Karostas ūdenstornis
The silhouette of the water tower on Ģenerāļa Baloža Street is noticeable from afar. It is an architectural monument of national importance and, remarkably, it was build in 1905. At that time, water was pumped into the attics of surrounding houses three times a day for certain hours, using steam powered water pumps. Then people could fill their baths, buckets and other containers with water. In Soviet times steam pumps were replaced by electric ones.
The water tower had a significant role in Latvian War of Independence in November 1919. While the Latvian Army repelled the attacks of the Bermont-Avalov battle group, Allied-British warship artillery fire was adjusted over the telephone from the water tower. It played a crucial role in the defense battles.