The water towers shown in [figure 60] are elevated to provide gravity pressure for water needed on the farm complex, whether for irrigation or livestock or domestic use. The towers are situated in a grove of pecan trees.
Fig. 60. Water tanks on the farm site (Bldg. 126).
As urbanization increased, the opportunity for complexes such as this to survive decreased. Holdings were subdivided into residential lots, and the rural feeling and inherent privacy which it provided yielded to an environment of urban compactness. This is the price of progress as a city expands.
URBAN ECCLESIASTICAL
A distinct contrast exists between the rural ecclesiastical building and that of the urban area. The urban congregations tended to require more stylized edifices for worship. This may be apparent in the examples illustrated herein.
The 1899 St. Matthews Roman Catholic Church is an excellent example of the Gothic Revival style. Characteristics of this style include the tower with belfry and spire, the single or grouped pointed-arch windows, the stepped buttresses and deeply recessed openings and wooden doors. These characteristics are evident in the church in [figure 61].
Fig. 61. The 1899 Gothic Revival St. Matthews Church (Bldg. 159).
The Tabernacle Baptist Church on Beard Street, Monroe, was a later version of a style conscious church building. The opening is recessed and has a round arch over the door. A vertical accent was obtained by use of the small tower, [figure 62]. Brick as an exterior wall finishing material was commonly used in the towns; this contrasted to the almost universal use of wood siding on churches in the rural areas of the parish.