Pulgas Water Temple, Monument near Crystal Springs Reservoir, United States
Pulgas Water Temple is a monument in California near Crystal Springs Reservoir, designed with a ring of Corinthian columns arranged in a circle around a central vault. A masonry ring at the top of the structure bears an inscription from Isaiah 43:20, while the overall design of the building merges Greek Revival architecture with Roman influences.
In 1934, this structure was built to celebrate the completion of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, which carried water over 160 miles (257 kilometers) from the Sierra Nevada to San Francisco. The project brought a new water supply to the city and changed the region through infrastructure for storage and distribution.
The temple takes its name from Rancho de las Pulgas, an 18th-century Spanish land grant that once covered this area. Visitors can examine the stone carvings created by craftsman Albert Bernasconi, who followed designs by architect William Merchant to add elaborate details throughout the structure.
The grounds are open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM, while weekends allow access only for pedestrians and cyclists. The surrounding paths offer good views of the site and the nearby reservoir, making it suitable for a short walk.
Water no longer flows through the central vault since 2004, as the system was rerouted to remove chloramine at a nearby facility before entering Crystal Springs Reservoir. The original function as the endpoint of the aqueduct was abandoned, and the structure now serves solely as a memorial site.
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