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CA Water Tower House Listed for Sale
For those seeking a home with industry aesthetic and charm, look no further than Seal Beach, California, where a historic, converted four-bedroom, four-bathroom water tower has gone on the market.
Marked with a nearly $5 million price tag, “the world’s ultimate beach house” could be yours!
Water Tower History
Originally built in 1892 for the purpose of servicing steam engines traveling along the Pacific Coast, the home-converted tower stands 87 feet tall. In the 1940s the structure was rebuilt using Douglas fir and redwood.
Until its retirement in 1975, the water tower was fully working and could hold up to 300 tons of water.
In the early 1980s, local residents from the “Save Our Water Tower” campaign reportedly kept the landmark from being demolished. However, in 1984 the wooden tank was removed by crane and converted into a three-story house, keeping its original appearance.
In the market for a one-of-a-kind house? Over 100 feet above the California coast, a water tower turned unique single-family home is now available for a hair under $5 million. https://t.co/we9HTisClA
— Mansion Global (@MansionGlobal) June 8, 2021
In 2016, the structure was remodeled once more and is noted to be one of the world’s tallest residential homes. Most recently, co-owner Scott Oslund, Senior Vice President of Lee & Associates, restored the property and had been renting it out as a vacation home prior to listing it on the market.
“It was fairly run down,” Ostlund said. “We went through and did an extensive renovation to make it like new, and really, we wanted to tell the history of the tower.”
Inside the Tower
Converted into a four-bedroom, four-bathroom home, the 2,800-square-foot water tower beach house located boasts 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean and San Gabriel Mountains, in addition to views of nearby Huntington Beach Pier and Disneyland from its top rotunda room.
Inside, one of the bedrooms claims to be California’s first and only pirate bedroom and bathroom, complete with a large porthole window. The rooms pay tribute to who many consider California’s only pirate, 18th-century sailor Hippolite de Bouchard.
In paying tribute to the structure itself, the tower also has a dedicated washroom and the Barrels and Burlap bathroom. Other quirky details include stained glass windows, a model steam train track attached to the ceiling and a secret loft located behind a bookcase.
On the more modern side of things, the home includes an updated kitchen, spiral staircase, elevator, viewing deck with a hot tub and three attached garages.
Since owning the home, Ostlund has been known for opening it up for members of the community to see it first-hand. “I thought a few dozen people would come, and there was a line at 8:30 a.m. hundreds of people long, and by the end of the day we’d let thousands of people in,” he said. “I think everybody drives by and wants to see inside it.”
“It might be mine on the deed, but really it belongs to the community.”
The home is listed for $4.9 million and can be viewed on Zillow.
