Water Tower
Ashley, IN
Photo 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.

Water Tower
Ashley, IN
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

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.

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
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Look up at the Greensburg Courthouse Tree in Greensburg, Indiana. Growing from the Decatur County Courthouse tower, this unexpected rooftop resident has become a landmark advertised on highway billboards. A local said this was the fourth tree to occupy the unusual perch. That's certainly one way to give a courthouse a little extra shade. 02-08

The courthouse dates to 1861, while trees were first noticed growing from its tower in the early 1870s. Several appeared before county officials decided the roof probably shouldn't become a small forest. Some were removed, and others eventually died, but replacement growth helped keep the tradition going. The tree became such a familiar sight that Greensburg earned the nickname “Tree City.”

Greensburg Courthouse Tree
Greensburg, IN
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

How does a tree survive so far above the ground? Seeds likely arrived by bird or wind, settling into cracks where moisture and accumulated organic material provided a foothold. It's an unlikely growing spot, yet generations of visitors have stood below wondering how it manages. The courthouse's arched windows, stonework, and clock tower deserve a look, too, although the rooftop greenery tends to steal the show.

UPDATE: The courthouse tree continues to draw curious visitors to downtown Greensburg. Its unusual home has made it a local attraction for more than 150 years, turning an otherwise ordinary look at the courthouse clock into a roadside stop worth remembering. If you're exploring the square, be sure to look all the way up. 07-26