It was built in 1931 to provide ventilation for the local sewer system.

The tower features Art Deco elements, including the spire and its stone door trim and windowsills; the application of a formal architectural style is unusual in a purely functional building.

[2] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 30, 1983.

[1] The tower is featured on the cover of the album Oceania by The Smashing Pumpkins.

[3] This article about a property in Lake County, Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.