell weighs 150 pounds. The 620 pound 1735 bell, however, was cracked beyond repair and is currently inside the tower awaiting display. The bells make up seven notes of the musical scale and are outfitted with exterior clappers, connected to an automated system able to play melodies. The bells ring daily every three hours between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM with familiar tunes.
Work has been completed on the installation of new railings along the outdoor walkways of the tower to improve safety for people climbing to the top.
In April, 2019 the Leaning Tower of Niles was added to the National Register of Historic Places 85 years after its completion. The park is always open but the tower itself is not open to the public.
Thanks for watching!
DJI Mini 2, Filmora 11, Epidemic Sound
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