Jerome Park Reservoir
Encyclopedia
The Jerome Park Reservoir is located in Jerome Park, a neighborhood in the North Bronx, New York City
. It was built in 1906 to serve the Croton Aqueduct
as part of the New York City water supply system.
The reservoir is surrounded by DeWitt Clinton High School
, the Bronx High School of Science
, Lehman College
, High School of American Studies at Lehman College
and numerous apartment houses, including the Amalgamated Housing Cooperative
, administered by the Park Reservoir Housing Corporation.
It is named for Jerome Park Racetrack
, a part of the former Old Bathgate Estate which opened in 1866 and which was the site of the inaugural Belmont Stakes
in 1867. The racetrack was condemned, bought by New York City and closed in 1889 to make way for the reservoir.
In 1996, residents fought to stop the city from converting the site to a water treatment
plant. It was thought that the noise, chemicals, and unsightly construction would decrease the quality of life for area residents. The treatment plant was built in another part of the Bronx, minutes away in the middle of Van Cortlandt Park
. In connection with this work the Croton system was taken offline and the reservoir emptied in December, 2008. It is expected to return to service in late 2012.
The reservoir was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2000. The related High Pumping Station
was listed in 1983.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was built in 1906 to serve the Croton Aqueduct
Croton Aqueduct
The Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842...
as part of the New York City water supply system.
The reservoir is surrounded by DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School is an American high school located in the Bronx, New York City, New York.-History:Clinton opened in 1897 at 60 West 13th Street at the northern end of Greenwich Village under the name of Boys High School, although this Boys High School was not related to the one in Brooklyn...
, the Bronx High School of Science
Bronx High School of Science
The Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
, Lehman College
Lehman College
Lehman College is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, USA. Founded in 1931 as the Bronx campus of Hunter College, the school became an independent college within the City University in 1968. The college is named after Herbert Lehman, a former New York governor,...
, High School of American Studies at Lehman College
High School of American Studies at Lehman College
Ranked 19th best in country by .The school is administered by the New York City Department of Education. It receives supplementary funding from The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History....
and numerous apartment houses, including the Amalgamated Housing Cooperative
Amalgamated Housing Cooperative
Amalgamated Housing Cooperative, originally the Amalgamated Cooperative Apartment House, is a pioneering American limited-equity cooperative apartment complex originally built from 1927 to 1930 in The Bronx, New York City, New York....
, administered by the Park Reservoir Housing Corporation.
It is named for Jerome Park Racetrack
Jerome Park Racetrack
Jerome Park Racetrack was an American thoroughbred horse racing facility.-History:It opened in 1866 in the northwest part of Fordham, Westchester County , New York....
, a part of the former Old Bathgate Estate which opened in 1866 and which was the site of the inaugural Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
in 1867. The racetrack was condemned, bought by New York City and closed in 1889 to make way for the reservoir.
In 1996, residents fought to stop the city from converting the site to a water treatment
Water treatment
Water treatment describes those processes used to make water more acceptable for a desired end-use. These can include use as drinking water, industrial processes, medical and many other uses. The goal of all water treatment process is to remove existing contaminants in the water, or reduce the...
plant. It was thought that the noise, chemicals, and unsightly construction would decrease the quality of life for area residents. The treatment plant was built in another part of the Bronx, minutes away in the middle of Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park
Van Cortlandt Park is a park located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the fourth largest park in New York City, behind Pelham Bay Park, Flushing Meadows Park and Staten Island Greenbelt....
. In connection with this work the Croton system was taken offline and the reservoir emptied in December, 2008. It is expected to return to service in late 2012.
The reservoir was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2000. The related High Pumping Station
High Pumping Station
High Pumping Station is a historic pumping station located in The Bronx, New York, New York. It was built between 1901 and 1906, and is a rectangular red brick building with a steeply pitched slate covered gable roof. It was built as part of the Jerome Park Reservoir complex.It was listed on the...
was listed in 1983.
External links
- Jerome Park, at New York City Department of Parks and Recreation