Water Tower
Ashley, IN
Photos courtesy Richard Weiss

Ashley is one of the places you can see a water tower painted like a 70's smiley face. This town is quite proud of this as evident by the welcome sign greeting you as you near downtown. This is the only smiley face tower I have seen that wears a bow tie. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 02-08

The original tower was painted in 1978 and quickly became the symbol of Ashley. Before long, the town earned the nickname "Smileytown," and the cheerful tower has been making people smile ever since.

The bow tie is what really sets this one apart. There are a handful of smiley face water towers scattered around the Midwest, but this is the only one I've run across that's dressed up for the occasion.

It's one of those roadside sights that doesn't need a long explanation. You spot it in the distance, wonder if you're really seeing a giant smiling water tower, and before you know it you're pulling over for a photo.

Over the years, the tower has become part of the town's identity. It's the kind of landmark that locals probably take for granted, but visitors never forget.

Ashley recently added a second smiley face water tower alongside the original. The new tower wears a pearl necklace, giving the longtime "boy" tower with the bow tie a matching companion. Together they make one of the more unusual roadside skylines you'll find anywhere in the Midwest.

Water Tower
Ashley, IN
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Sometimes the simplest ideas become the most memorable. A coat of yellow paint, a smile, and a bow tie turned an ordinary water tower into something people go out of their way to see.

UPDATE: The famous smiley face water tower is still making people smile today, and it's now joined by a matching companion tower wearing a pearl necklace. 07-26

Greensburg Courthouse Tree
Greensburg, IN
Photos and info courtesy Richard Weiss

Greensburg, IN is the only place you will find a tree growing out of the courthouse roof. The Greensburg Courthouse Tree has become a landmark and along the highway there are billboards for it. A local told me this is the fourth tree in the roof. The question of course is how does it grow? 02-08

The Decatur County Courthouse has been watching over downtown since 1861, but the famous tree didn't appear until the early 1870s. Before long, there were actually several trees growing from the tower before county officials decided they probably shouldn't let a small forest take over the roof.

A local mentioned this is the fourth tree to grow there, and that's part of what makes the story so interesting. Over the years, one tree dies off and another eventually takes its place, keeping the tradition alive for generation after generation.

The obvious question is, how does a tree grow on top of a courthouse? No one knows exactly how it all started, but the most likely explanation is that birds or the wind carried seeds into small cracks in the tower. Over time, enough dirt and organic material collected to give the tree just enough to survive.

It's one of those roadside attractions that almost seems too strange to be real. You keep looking up at the tower, wondering how something that big manages to stay alive so far above the ground.

Greensburg Courthouse Tree
Greensburg, IN
Photos and info courtesy Richard Weiss

The courthouse itself is worth a look, even without its famous rooftop resident. The Romanesque architecture, clock tower, and courthouse square make for a nice stop, but it's safe to say the tree steals the show.

Every few years the tree seems to spark new conversations. Is it still alive? Is it the same tree? Will another one grow if this one dies? Those questions have been asked for well over a century, and they're part of what keeps people coming to see it.

Sometimes the best roadside attractions aren't the biggest or flashiest. They're simply things you never expected to see. A tree growing from the roof of a courthouse definitely qualifies.

UPDATE: The courthouse tree is still growing today and continues to be carefully maintained, ensuring one of Indiana's most unusual landmarks remains a favorite stop for curious travelers. 07-26