Hackensack Water Company Complex
Encyclopedia
The Hackensack Water Company developed water supply
and storage in northeastern New Jersey
during the latter part of 19th and the 20th century, intially to provide service to the towns of North Hudson
, and the cities of Hoboken
and Hackensack
. Originally it's headquarters and major facilites were located in Weehawken
.
, it was modeled after the Palazzo Vecchio
in Florence
, Italy
. The tower was capable of holding 165,000 gallons of water and stands 175 feet high, 300 feet above sea level at the Hudson River
.
The tower was connected to a Reservoir No.1 atop the Hudson Palisades to which water was pumped from the Hackensack River
, approximately 14 miles away. While the reservoir at the site could provide adequate pressure for water users in Hoboken
, located just above sea level, water pressure was inadequate for customers atop the Palisades.
The tower was designed to accomplish two separate purposes in one structure. The tower housed the local headquarters of the Hackensack Water Company, and allowed clean water to be stored in a tank at the top of the structure, stored under pressure for use by residents, businesses and for fighting fires. The opening of the facility on September 29, 1883 was a major event, with Withers recognized by professional journals for the innovation of his design. The "Red Tower" is listed on the Federal Maritime Chart as a landmark for ships heading south on the Hudson River to let them know that they are approaching New York Harbor
.
The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980. Entin Associates, a real-estate developer, purchased the complexin 1981 for $1.6 million. The gatehouse and reservoir were razed for the construction of a supermarket and parking. The tower was spared demolition and structurally maintained..
The township of Weehawken took over the property in 2000, and began a restoration project for Water Tower Park. Paragon Restoration Corporation completed eight months of restoration on the site's exteriors in September 2004, with slate replaced on the roof, stonework fixed at the base and windows replaced. New steel supports and wood floors were installed in the interior, and space was left to accommodate an elevator and fire staircase. In October 2005, a plaza park was created at the base of the tower. Restoration of the interior of the tower has begun. In 2010, as part of the town's 150th anniversary, interior brickwork was cleaned while maintaining its historical appearance.
. The site, slighty more than 14 acres and the largest piece of undeveloped in in North Hudson
, is located in Weehawken Heights and is bounded by Highpoint Avenue, Gregory Avenue, 20th Street, and Palisade Avenue
, the latter two of which create the border with neighboring Union City
. It was built during a period of extensive urbanization of the area in the late 19th century.
The historical marker reads:
United Water announced that it wanted to divest most of the property in early 2011. The unofficial price is $11.5 million. The company will retain 4.2 acres to build a underground water storage tank to improve water pressure, estimated to cost $25 to $30 million. The Trust for Public Land, which appraised the site, arranged to postpone the sale of the reservoir until the end of the year.
The township has begun a process purchase the grounds. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
has given the township a $2 million grant in Green Acres funding. A $9 million low interest loan from the department's infrastructure trust program will be made with the intention that in the coming years, as funding permits, additonal grant for re-payment would be made. No interest has to be paid on three-quarters of the money and mininal interest on the other one-quarter. The township has introduced a bond for $9.2 million.
Weehawken and Union City are initially investing $300,000 to transform the gounds into passive recreational space.
has preserved the open reservoir for the public use.as wild life management area adjacenet to Perhsing Field. Nearby Reservoir #4 was located on either side of Summit Avenue, and has since been demolished.
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
and storage in northeastern New Jersey
Gateway Region
The Gateway Region is located in the northeastern part of State of New Jersey in the United States of America. The area encompasses Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Union and Middlesex counties...
during the latter part of 19th and the 20th century, intially to provide service to the towns of North Hudson
North Hudson, New Jersey
North Hudson is the collective name of the municipalities of Weehawken , Union City , West New York , Guttenberg and North Bergen in Hudson County, New Jersey...
, and the cities of Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
and Hackensack
Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....
. Originally it's headquarters and major facilites were located in Weehawken
Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 12,554.-Geography:Weehawken is part of the New York metropolitan area...
.
Weehawken Water Tower
The headquarters most distinguishing feature, the red brick Weehawken Water Tower, was built in 1883. Designed by Frederick Clarke WithersFrederick Clarke Withers
Frederick Clarke Withers was an successful English architect in America, especially renowned for his Gothic Revival church designs.-Biography:...
, it was modeled after the Palazzo Vecchio
Palazzo Vecchio
The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, Italy. This massive, Romanesque, crenellated fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany...
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The tower was capable of holding 165,000 gallons of water and stands 175 feet high, 300 feet above sea level at the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
.
The tower was connected to a Reservoir No.1 atop the Hudson Palisades to which water was pumped from the Hackensack River
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River,...
