At one time, tank houses were a common sight in agricultural Santa Clara Valley. Each one consisted of a large tank enclosed with wood siding, a windmill, and a hand-dug well. The windmill pumped water from the well up into the tank and from there water flowed by gravity to the house, garden or orchard. They were built before the days of municipal water supplies and required no electricity or other fuel to function.

The historic tank house on the grounds of Harris Lass Museum is a typical example. It is approximately 35 feet in height and consists of three levels. The two lower levels would have been used for a variety of purposes such as storage rooms, bedrooms, etc. and the top level still supports the metal tank which has a capacity of about 2,000 gallons. There is also a hand pump to get water up to the tank on less windy days. The woodworker also added a decorative touch. If you look closely at the release mechanism for the windmill, you will see it is carved in the shape of three long-necked birds’ heads!

The tank house is not original to this property. It was located on the Caldwell/Rumbolz Farm on Homestead Road and in the 1980s when the land was sold to a developer, was moved here. It had to be divided into three sections, turned on its side, and loaded by crane onto a flatbed truck to get to its new home.

Rumbolz property showing original site of Tank House.

Gift Shop

Currently the lower-level houses Harris Lass Museum Gift Shop.

The Tank House Gift Shop is run as a fund raiser for the museum. It contains an eclectic selection of donated collectibles and vintage items at bargain prices. The shop is open whenever the museum is open, so on first Saturdays and during special events. To browse or purchase at other times, please contact us at info@harrislass.org.

The photos show a few of the special items available at the present time.