The Wellhouse

The Wellhouse. Prospect Park Alliance. , Water was one of the three elements that Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the designers of Prospect Park, considered necessary for a park, the other two being woodlands and meadows. The Wellhouse was originally built to house the mechanical systems required to pump waster that fed the Park's water system, including the Prospect Park Lake., Built in 1869, the Wellhouse is the oldest building still standing in Prospect Park. It fell into disuse sometime between 1914 and 1935, when the Park was connected to the city water supply. In order to provide more restroom facilities to Park users, Prospect Park Alliance converted the Wellhouse into a composting toilet comfort station–the first in a New York City public park., The Wellhouse Cistern Wall , When the Wellhouse was first built, it featured a brick cistern extending 50 feet underground, which had a pump that brought groundwater into a reservoir on top of Lookout Hill, which then fed the waterways. An iron-and-glass canopy brought daylight into the cistern, where an underground viewing platform enabled the public to see this machinery at work., As part of the restoration of the Wellhouse, Prospect Park Alliance excavated the top of the cistern wall and cleaned, repaired and capped the wall with bluestone to create a seating area that highlights the history of this distinctive Park structure. In addition, the retaining wall behind the Wellhouse was restored., [Sidebar:] , Prospect Park Alliance sustains, restores and advances Prospect Park, "Brooklyn's Backyard," in partnership with the City. The Alliance provides critical staff and resources that keep the Park green and vibrant for the diverse communities that call Brooklyn home.