croton_waterworks_raw.txt
The Croton Waterworks A Guide to the Preservation and Interpretation of Historic Infrastructure Historic Preservation Studio II, Spring 2011 Columbia University GSAPP The Croton Waterworks A Guide to the Preservation and Interpretation of Historic Infrastructure Historic Preservation Studio II, Spring 2011 Advisor: Liz McEnaney Students: Jørgen Cleemann Jennifer Frazer Michael Frigand Ayana John A…
7 Section 1: Introduction to the Croton Waterworks 10 Studying the Croton Waterworks, New York City’s first water system, in a graduate level studio course in historic preservation at Columbia University, required the widening of our preservation lens. The system is complex, spanning multiple decades and building technologies. The Croton Waterworks is a unique and mostly extant combination of a in…
support in favor of a public utility designed to prevent such calamities in the future, or at least lessen their severity. When the City and State Governments finally gave their formal support to the construction of an aqueduct that would draw water from the distant Croton River Watershed in Westchester and Putnam Counties, Major David Bates Douglass, a West Point professor little construction cou…
training but who had developed a reputation as a skilled engineer in the construction of canals and railroads. Jervis would go on to oversee the construction of the first phase of the Waterworks—which has come to be known as the Old Croton Aqueduct—so it is his name that is commonly associated with the design of the system. It is important to note, however, that much of what Jervis accomplished wa…
the construction of the system, were nonetheless hopeful that the infusion of Manhattan with free and clean water might result in less rampant drunkenness. But they were disappointed: breweries were among the first businesses to benefit from the ready supply of fresh water.2 Eventually, however, Croton water caught on, aided by a boost in water pressure brought on by the completion of High Bridge …
1835 1836 New York City Water Commission established John B. Jervis appointed Chief Engineer of Croton Aqueduct project Photography invented Old Croton Aqueduct completed (includes structures such as Old Ossining Weir, Archville Bridge, Murray Hill Reservoir, Yonkers Weir, West Burnside Avenue Bridge, Sing Sing Kill Bridge, Ventilators, Clendening Valley Crossing, Nepperhan/Saw Mill River Bridge) …
Harlem River more navigable for larger ships 1929 1930 Hoover Dam construction begins 1933 Golden Gate Bridge construction begins 1931 1936 1939-45 World War II High Bridge designated a NYC Landmark 1970 High Bridge Aqueduct & Tower placed on National Register of Historic Places 1972 1972 Site of Old Croton Dam placed on National Register of Historic Places 1973 1974 Burra Charter composed High Pu…
steel-arched bridge. Keepers’ Houses The Old Croton Aqueduct was subdivided into regions, each of which was assigned a 28 Top: New Croton Dam Bottom: 135th Street Gatehouse Pumping Stations Pumping stations were usually constructed adjacent to water towers, as an essential mechanism for pumping water to high-elevation areas. These stations included engines that were capable of pumping approximatel…
Aqueduct’s conduit. They were designed to relieve the buildup of potentially destructive pressure within the tunnels, and to allow the precious water to breathe. Ventilators were placed roughly every mile for thirty-three miles along the Aqueduct, and every third one included a door allowing servicemen to access the conduit. The majority of these ventilators still exist in Westchester County, whil…
significant on the basis of architecture and social/cultural history. Although our holistic approach encourages the preservation of all components of the system, we recognize that the rubrics established above will lead to certain structures’ being deemed more significant than others. We further recognize that in a system as vast as the Croton Waterworks, there will be many somewhat mundane struct…
the system, including the 1927 adaptation to the High Bridge, the complete removal of the receiving reservoir in Bryant Park, the paving of walkways atop the aqueduct berm, and current plans to add eight-foot-high fencing to the High Bridge. Standard treatment guidelines have never been developed for the Croton Waterworks, leading to inconsistencies in its care. A charter of recommended holistic t…
federal action that significantly affects the quality of the human environment. The federal government is required to use all practicable means and measures to protect environmental values consistent with other essential considerations of national policy to avoid environmental degradation; preserve historic, cultural, and natural resources; and ‘promote the widest range of beneficial uses of the e…
