World's Largest Catsup Bottle: Ketchup Bottle Water Tower Getting New Paint Job

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. (AP) -- Collinsville's famous water tower in the form of a giant ketchup bottle is getting a makeover, just in time for its 60th birthday.

Crews with Diversified Coatings of O'Fallon have begun repainting the southwestern Illinois landmark for the first time since the company updated the 170-foot-tall tower 14 years ago.

The landmark replicates a bottle of Brooks Old Original Rich and Tangy Catsup, which was produced in the buildings beneath the tower. The property now belongs to a supplier of military commissaries.

The 100,000-gallon tower held water - never ketchup, and it hasn't been used since Brooks moved out.

The landmark stands as another emblem of roadside Americana, along with its cousins, Kentucky's giant baseball bat, Iowa's giant Swedish coffee pot and South Carolina's giant peach, among others.

-ASSOCIATED PRESS