Our team of artists will re-assemble in September to explore NYC’s original “mainland” water source, the Croton River system. The river was first dammed in 1842, and celebrations were held in Manhattan that year when water began flowing through the Old Croton Aqueduct. However, the city grew so fast that a new, bigger dam was soon needed — and this is the magnificent structure we see today.

The town of Croton’s website has a nice history of the New Croton Dam:

“As early as 1880 the Aqueduct Commission had started acquiring land for the New Croton Dam and Aqueduct System. Seven thousand acres were needed for the Croton watershed and to harness the Croton River’s three branches. A twenty square mile area was needed by the city on which to build the new Croton Dam. Twenty-one dwellings and barns, one and a half dozen stores, churches, schools, grist mills, flour mills, saw mills, four towns, and over four hundred farms were condemned and taken over to build the dam. Fifteen hundred bodies had to be taken out of six cemeteries and relocated along with their stones and fences. Protests, lawsuits and confusion preceded payment of claims.

Finally, contracts were awarded. On August 26th, James S. Coleman won the bid for $4,150,573.00 to be completed in five years. John B. Goldsborough, a self-taught civil engineer was appointed as Superintendent of Excavation for foundations and for hiring men to work at the dam. In 1892, the first labor force hired by JB was made up of Irish laborers and stone masons who had worked on the Old Croton Dam. These men now averaged 70 years and older; they had been 16 and 17 years-old during the construction of the Old Croton Dam.

JB developed a system of obtaining labor forces from Southern Italy for work at the New Croton Dam. These men were professional masons. The Italian workers left their wives and families, their culture and customs. Arriving at Staten Island, they were met by the people who sent for them. The padrone handed them $25 as they got off the boat as they arrived without passage money. The padrone met them a block away and took the money back again. They were taken by train to the New Croton Dam where the contractors had set up a row of shacks on stilts for them to live in. So a new life in a new land had begun. The handiwork of these men can be seen throughout Croton today.”

We’ll learn more about the dam in a future post…

The NYC Watershed Art Project thanks our sponsor Hart Howerton for supporting our efforts to create a lasting portrait of this beautiful watershed!