Site of Old Croton Dam
Encyclopedia
Site of Old Croton Dam is a historic dam
site located at Cortlandt
, Westchester County, New York
. The dam was built between 1837 and 1842 and was the first substantial masonry dam in the United States
. Construction of the dam was delayed by a January 1841 storm that washed away most of the dam.
A gravity dam constructed with a rubble core and granite
ashlar
foundation, it was 57 feet (17.4 m) high and 670 feet (204.2 m) long. The dam was linked to the Old Croton Aqueduct
to form part of the original New York City water supply system. When the New Croton Dam
was constructed in 1906, the old dam was submerged. When the reservoir is full, the old dam is submerged to 34 feet (10.4 m).
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1973.
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...
site located at Cortlandt
Cortlandt, New York
Cortlandt is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census.The Town of Cortlandt is in the northwest part of the county...
, Westchester County, New York
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
. The dam was built between 1837 and 1842 and was the first substantial masonry dam in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Construction of the dam was delayed by a January 1841 storm that washed away most of the dam.
A gravity dam constructed with a rubble core and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
foundation, it was 57 feet (17.4 m) high and 670 feet (204.2 m) long. The dam was linked to the Old 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...
to form part of the original New York City water supply system. When the New Croton Dam
New Croton Dam
The New Croton Dam, part of the New York City water supply system, stretches across the Croton River near Croton-on-Hudson, New York, about north of New York City. Construction began in 1892 and was completed in 1906. Designed by Alphonse Fteley , this masonry dam is broad at its base and high...
was constructed in 1906, the old dam was submerged. When the reservoir is full, the old dam is submerged to 34 feet (10.4 m).
It 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 1973.