(The image above was “liberated” from Wikipedia.org. I took the rest.)

Probably the most lasting image of Wytheville that most folks traveling I-81 take with them is that of the Wytheville water tower, painted in 1997 to look like a hot air balloon rising above the trees.

The colorful tower is an imposing structure located a hundred yards or so from the intersection of Cove Road and Rolling Hills Drive. Originally constructed in 1966 with a capacity of 500,000 gallons, the 155 foot tall tower is one of four reservoirs serving the town of Wytheville.

Between 1995 and 1997, the Chamber of Commerce raised a little over $30,000 to change the drab green tower to its present eye-catching incarnation. The tower was repainted in 2009 as part of its regular maintenance. Details include balloon cables and a passenger basket.