Section 4(f) requires the DOT to avoid harming such resources, unless no “feasible and prudent alternatives” exists.4 There is one caveat: the Secretary of the DOT may determine a “de minimus impact” if a Section 106 review has found no adverse effect on an historic site. “New York City Landmarks Law,” The New York Preservation Archive Project, http://www.nypap.org/ content/new-york-city-landmarks…
upon Its Foundation,” Builder 35 (25 August 1877), http:// www.spab.org.uk/what-is-spab-/the-manifesto/. 2 First International Congress of Architects and Technicians of Historic Monuments, Carta del Restauro (1931), http://www.icomos.org/docs/athens_charter. html. 3 International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), http://www.iccrom.org/ eng/00ab…
locations, setting, spirit, and feeling.6 The 1997 Verona Charter considers the modern purposing of ancient places of performance to be a type of sustainable development, as long as it is done with respect for 45 Does this charter document technical and mechanical components? Does this charter protect all active and inactive components? Does this charter protect unseen components? Does this charte…
modifying components? 47 48 in preservation of any structures within the Croton system are referred to the “Standards for Preservation and Guidelines for Preserving Historic Buildings,” which emphasizes the following: 1. A property should be used as it was historically, or given a new use that maximizes its significance and distinct characteristics. 2. The historic character of a structure must be…
of structures wherever possible. Due to funding limitations and the perception that historic infrastructural elements are defunct, preservation would be the first course of action. According to the Standards, preservation is defined as “the act or process of applying measures to sustain the existing from, integrity, and materials of an historic property.”5 This initial stage identifies, retains, a…
Four of the world’s aqueducts already join this venerable list of sites, and we believe that the Croton Waterworks matches those other sites in national- and worldwidelevel historical, engineering, architectural, and cultural value. While this designation also does not have legal “teeth,” a comprehensive management plan is required for designation, and the production of this document would be an i…
7 National Park Service’s “Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Histovric Buildings,” http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/standguide/rehab/ rehab_index.htm. 8 Ibid., http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/standguide/rehab/rehab_standards.htm. 2 52 Section 3: Interpretation Interpretation is a key element in the preservation of the Croton Waterworks. It may be used to support the mainten…
to consider in working toward the creation of a holistic interpretative plan for the Croton Waterworks. 1. The balance of public education/interpretation and maintenance of scenic viewsheds, particularly in Westchester County, has become increasingly important. The definition of what a scenic viewshed might encompass in New York City has yet to be determined. 2. The possible incorporation of inter…
new interpretative projects, and what interpretation should be updated and/or expanded. We studied each interpretative measure to determine its particular type, the organization that commissioned it, the intended audience, materials used, current condition, its visibility and accessibility, and its effectiveness. Primary goals were to determine how successful the current interpretation schemes are…
the property on which the associated structure or interpretative feature sits should be identified in order to keep a record of the multiple parties involved in the interpretation and preservation of the Croton Waterworks. Intended Audience Identification of the intended audience who will make use of the interpretation is crucial in evaluating the potential scale of the dissemination of informatio…
may be numbered in sequence, with each QR code linking to one piece of a complete text or vocal explanation of the history/ significance of the ventilators. The entire story will not be told until all ventilators have been visited! 62 Right: Axonometric of the 119th Street Gatehouse, a New York City landmark that is located across the street from Columbia University a link between the urban enviro…
New York City and its rural resources in Westchester County. Both the interior and exterior space may be utilized as a Croton Waterworks New York CityWestchester Center, with the goal of fostering Section 4: Interpretation Proposed Interpretation by Typology 63 along with a brief history/significance statement of the structure), blue searchlights could be put in place to mark the sites of these on…
