Old Croton Aqueduct Trail

Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. .
Aqueduct History , Between 1837 and 1842, the Croton Aqueduct profoundly changed New York City by providing abundant clean water from the Croton River in northern Westchester County. Local wells, springs and ponds had gradually become polluted from lack of sewers and the unchecked growth of industry. Investing in a new water supply system became a priority after a devastating cholera epidemic in 1832 and the Great Fire of 1835., The aqueduct, designed by John B. Jervis, was one of the most ambitious public works projects ever undertaken in the United States and a magnificent example of 19th century engineering. The system used gravity alone to carry water through an enclosed masonry structure for 41 miles through varied terrain, and over streams, roads and rivers. Construction of the aqueduct allowed New York City to grow and prosper, and it remained in use until 1955, when it was taken out of service. As indoor plumbing became commonplace, water use increased, and this system became known as the 'Old' Croton Aqueduct when the New Croton Aqueduct was built in the late 1880s. Later, the water supply system was supplemented by the Catskill System (1915) and the Delaware System (1944). The section of the Old Croton Aqueduct in the Bronx, and the High Bridge over the Harlem River, are National Historic Landmarks., Aqueduct Walk , Below the Aqueduct Walk lies the Old Croton Aqueduct. The water ran through a brick-lined tunnel 8 ½ feet high and 7 ½ feet wide. To the north and south, you can see rough stone retaining walls along the sides of the earthen embankments surrounding the aqueduct. These walls and embankments supported the aqueduct in places where it needed to be built above round level in order to maintain its steady downhill gradient of 13" per mile., Ventilators, conical stone towers about 20 feet high, were placed about a mile apart along the aqueduct to allow air to escape when the aqueduct was being filled, and to maintain free circulation of air over the water. Some ventilators were equipped with a door that allowed access into the tunnel. There were 33 ventilators along the route of the Old Croton Aqueduct. In New York City, all but two have been removed; the remaining ventilators are at the High Bridge.