Mendocino Tankhouses
The Gardener's Tankhouse
This Mendocino tankhouse was, without doubt, the gardener's utility shed. It had been painted yellow, as was the nearby two-story house. The casual garden was lush with flowers. The garden hose was carefully draped over a wooden peg and the door was standing open and ready. Access to the upper tank area appeared to be through the floor trapdoor accessed by an outside ladder. The view of the Pacific Ocean from the upper area was probably stunning.
Condo Tankhouse
No, I do not really believe this Mendocino tankhouse is a condominium, however they just kept adding to it as they connected it to the main house and ended up with something that looks like a small apartment building. In such a small village, it was easy to spot this three-story building from a great distance.
Tankhouse Shingle Art
This is my favorite tankhouse in Mendocino, California.. The carpenter used groupings of varied shingles. There are several courses of pointed shingles, several more of straight and then several that feature half-rounds. Most of the Mendocino tankhouses are built from redwood and left unpainted. Their age plus the salt air from the Pacific Ocean have turned the old wood to a beautiful silvery gray color. This group of buildings is arranged around some sort of courtyard or garden. A few years after doing this drawing, I walked by and noted a young couple cleaning the tankhouse as if preparing it to be a commercial establishment.
Tankhouse Cafe
Some creative individual converted this tankhouse to a cafe with interesting high triangular windows. The management served soup and sandwiches. On a later visit I noticed the building had become a bicycle shop.
The Lump Tankhouse
Mendocino, California is the setting for this sturdy tankhouse which has a very petite replacement tank. It looks like a big lump.
Tankhouse with Side Garage
A small garage is nestled in the lean-to structure on this building. The dwelling seems to have grown around the tankhouse like a doughnut.
Double Tanker Tankhouse
This building housed a small commercial store in Mendocino at the time of this drawing in 1978. They sold various weather-related gadgets. It is one of the few remaining double-tank towers in the village. The triangular shapes formed by the criss-coss of supporting beams are now glazed windows. It has been beautifully maintained, and the old redwood exterior has aged to a silver gray.
The Leaning Tankhouse of Mendocino
It is not as grand as the leaning tower in Pisa, Italy, but this exceptionally tall tower has a niche in my heart. A water tank perched at the top of a structure such as this furnished the homeowner with water at great pressure. Alas, the ground has softened or the underpinnings have deteriorated and now, this is definitely a tilting tower.
Mendocino Tankhouse With Garage
A different view of the Mendocino tankhouse that has a building surrounding it, like a doughnut. The cypress tree behind it adds to the unique hillside setting.
Mendocino Tankhouse Restaurant
A watertank trestle was salvaged and moved to this site from another Mendocino location in 1975. The second floor restaurant is accessed by climbing the stairway built within the sturdy trestle. This structure is typical of the design used to accommodate multiple tanks at different levels.
Mendocino Nestled Tankhouse
One could easily miss seeing this tankhouse nestled tightly among big trees. Small shutters shield the hexagonal window. It is rumored that it was deliberately built to mimic a genuine tankhouse. It is very well done, and if the rumor is true, it certainly fooled me.
Tall Home Tankhouse
Living quarters of generous proportions have been added to this shingled Mendocino tankhouse. The homeowner had painted the structure a soft yellow.