which the public can access our group mission statement, images, statement of significance, videos, maps, oral histories, and Croton-related stories. We have included a varied program of references for visitors to access. These range from links to institutions like the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center and the Waterworks Museum in Berlin to relevant news stories like NPR’s urban exploratio…
prove the most successful in actually bringing people to the system. 1 Nielsen Media, “State of the Media 2010: U.S. Audiences and Devices,” NielsenWire (2010); see also Roger Enter, “Smartphone to Overtake Feature Phones in U.S. by 2011,” NielsenWire (26 March 2010). Smartphone Application Search the System Users could discover the history of individual features of the Croton Waterworks, searchin…
and from sites, and will also provide information about those structures. http://citytours.googlelabs.com/ Additional Digital Media Broadcastr Broadcastr is a developing social media platform that allows for location-based story recording and archiving. Essentially, it enables a user to record anecdotes, local lore, walking tours, reviews, and oral histories to a large location-specific database, …
in Westchester County. One of the major problems with existing signage along the Croton system is that many different methods of branding have been employed. For instance, the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation use their own logo on signs, while many signposts in Yonkers and the Bronx have only the letters OCA (Old Croton Aqueduct) on them. Our goal is to enable people to immediately recognize…
featured at the top of this panel, drawing parallels to the other two signage types. The content and layout of this panel will be identical for every site that uses the medium-sized signage scheme. The second panel will feature site-specific information, supplemented by photographs and diagrams. The outline of the Croton manhole cover is placed toward the bottom of this sign, with a unique number …
through, then and now —Past and present attractions and amusements associated with the Waterworks These videos could be accessed directly from YouTube or from our website, and links to them could be sent to other relevant historical or educational organizations, who would hopefully post them to their own websites. For instance, the video dealing with the labor history of the Croton Waterworks coul…
States and New York High School Standard 3: Geography Sample Curriculum Ideas If teachers in New York City are still not convinced that they would have the time to take their students to commune with the Croton Waterworks in Westchester County, there is no need to forgo the experiential aspect of introducing students to the system. While bringing the Waterworks’ story into the classroom will effec…
the New Croton Dam), the author recounts in these pages his guided tour of the South Gatehouse, complete with illustrations of the structure’s now-closed interior. —“Local Intelligence: The New Reservoir,” The New York Times, 30 June 1862, http://tinyurl. com/CentralParkReservoir2. The New York Times announces the completion of the South Gatehouse at the new Central Park Reservoir and invites the …
forty years, and during that time, I worked with my seventh graders a lot on backyard history. One of the themes that I focused upon was the history of the NYC water supply system. People always ask me, “Well, how did you get interested in the water supply system, of all topics?” And I guess it goes back to my childhood because when I was born and raised in downtown Ossining, my father worked as t…
ever mentioned the history of the Hudson River Valley, never mentioned the history of the Hudson River, never mentioned the history of Sing-Sing Prison, never mentioned Andre and Arnold and West Point, and they certainly never really talked about the water system. So when I graduated from college and went to the United States Army and came back, got a job as a teacher in Ossining, I think it was k…
wonderful history that still is truly in our backyard. Oral Histories 92 Solemn River there, it’s got to be 150 feet high. And there were times when the kids—you know, I’d say to the kids, “Okay, you can go up about 20 or 30 feet, but then you have to come back down, because I don’t want anyone getting hurt.” They were just, they were so excited, they would scramble up, and up they would go, and I…
down at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, where it crosses the Oral History 2: Scott Craven Scott Craven, a former student in Mr. O.’s class, is now a captain of the police force in Ossining. A lifelong resident of the village with a background in history, he “loves to speak about the aqueduct.” For him, the Croton 93 94 were down there before we closed the weir chamber. Unfortunately when I walked to the s…