, approximately 14 miles away. While the reservoir at the site could provide adequate pressure for water users in Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, located just above sea level, water pressure was inadequate for customers atop the Palisades.
The tower was designed to accomplish two separate purposes in one structure. The tower housed the local headquarters of the Hackensack Water Company, and allowed clean water to be stored in a tank at the top of the structure, stored under pressure for use by residents, businesses and for fighting fires. The opening of the facility on September 29, 1883 was a major event, with Withers recognized by professional journals for the innovation of his design. The "Red Tower" is listed on the Federal Maritime Chart as a landmark for ships heading south on the Hudson River to let them know that they are approaching New York Harbor
Port of New York and New Jersey
The Port of New York and New Jersey comprises the waterways in the estuary of the New York-Newark metropolitan area with a port district encompassing an approximate area within a radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument...
.
The site was added to 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 1980. Entin Associates, a real-estate developer, purchased the complexin 1981 for $1.6 million. The gatehouse and reservoir were razed for the construction of a supermarket and parking. The tower was spared demolition and structurally maintained..
The township of Weehawken took over the property in 2000, and began a restoration project for Water Tower Park. Paragon Restoration Corporation completed eight months of restoration on the site's exteriors in September 2004, with slate replaced on the roof, stonework fixed at the base and windows replaced. New steel supports and wood floors were installed in the interior, and space was left to accommodate an elevator and fire staircase. In October 2005, a plaza park was created at the base of the tower. Restoration of the interior of the tower has begun. In 2010, as part of the town's 150th anniversary, interior brickwork was cleaned while maintaining its historical appearance.
Hackensack Reservoir No. 2
Hackensack Reservoir No. 2 was another component of the water company's system in the township, later owned by its successor, United WaterUnited Water
United Water Resources, founded as Hackensack Water Company in 1869, has grown into one of the United States's largest water services companies. It is headquartered in Harrington Park, New Jersey. The company owns and operates water and wastewater utilities and also has contracts to operate...
. The site, slighty more than 14 acres and the largest piece of undeveloped in in North Hudson
North Hudson, New Jersey
North Hudson is the collective name of the municipalities of Weehawken , Union City , West New York , Guttenberg and North Bergen in Hudson County, New Jersey...
, is located in Weehawken Heights and is bounded by Highpoint Avenue, Gregory Avenue, 20th Street, and Palisade Avenue
Palisade Avenue (Hudson Palisades)
Palisade Avenue is the name given to a historic road which parallels the eastern crest of Hudson Palisades in northeastern New Jersey. It travels between in Jersey City and Fort Lee, passing through Jersey City Heights, North Hudson, and Cliffside Park, various parts carrying Hudson and Bergen...
, the latter two of which create the border with neighboring Union City
Union City
-In the United States:*Union City, Connecticut *Union City, California *Union City, Georgia *Union City, Indiana , across the state line from Union City, Ohio...
. It was built during a period of extensive urbanization of the area in the late 19th century.
The historical marker reads:
United Water announced that it wanted to divest most of the property in early 2011. The unofficial price is $11.5 million. The company will retain 4.2 acres to build a underground water storage tank to improve water pressure, estimated to cost $25 to $30 million. The Trust for Public Land, which appraised the site, arranged to postpone the sale of the reservoir until the end of the year.
The township has begun a process purchase the grounds. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution...
has given the township a $2 million grant in Green Acres funding. A $9 million low interest loan from the department's infrastructure trust program will be made with the intention that in the coming years, as funding permits, additonal grant for re-payment would be made. No interest has to be paid on three-quarters of the money and mininal interest on the other one-quarter. The township has introduced a bond for $9.2 million.
Weehawken and Union City are initially investing $300,000 to transform the gounds into passive recreational space.
Jersey City Reservoir No. 3
While not originally part of the Hackensack Water Company infrastructure, another reservoir atop the Hudson Palisades is Jersey City Reservoir #3, Also developed at the end of the 19th century in Jersey City Heights. Jersey CityJersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
has preserved the open reservoir for the public use.as wild life management area adjacenet to Perhsing Field. Nearby Reservoir #4 was located on either side of Summit Avenue, and has since been demolished.
See also
- New Milford Plant of the Hackensack Water CompanyNew Milford Plant of the Hackensack Water CompanyThe New Milford Plant of the Hackensack Water Company was a water filtration and pumping plant located on Van Buskirk Island, an artificially created island in the Hackensack River, in Oradell, New Jersey. The site was purchased in 1881 by the Hackensack Water Company...
- Pershing FieldThe Heights, Jersey CityThe Heights or Jersey City Heights is a district in the north end of Jersey City, New Jersey atop the New Jersey Palisades overlooking Hoboken to the east and Croxton in the Meadowlands to the west....
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Hudson County, New Jersey