In the early years the area, which later became known as Powder Springs, only had the water from Powder Creek and the seven springs as their water supply. As more people began to settle the area and build the town, the need for a city water source and supply became apparent.

Some home owners were able to dig wells on their properties for their water supply. However, the need for a city wide water supply remained for those in the town proper, as well as the businesses. Since the springs coming out from Powder Creek had been used originally by the Indians and then the settlers, it was the ideal place to tap into to provide the city’s water supply. And, in the early days would be located at the site of the Pavilion. A pump was installed making it easier to access the water.

In 1930 (or 1935) an artesian well was dug behind the Methodist Church to be used as the city’s water supply. The water tower was then built over the well as a reservoir to store and reserve the water as it provided the water each day to the houses and businesses in town.

This well served 232 homes located on Marietta Street, Atlanta Street, Pineview Drive, North Avenue and Dillard Street. The original water source and pump in the park was still in use, but not as the city’s water supply.

Some remember using the old water pump in the park to either gather water for home, drinking from it on a hot day, and/or playing in the water as they grew up. It is now capped off and preserved, surrounded by an arched brick structure and can be accessed even though it is not operatable

One such memory comes from Lowell Lovinggood and his brother V. A. Lovinggood, that as young boys, going to the park and spring to play and drinking the water from the pump. Also, their mother sending them to fill up a pail/bucket and bring back home to her. They lived in the two story house on corner of Marietta Street and Old Lost Mountain Road, across the street from where Marietta Street bears to the left and becomes Brownsville Road going over the Railroad track to the park and Powder Creek. Both the house and that part of the road are no longer there. Their father, Virgil Lovinggood, ran a general merchandise store downtown in the early 1920’s for nearly 50 years.

Another story goes that, even after the well and water tower was used to supply the town, one citizen, who lived on Atlanta Street, still continued to go to the spring to fill up his jugs every day. When asked why he didn’t use the new water system, he stated that that water was not the same as the water from the spring coming out of the pump and was not good. No one could convince him it was the same water!

The well was capped off and kept as an emergency source of water when the city’s water was provided by the Cobb County Water System in 1974. The water tower remained until early 2002. At that time, it was determined that it was not cost effective to bring it up to code and continuing to maintain it. When empty, the tower would not be structural sound. The decision was made to discontinue using the water from the well. The tower was demolished after Easter in 2002.

Some information comes from The Powder Springs Messenger – May 2002. Some from information already gathered and on file at the museum. There is also a photo of the church and tower in the museum’s meeting room. Come visit us.