Ossining Police Department, and I’ve been a police officer here for twenty-six years. I’ve lived in Ossining and the Lower Hudson River Valley for my entire fifty years, and I’m never gonna leave. I talk on various topics of the Hudson River to different groups, I have a master’s degree in American history, and I wrote my master’s thesis on the mouth of the Croton River and how it’s changed over t…
further ensure the protection of the system. Our research and analysis informed our preservation plan and interpretive schemes. We have outlined shortand long-term approaches, best-practice methods, and platforms to encourage preservationists and partner organizations to build upon this work. The following section attempts to frame the continuation of our work by making a variety of resources avai…
99 Rivertown Runners (Westchester): Rivertown Runners is an organization that organizes community running events for its members and other runners in the towns along the Hudson River. The main goal is to raise money to benefit local charities and to 100 Historic Hudson Valley (Westchester): Historic Hudson Valley is a not-for-profit, educational organization that celebrates the history, architectu…
2nd Floor Yonkers, NY 10701 website: www.groundworkhv.org promote the joys of running. The Runners make use of the parts of the Old Croton Aqueduct trailway that run through the river towns along the Hudson River. Rivertown Runners P.O. Box 8384 Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591 website: www.rivertownrunners.org Section 4: Conclusion that celebrates the Croton Aqueduct with tours, live music, and children’s…
various partners and constituents, the High Bridge is slated to be restored and reopened for public use by 2013. website: http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_ your_park/highbridge/html/hb_coalition_programs.html an exposed section of the aqueduct tunnel. websites: http://vcpark.org/park/features/ old_croton_aqueduct_trail.html; see also http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/ virtual_tour/croton_aque…
to acquire easements, which may be beneficial to the Croton Waterworks when considering issues such as encroachment on the historic viewshed. private, non-profit organization geared toward the preservation of historic places, offers multiple grants awarded to non-profit organizations and public agencies that could be used toward the stewardship of the system. First, the National Trust Preservation…
for the intangible benefits that these sites have fostered: they have and are still raising awareness of the Croton Waterworks. Awareness is at the heart of our mission because it is a key step to advocating for the protection of the system. Online Forum Analysis and Conclusions 106 Online Forum Analysis and Conclusions Section 4: Conclusion on parkland, which is often adjacent to Croton structure…
of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, allowing one side of the reservoir to be drained for repairs while water distribution continued from the other. beltcourse: A continuous row/layer of stones or bricks in a wall. berm: Generally speaking, a space that separates two distinct areas; In regards to the Old Croton Aqueduct, the berm functions as an 112 Board of Water Supply: Created by the Ne…
done from a hole drilled into reservoir rock formations to increase the rate and recovery of oil and natural gas. I inverted siphon: A pressure pipeline that carries water downhill, then uphill again in a U-shaped trajectory; The rising liquid at the bottom of the U pushes the liquid in front of it uphill to continue flowing on the other side by means of gravity. Italianate: Refers to a popular ar…
to 1842, remaining as chief engineer until the completion of the High Bridge in 1848. Section 4: Conclusion was for fighting the fire in storage tanks was frozen solid in the unseasonably cold weather. Q QR (quick response) code: A two-dimensional bar code encoded with information that is readable by QR barcode readers and smartphonessmart phones. R Renwick, Jr., James: A prominent American archit…
existing interpretation, signage recommendations, and designation status. Appendix Croton Waterworks Structure Guide Structure Guide In assigning our different sign types to Croton sites we took into account the size of the structures and their locations so as to not overwhelm the sites and their respective environments, as well as their levels of evaluated significance and proximity to other site…
Bridge, this somber stone and brick Romanesque Revival engine house and tower was sited near Shaft 25. Six machines powered by coal, were capable of pumping 14 million gallons a day. Type Significance(s) Interpretation Structure Guide 179TH STREET HIGH SERVICE WORKS 1894 (Demolished) Plate 29B-, New Croton Aqueduct Appendix 135TH STREET GATEHOUSE 1884-1890 (Adaptive Reuse - Harlem Stage) Plate 30-…
