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All the United States Michigan Ypsilanti Ypsilanti Water Tower

Ypsilanti Water Tower

Lovingly nick-named the "Brick Dick" this municipal tower was winner of the World's Most Phallic Building Contest.

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Added By
Ryan Iseppi
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Ypsilanti Water Tower   Eli Carrico on Flickr
Ypsilanti Water Tower   Eli Carrico on Flickr
Ypsilanti Water Tower   F Delventhal on Flickr
One of the crosses built into the Ypsilanti Water Tower.   F Delventhal on Flickr
Found one of the crosses  
Water Tower  
  lainezizka / Atlas Obscura User
  kuukisu / Atlas Obscura User
  theoriginalbyoch / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Dominating the city's landscape, Ypsilanti, Michigan's centrally located water tower was actually named "the most phallic building in the world" by a magazine and the locals would seem to agree.

The water tower was designed by architect William R. Coats and built in 1889 in the "Queen Anne" architectural style popular during the era. Superstitious construction workers on the project built four crosses into the actual brickwork of the structure which can still be found by eagle-eyed visitors. Then in front of the water tower, there is a bust of Demetrios Ypsilantis, hero of the Greek War of Independence and namesake of the city of Ypsilanti, which was founded in 1825 during the war in Greece.

However all of this historical flare has been nearly forgotten in the giggling furor over the building's phallic shape. Affectionately known to locals as the "Brick Dick," the water tower actually won a contest run by Cabinet Magazine identifying the structure as the "World's Most Phallic Building." There is even a tongue-in-cheek local legend that says the tower will fall down should a virgin graduate from the nearby Eastern Michigan University.  

Related Tags

Architectural Oddities Architecture Phallic

Community Contributors

Added By

DoctorMoog42

Edited By

lainezizka, EricGrundhauser, theoriginalbyoch, norfolksandi...

  • lainezizka
  • EricGrundhauser
  • theoriginalbyoch
  • norfolksandi
  • kuukisu

Published

July 25, 2014

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Sources
  • http://cabinetmagazine.org/events/phallic/winner.php
  • http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/02/ypsilanti_water_tower_named_in.html
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ypsilanti_Water_Tower
  • http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/02/ypsilanti_water_tower_named_in.html
Ypsilanti Water Tower
North Summit Street
Ypsilanti, Michigan, 48197
United States
42.242933, -83.624612
Get Directions

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Photo of Michigan

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