| INTRODUCTION |
Welcome to Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct site. Within you'll find a brief history of the Aqueduct, information about our organization, how to obtain a map, and more. We welcome your questions and comments. Please browse the site and contact us by phone, mail or Email.
Construction began in 1837 and the first Croton water entered the Aqueduct on June 22, 1842. The first chief engineer of the Aqueduct was succeeded by John B. Jervis of Rome, New York. The Aqueduct carried water 41 miles from the Old Croton Dam in Westchester County, north of New York City, to two reservoirs in Manhattan - on the present sites of the Great Lawn in Central Park and the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue from where it was distributed.
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The "New & Improved, Better than Ever" 2nd Edition of the Westchester Map and Guide of the Old Croton Aqueduct is NOW Available
Non members may order maps for $5.75 ($5.00 for map plus $.75 postage).
Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct Annual Meeting-- Sunday April 26 at 2 PM
ALL WALKS AND TOURS ARE FREE; RESERVATIONS NOT REQUIRED
Aqueduct Walk: Sunday April 5 at 10 AM Tour into Aqueduct at the Weir Chamber in Ossining: Saturday 9 May 9:30 AM Aqueduct Walk: Sunday 31 May at 9:45 AM Aqueduct Walk: Sunday 7 June at 10:30AM, 1 PM and 3:30 PM Tour: Saturday 13 June - Continuous tours from 10 AM to 3 PM
The Croton Aqueduct is a masonry tunnel that brought New York City its first supply of clean, plentiful water, and thus contributed to its development as a great metropolis. The Aqueduct was built in response to the fires and epidemics that repeatedly devastated New York City in the late 1700s and early 1800s, owing in part to its inadequate water supply and contaminated wells.
The map includes these added features:
It shows you where the original Croton Dam was built
It shows the new access to the trail through Tarrytown's Gracemere Park, across from Lyndhurst
It shows a shorter, easier way to access the Tibbetts Brook Park section of the trail in Yonkers
Enlarged insets of tricky areas have been fine-tuned plus a new inset showing the north end of the trail
Send check payable to ====> Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct, 15 Walnut Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522Become a member for $20 and get the NEW map with your new membership!
ANNOUNCEMENTS - EVENTS
Hear a talk by Scott Chesman, sandhog-geologist, about the life & work of a sandhog & NYC's Third Water Tunnel, 50 years in the making... and a performance by Janet Grice, bassoonist, with flute accompaniment.
Irvington Public Library, 12 S Astor St, across the street from the Irvington station on Metro North Hudson Line. Open to public. No advance registration required. 914 693 0529.
New Croton Dam and The Croton Gorge along the Old Croton Aqueduct 5-6 mi. rd trip. Meet in parking lot of Croton Gorge County Park. Entrance to park is on Rt 129, north of Croton. Bring lunch. 914 762.4082
Tour with optional short walk along Aqueduct to follow. Meet at Ossining Community Center, 95 Broadway. Turn West from Highland Ave (Rt.9) opposite Croton Ave. (Rt. 133) 914 762 4082.
Yonkers. Old Croton Aqueduct from Hudson River Museum to Tibbetts Brook Park. Route is partly on city streets. Meet in the parking lot of the Hudson River Museum on Warburton Avenue in Yonkers. Accessible from the Glenwood station on Metro North Hudson Line. 5 - 6 miles round trip. Bring lunch. Take in the museum after the walk. 914 478 3961 or 914 275 2217.
Lyndhurst. Part of Lyndhurst's Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial. Choose to go north or south from Lyndhurst on the Old Croton Aqueduct, with the option to drop out along the route. About 2.5 miles round trip. Info on walks: 914.693.0529. Info about parking and possible fees, call Lyndhurst in June at 914 631 4481.
Ossining Village Fair. Meet at the weir chamber, which is a short walk north along the aqueduct from Main Street in Ossining or walk from the Ossining Community Center, 95 Broadway. Turn west from Highland Av (Rt.9) opposite Croton Ave (Rt. 133). Before or after the tour be sure to visit the audio-visual Aqueduct exhibit at the Commmunity Center. Contact 914.762.4082. Map