Old Croton Aqueduct Trail

Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. . , High Bridge, Manhattan , The Old Croton Aqueduct brought water across the Harlem River via the High Bridge, the most spectacular and technically advanced feature of New York City's first public water supply system. The original bridge, completed in 1848, was built with fifteen masonry arches, reminiscent of ancient Roman engineering. The bridge and promenade atop the bridge became a popular destination for trips to the countryside. In 1927, the arches over the main shipping channel were cut out and replaced with a single steel arch, allowing larger vessels to use the waterway., As the city expanded into the high ground of upper Manhattan, the natural water pressure of the aqueduct's gravity-based system was not strong enough to carry water to these higher elevations. The water tower, located on the plaza above, and the reservoir, now the site of the Highbridge Pool, were built to overcome this limitation.The tower had a 47,000-gallon iron tank installed at the top so that water could be distributed under pressure to the newly settled areas in upper Manhattan., 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.