Prospect Park in Brooklyn in Kings County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

The Wellhouse

Prospect Park Alliance

— Restore —

The Wellhouse Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 13, 2022

1. The Wellhouse Marker

Inscription.
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

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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.

Erected by Prospect Park Alliance.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Natural Resources • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1869.

Location. 40° 39.408′ N, 73° 58.225′ W. Marker is in Brooklyn, New York, in Kings County. It is in Prospect Park. It is on Well House Drive 0.6 miles north of West Drive, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 Well House Dr, Brooklyn NY 11226, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

The Wellhouse (and marker) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 13, 2022

2. The Wellhouse (and marker)

this marker is in New York City

and on Long Island.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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: Lookout Hill Woodland Restoration (a few steps from this marker); How Does this Garden Save Water? (a few steps from this marker); Maryland Monument (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Sixteenth Street (approx. 0.2 miles away); Vanderbilt Street (approx. 0.2 miles away); Prospect Park War Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Abraham Lincoln (approx. 0.3 miles away); Mozart (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brooklyn.

Also see . . . Prospect Park - National Archives. National Register of Historic Places documentation (Submitted on March 3, 2024, by Anton Schwarzmueller of Wilson, New York.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 3, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 15, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,324 times since then and 107 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 15, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.