Sugar Hill in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Old Croton Aqueduct

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 11, 2026

1. Old Croton Aqueduct Marker

Inscription.

I've known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
from The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes (1902-1967), Sugar Hill Resident 1937-41

You are standing on the path of the Old Croton Aqueduct, constructed between 1837 and 1842 to bring water by the force of gravity alone from the Croton River upstate to reservoirs in Manhattan, a 41-mile journey.

Look for buildings-particularly at the intersection of St. Nicholas Avenue and 153rd Street-with corners that appear cut off. Built on the path of the aqueduct, they bear witness to the engineering marvel that supplied a grateful, growing city with life-sustaining water.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1837.

Location. 40° 49.824′ N, 73° 56.48′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in Sugar Hill. It is on Saint Nicholas Avenue south of 155th Street, on the right when traveling north. The marker is embedded into the sidewalk in front of the Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 898 Saint Nicholas Avenue, New York NY 10032, 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.

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Sugar Hill Luminaries Lawn (within shouting distance of this marker); Coleman Hawkins (about 400 feet away); The Green Book (about 700 feet away); Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington Residence (about 700 feet away); Convent Garden (approx. 0.2 miles away); John T. Brush Stairway (approx. 0.2 miles away); Middle Redoubt of the American Army 1776 (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named The John T. Brush Stairway (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Sugar Hill Luminaries Lawn (was about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Also see . . .
1. Sugar Hill, Manhattan: The Sweet Life of Old New York.

Subhead from this 2020 New York Times article: "The Harlem neighborhood that Langston Hughes praised in 1944 is still one of the ‘best-kept secrets in New York.’ But it’s not quite as affordable as it once was."

(Submitted on June 11, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. The Croton Aqueduct. From the Hudson River Maritime Museum. (Submitted on June 11, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 11, 2026

2. Old Croton Aqueduct Marker

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 11, 2026

3. Old Croton Aqueduct Marker

"Cut off" building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 11, 2026

4. "Cut off" building

The building across the street from this marker appears to have "cut off" corners, due to its one-time proximity to the aqueduct.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 11, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 11, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 14 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 11, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.