By 1886 when individual wells could no longer satisfy Meridian’s water needs, city officials contracted with the American Water Works and Guarantee Company of Pittsburgh to construct a basin, pumping station, and water tower (demolished). The basin is roughly oval and measures about 180 feet long. In 1906, it was covered by a protective roof with a ventilation monitor, a configuration that gives the impression of a buried building ( pictured above). The adjacent Renaissance Revival, one-story, stucco-covered brick pumping station, with a 1924 extension to the north, is abandoned. Its three-bay round-arched west facade, which fronts the former pump room, is rusticated and articulated with pilasters carrying an entablature. The central portion of the north facade, originally the principal facade and fronting the boiler room, is rusticated and has metal pediments over the central entrance and a modillioned metal cornice. A concrete smokestack (1924) remains, while two 1887 brick stacks have been demolished. Southwest of the older structures, a 1950s building now houses the waterworks staff.