Westchester County is home to two historic dams: the Croton Dam and the Kensico Dam. Locals and tourists alike flock to these dams to soak in the stunning views of the reservoirs, parks, and structures. The parks offer ample greenery for a day of hiking, picnicking, or having a photoshoot with the family.
Both dams were completed in the early 1900s, and each stands impressively over 300 feet high. Their construction was — and still is — crucial to Manhattan’s water supply, having been built when the city faced increased demands for water due to a rising population. Learn more about the history of the dams that help to define Westchester.
The Croton Dam
The largest dam in New York State, standing 301 feet high and 2,400 feet long, is the Croton Dam, which was completed in 1906. It was also the first large masonry dam in the United States. The New Croton Dam was built atop the Old Croton Dam, which lies submerged beneath the reservoir. The original Croton Dam was built between 1837 and 1842 by a team of Irish laborers for the purpose of supplying New York City with water.
When it was time to build the New Croton Dam, John B. Goldsborough, a self-taught civil engineer and the Superintendent of Excavation for foundations and for hiring men, employed many of the Irish laborers and stone masons who had worked on the original dam. Additionally, Goldsborough recruited labor forces from Southern Italy for extra hands. When the men arrived from Italy to Staten Island, they were given $25 and transferred north by train to the construction site and their new living quarters: a shack on stilts.
The Aqueduct Commission began acquiring land for the dam and the aqueduct system in 1880. It was stated that seven thousand acres would be needed for construction. Many locals at the time lost their homes, schools, and even towns for the commission to obtain the land it needed. In total, 21 dwellings and bars; 18 stores, churches, schools, grist mills, flour mills, saw mills; four towns; and over 400 farms were condemned and taken over. Additionally, six cemeteries had to be relocated, with 1,500 bodies, along with stones and fences, taken out.
This wasn’t the only controversy surrounding the building of the New Croton Dam. On April Fools’ Day in 1900, the workers went on strike for low wages and long 10-hour days. Soon, the quarrymen, teamsters, drillers, and machinists all followed suit and joined the strike over the $1.25 and $1.30 wages. By August 1902, New York City Mayor Seth Low officially put the eight-hour day in place.
The last stone was laid in January 1906, marking the completion of the Westchester dam after 14 years and $7.7 million dollars in construction costs. The dam was recognized as the third largest hand-hewn masonry in the world behind the Great Wall of China and the Great Pyramid of Giza. The dam was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, vehicles were able to drive over the dam, but now it’s open to foot traffic.
The Kensico Dam
The Kensico Dam in Valhalla was completed in 1917 – four years ahead of schedule – and stands at a spectacular 307 feet high and 1,843 feet long. Kensico Dam is the southernmost storage reservoir in the chain of reservoirs reaching into upstate New York. The contract to begin construction was awarded in 1909 for $8,006,300 to engineer Frank E. Winsor. Similar to the New Croton Dam, the Kensico Dam was built atop the remains of the Old Kensico Dam, which was built in 1885 and demolished in 1911.
Stone was taken from the nearby Cranberry Lake Park for use of the construction of the dam. In comparison to other dams being built in upstate New York, Kensico Dam used more electric power in its construction than any of the others. Additionally, the crushing plant at the quarry was the largest ever placed on contract work. The construction created so much debris that there was a 17-mile railroad built to transport it from the construction site to landfills.
At the base of the construction site sat a work camp which housed the dam workers and their families. There was a school which operated for the children, sewing classes for the women, and English language classes for the Italian male workers.
The dam was acquired as parkland from the New York City Watershed Commission in 1963 and is currently property of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The stunning structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, part of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation.
The Kensico Dam is home to the county’s September 11 Memorial, The Rising. The Westchester County 9/11 First Responders Memorial is dedicated to those who lost their lives due to 9/11-related illnesses. Now, guests can appreciate the dam by either walking atop it or on its expansive lawn.
In 2005, nearing its 100-year anniversary, the Westchester dam underwent a $31.4 million rehabilitation project thanks to the DEP. The project consisted of reconstructing the colonnades at the ends of the dam, cleaning and repairing stone masonry surfaces, reconstructing the lower pavilions, reconstructing the spillway and spillway channel, and more.
Related: Water Tunnel Project Slated to Supply Construction Jobs in Westchester
