Civic Center in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Legendary Collect Pond
Photographed by Larry Gertner, April 6, 2015
1. The Legendary Collect Pond Marker
After Collect Pond was buried, various legends arose.
Legend 1: The pond supplied the citys drinking water.
It did not. However, the citys subterranean springs, which were the source of the ponds water, fed two other water supply systems. The Tea Water Pump southeast of the pond provided water from the 1740s until 1800, by which time it had become too polluted. In 1799, Aaron Burrs Manhattan Company sunk wells just south of the pond and these provided water for 40 years, although of poor quality. New Yorkers drank from these sources, as well as hundreds of neighborhood wells, until the Croton Aqueduct, which carried pure water from Westchester, was completed in 1842.
Legend 2: Englands future King William IV nearly drowned while skating on the pond in 1782.
This was first reported in an 1869 biography; in fact, the prince had been pushed around the frozen pond on a blade-fitted chair without incident.
Legend 3: Steam pioneer John Fitch tested a steamboat on the pond in 1796.
The legend was created in 1846 by a Fitch promoter. Though his fanciful account is often repeated, no evidence has been found to substantiate the story.
Erected by NYC Parks.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas
this page online
Location. 40° 42.978′ N, 74° 0.121′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in Civic Center. It is on Lafayette Street near Leonard Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: New York NY 10013, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in New York City. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: From Collect Pond To Park (here, next to this marker); Death of the Collect Pond (here, next to this marker); Collect Pond and the City (here, next to this marker); Collect Pond Before The City (here, next to this marker); Abraham De Peyster (about 400 feet away); Engine Company 31 (about 400 feet away); The Jerry and Maria McAuley Center (about 400 feet away); The Mudd Club, 1978-1981 (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.
Other markers no longer nearby. The Tombs A Mausoleum for the Living (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); Collect Pond Park (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); Abraham De Peyster Statue (was
Photographed by Larry Gertner, April 8, 2015
2. Collect Pond Park
The markers are visible to the left. The park was rehabilitated 2012. The "Pond" had not been filled for the season.
Photographed by Larry Gertner, April 6, 2015
3. Inset
There in no contemporary image of the Tea Water Pump, but this late nineteenth-century depiction gives a sense of the pumps importance to New Yorkers in the mid-to-late 1700s.
Photographed by Larry Gertner, April 6, 2015
4. Inset
The image of the Fitch steamboat test, created for an 1896 popular history of New York, is as fanciful as the event it supposedly depicts.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 6, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 572 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 6, 2019, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
