A piece of Goshen history is coming down. The city's Board of Public Works and Safety approved a contract Monday to demolish the old water tower on Fifth Street.

The tower is in need of a new paint job. In order to keep it from rusting, it would cost 200-thousand dollars to remove the old lead paint and replace it.

City official say tearing it down for 28-thousand dollars is cheaper.
“To the city of Goshen, it's one of the most historical sites,” says Thomas Riggs from the Goshen Historical Society. “It's been photographed many times.”

John Hutsell from the Goshen Utility and Sewer Collection says, “It's a hard case for the city to have to come up with that money to pay for that. So the tower serves no function. It's been inoperable for years.”

The tower has stood in the City of Goshen for more than 100 years. There is no scheduled demolition date yet.

The city plans to schedule a meeting with the contractors to determine the next steps.