Macombs Dam
Encyclopedia
Macombs Dam was a dam
and bridge
across the Harlem River
between Manhattan
and the Bronx
in New York City
, which existed from c.1814 to c.1858.
gristmill
created by the new dam and another one Macomb owned near King’s Bridge on Spuyten Duyvil Creek
. Fifty prominent citizens of the area, realizing the Macomb would most likely receive the permission he had asked for, petitioned the city's Common Council to allow a bridge to be built as part of the structure as well. This request was granted, and Macomb was allowed to collect tolls on the bridge, half of which would go to the Council to be used to educate the poor. The bridge was completed in 1816, two years after the dam had opened.
As part of the permission to build the dam, Macomb was required to provide a lock
to allow boats to pass, and to keep navigation on the river open. But when the dam began operation in 1814, the manned lock, which was on the north side and measured only 7 feet by 7 feet, could only accommodate small boats, limiting the river's capacity. To make matters worse, by the late 1820s the lock had been partially filled in with stone, forcing boats to navigate through the piers of the bridge at high tide, a hazardous task which claimed several lives.
In 1839, local citizens, angry that the river was still blocked and that the proposed crossing for the Croton Aqueduct
would further block the river, consulted legal advice and planned a response. Repeatedly, the dam was sailed to and passage requested. Each time, passage was refused as not possible, and a meticulous log was kept of the attempts. On September 14, 1839, led by Lewis G. Morris
, a force of 100 men, including Gouverneur Morris Jr.
, confronted the bridge keeper demanding passage for their vessel. When they were refused, Morris's men – who came from a chartered coal barge – proceeded to breach the dam and bridge with axes, in an act of civil disobedience
, allowing the bark Nonpareil to pass. They returned on September 21, 22 and 24 to remove more of the dam. Their actions against the dam as a public nuisance
to navigation were upheld by the courts, in Renwick v. Morris, William Renwick being the owner of the dam at the time. The court ruled that New York State should not have authorized the bridge to be built, because navigable waterways are the jurisdiction of the Federal government.
By 1858 the bridge and dam had been totally removed, and the bridge was replaced with the toll-free Central Bridge. In 1890, this was replaced by the current Macombs Dam Bridge
, now the third-oldest major bridge in New York City, after the Brooklyn Bridge
and the Washington Bridge
.
The Macombs Dam is memorialized in the name of Macombs Dam Park
, which has been re-built as part of the construction of the new Yankee Stadium
project.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
and bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
across the Harlem River
Harlem River
The Harlem River is a navigable tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles between the Hudson River and the East River, separating the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx...
between Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
in New York City
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...
, which existed from c.1814 to c.1858.
History
In 1813, Robert Macomb, son of the merchant Alexander Macomb, requested permission of the New York State Legislature to build a dam which would hold water for a tide poweredTide mill
A tide mill is a water mill driven by tidal rise and fall. A dam with a sluice is created across a suitable tidal inlet, or a section of river estuary is made into a reservoir. As the tide comes in, it enters the mill pond through a one way gate, and this gate closes automatically when the tide...
gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
created by the new dam and another one Macomb owned near King’s Bridge on Spuyten Duyvil Creek
Spuyten Duyvil Creek
Spuyten Duyvil Creek is a channel connecting the Hudson River to the Harlem River Ship Canal, and on to the Harlem River in New York City, separating the island of Manhattan from the Bronx and the rest of the mainland. The neighborhood named Spuyten Duyvil lies to the north of the creek.Spuyten...
. Fifty prominent citizens of the area, realizing the Macomb would most likely receive the permission he had asked for, petitioned the city's Common Council to allow a bridge to be built as part of the structure as well. This request was granted, and Macomb was allowed to collect tolls on the bridge, half of which would go to the Council to be used to educate the poor. The bridge was completed in 1816, two years after the dam had opened.
As part of the permission to build the dam, Macomb was required to provide a lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
to allow boats to pass, and to keep navigation on the river open. But when the dam began operation in 1814, the manned lock, which was on the north side and measured only 7 feet by 7 feet, could only accommodate small boats, limiting the river's capacity. To make matters worse, by the late 1820s the lock had been partially filled in with stone, forcing boats to navigate through the piers of the bridge at high tide, a hazardous task which claimed several lives.
In 1839, local citizens, angry that the river was still blocked and that the proposed crossing for 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...
would further block the river, consulted legal advice and planned a response. Repeatedly, the dam was sailed to and passage requested. Each time, passage was refused as not possible, and a meticulous log was kept of the attempts. On September 14, 1839, led by Lewis G. Morris
Lewis G. Morris
A resident of Morris Heights, Lewis G. Morris maintained a small farm at Fordham, until it was encroached upon. He then purchased another farm in Scarsdale and on these farms bred sheep and cattle....
, a force of 100 men, including Gouverneur Morris Jr.
Gouverneur Morris Jr.
Gouverneur Morris Jr. was the son of a founding father of the United States, Gouverneur Morris, and of Anne Cary Randolph. He married Martha Jefferson Cary, daughter of Wilson Jefferson Cary, and Virginia Randolph Cary....
, confronted the bridge keeper demanding passage for their vessel. When they were refused, Morris's men – who came from a chartered coal barge – proceeded to breach the dam and bridge with axes, in an act of civil disobedience
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
, allowing the bark Nonpareil to pass. They returned on September 21, 22 and 24 to remove more of the dam. Their actions against the dam as a public nuisance
Public nuisance
In English criminal law, public nuisance is a class of common law offence in which the injury, loss or damage is suffered by the local community as a whole rather than by individual victims.-Discussion:...
to navigation were upheld by the courts, in Renwick v. Morris, William Renwick being the owner of the dam at the time. The court ruled that New York State should not have authorized the bridge to be built, because navigable waterways are the jurisdiction of the Federal government.
By 1858 the bridge and dam had been totally removed, and the bridge was replaced with the toll-free Central Bridge. In 1890, this was replaced by the current Macombs Dam Bridge
Macombs Dam Bridge
Macombs Dam Bridge is a swing bridge that spans the Harlem River in New York City, connecting the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx near Yankee Stadium. It is the third-oldest bridge in New York City and was designated an official landmark in January 1992...
, now the third-oldest major bridge in New York City, after the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
and the Washington Bridge
Washington Bridge
The Washington Bridge carries six lanes of traffic over the Harlem River in New York City between the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, connecting 181st Street and Amsterdam Avenue in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan to University Avenue in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx...
.
The Macombs Dam is memorialized in the name of Macombs Dam Park
Macombs Dam Park
Macombs Dam Park is a park in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The park is situated in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, between Jerome Avenue and the Major Deegan Expressway, near the Harlem River and the Macombs Dam Bridge. The park is administered and maintained by the New York City...
, which has been re-built as part of the construction of the new Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
project.