feet high. The inner wall is covered in paving, while the top and outer wall are sodded. For more information, see fiche on page XXX. Significance(s) Interpretation Sign Current Designation(s) BOG BROOK DAM NUMBER 2 1891-1893 Plate 5-, New Croton Aqueduct Spanning 1956 feet, Bog Brook’s smaller dam is 24 feet high. The inner wall is covered in paving, while the outer wall is sodded. For more infor…
Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, Central Park embraced the Old Croton Aqueduct in design. Significance(s) Sign Current Designation(s) COAL INCLINE AND RAILROAD, HIGH SERVICE WORKS - HIGH BRIDGE 1873 (Demolished) Plate 29, Old Croton Aqueduct Supporting the High Service Works located at the end of High Bridge, the dock and incline were built with a hoisting engine erected for delivering coal to the bo…
Significance(s) Interpretation Sign DOBBS FERRY BARN c 1880s Plate 24-2, Old Croton Aqueduct A maintenance building for the use of the principal superintendent of the aqueduct north of New York City. Type Significance(s) Interpretation Sign Current Designation(s) DOBBS FERRY KEEPER’S HOUSE 1857 Plate 24-3, Old Croton Aqueduct Italianate in form, the two story masonry structure provided a home for …
BRIDGE ENGINEER’S Office c 1840s (Demolished) Plate 29, Old Croton Aqueduct Interpretation Sign Type Significance(s) Interpretation Sign Current Designation(s) 17 HIGH BRIDGE TOWER 1872 Plate 29, Old Croton Aqueduct Type Rising 185 feet on a bluff in Highbridge Park, High Bridge Tower contained a water tank for high-storied buildings in Washington Heights. For more information, see fiche on page X…
of the New, discharging the water into the east and western divisions Type Significance(s) Interpretation Sign JEROME PARK KEEPER’S HOUSE c 1890s (Demolished) Plate 29A-, Old/ New Croton Aqueduct Designed by F. S. Cook, the Jerome Park Keeper’s House was an elaborate home for the overseer of the aqueducts in the Bronx. Significance(s) Interpretation Sign Current Designation(s) JEROME PARK GATEHOUS…
feet above the river bed. The 25 foot span allows free passage along Mill River under the aqueduct. Significance(s) Interpretation Imposing and massive, the Egyptian Revival reservoir contained two collection pools with a capacity of 24 million gallons of water. City dwellers frequently took advantage of the generous promenade atop the structure for its views of Manhattan. Current Designation(s) T…
Significance(s) Interpretation Sign Current Designation(s) NORTH GATEHOUSE Plate 32-3, Old Croton Aqueduct Current Designation(s) Positioned on the northwestern edge of Lake Manahatta and at 72 X 40, the North Gatehouse serves as the inlet feet of the aqueduct into the reservoir. 27 NORTH TARRYTOWN KEEPER’S HOUSE STABLE Plate 22, Old Croton Aqueduct Type Part of the complex allotted to the oversee…
is not as tall and that the polygonal faces have been rounded off. Type Significance(s) Current Designation(s) Interpretation Sign Type Type Significance(s) Interpretation Sign Interpretation Sign Current Designation(s) SAW MILL RIVER BRIDGE 1838-1839 Plate 27-2, Old Croton Aqueduct The stone arch spanned 16 feet across a road at Saw Mill River. Type Current Designation(s) RESERVOIR PARK 1871 (Ren…
Current Designation(s) SHAFT NUMBER 11C Plate 23-9, New Croton Aqueduct SHAFT NUMBER 10 Plate 22-15, New Croton Aqueduct Engineers designed Shaft Number 10 to be sunk to a depth of 126 feet. Type Significance(s) Current Designation(s) 34 Interpretation Sign Shaft 11C was constructed with a 14 foot diameter so that pumping apparatus could be lowered down to the New Croton Aqueduct. Type Significanc…
Designation(s) SHAFT NUMBER 25 STEPS AND RETAINING WALL c 1892 Plate 29, New Croton Aqueduct Type Marking the point where the New Croton Aqueduct entered Manhattan Island, Shaft Number 25 employed revolutionary engineering in its design. Significance(s) Interpretation An elaborate stairway was built into the side of Shaft Number 25 with access to the Harlem River Speedway through a glorious arch. …
continuation of the Sodom Auxiliary Dam, the overflow weir stretches 500 feet and is 8 feet high. Type Significance(s) Interpretation Current Designation(s) Sign Current Designation(s) 41 SOUTH YONKERS GATEHOUSE c 1888 Plate 28-XX, New Croton Aqueduct Type A masonry substructure with a 37 X 55 foot chamber divided by an overflow weir, the South Yonkers Gatehouse is similar in form to the two other…
Type Significance(s) Current Designation(s) Interpretation Sign A maintenance building allotted to the supervisor of the West Branch Reservoir. Type Significance(s) Interpretation Sign YONKERS BARN (Demolished) Plate 25, Old Croton Aqueduct Part of the complex allotted to the overseer of the Yonkers section of the Old Croton Aqueduct. Significance(s) Interpretation Sign Current Designation(s) Curr…