Lawson Tower is an historic tower built in the style of a European castle turret. It is located off First Parish Road in Scituate Center, Massachusetts, United States.

Lawson Tower is widely recognized as the most beautiful water tower in North America, standing 153 feet tall with 123 steps to the top. The tower was built in 1902 by multi-millionaire Boston businessman Thomas W. Lawson

Thomas W. Lawson (businessman)

Thomas William Lawson was an American businessman and author. A highly controversial Boston stock promoter, he is known for both his efforts to promote reforms in the stock markets and the fortune he amassed for himself through highly dubious stock manipulations.The Scituate, Massachusetts...

 to cloak a 276,000-gallon water tank across from his "Dreamwold" estate, and added to the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1976 (Structure #76001963). Lawson commissioned the Meneely Bell Foundry

Meneely bell foundry

The Meneely Bell Foundry was a bell foundry established in 1826 in West Troy , New York, by Andrew Meneely. Two of Andrew's sons continued to operate the foundry after his death, while a third son, Clinton H. Meneely, opened a second foundry across the river with George H. Kimberly in Troy, New...

 of West Troy, New York, to install ten bells at the top of the tower. These bells range in size from three hundred to three thousand pounds. This chime system was originally designed to be played either from the bell room eighty feet above the ground or on the console of the clavier room.

Lawson, a financier and author, built the tower in 1902 and the Scituate Water Co. stopped using the tank inside in 1988. The tower - listed as both an American Water Landmark

American Water Landmark

An American Water Landmark is a landmark within the United States or Canada that is a historic location and is associated in some way with water...

 and to the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 - has become a popular touring site, featuring sweeping views of the South Shore, Old Scituate Light

Old Scituate Light

Old Scituate Light also known simply as Scituate Light is an historic lighthouse located on Cedar Point in Scituate, Massachusetts.*1810, May: The Federal Government appropriated $4,000 for a lighthouse to be built at the entrance of Scituate Harbor....

, Minot's Ledge Light

Minot's Ledge Light

Minot's Ledge Light, officially Minots Ledge Light, is a lighthouse on Minot's Ledge, one mile offshore of the towns of Cohasset and Scituate, Massachusetts, to the southeast of Boston Harbor The current lighthouse is the second on the site, the first having been washed away in a storm after only...

 and the nearby First Trinitarian Congregational Church

First Trinitarian Congregational Church

First Trinitarian Congregational Church is an historic Congregational church at 381 Country Way in Scituate, Massachusetts.The church building was constructed in 1826 after its congregation had left the First Parish Church of Scituate when it became Unitarian in theology. The church building was...

.