Name/Title
VIEW OF THE CROTON DAMEntry/Object ID
L.2007.282Description
Built between the years 1837-1842, the Croton dam was the nation's first substantial masonry dam. The dam held the Croton Reservoir, a source of New York City's clean water for a large part of the 19th century. Water flowed from the reservoir through the Croton aqueduct, before reaching the city, more than forty-one miles to the south. Noted civil engineer John Bloomfield Jervis designed and supervised the entire project, including the dam, aqueduct, bridges and the reservoirs in Manhattan at the end of the system. The dam measured fifty feet high by 270 feet long and produced a reservoir with a holding capacity of more than thirty-five million gallons. The Croton dam served as a model for other municipal water supply dams after its completion. The structure became known as the "Old Croton Dam" only after 1906 when the new dam was constructed.
Page from a newspaper, possibly Gleason's, with a wood engraving of the old Croton Dam: the image is surrounded on left, top, and right by text; in the left foreground, a tree growing among rocks; on the right, a wooden bridge over a small spillway; a road crosses the bridge and curves up the hill to the right; a carriage and two couples travel along the road; behind, a dam; water spills over the right half of the dam; on the right, a series of stairways next to a stone building; behind the dam, rolling wooded hills; a flock of black birds fly above; at bottom right, printed: "LESLIE SC"; below the scene, printed: "VIEW OF THE CROTON DAM."; recto, a page of text.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
LeslieAttribution
ArtistDate made
circa 1852Dimensions
Dimension Description
OverallHeight
9 inWidth
11 inDimension Notes
Display Dimensions: 9 x 11 in. (22.9 x 27.9 cm)Condition
Notes
Remarks: Top half of page is removed; crease along top; hinged to mat with adhesive tape at top of left and right edges; slight foxing throughout; writing in pencil, bottom right; right edge is irregularly cut; bottom and left edges are gilt.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
William DieboldNotes
Former ownerGeneral Notes
Note Type
Curatorial RemarksNote
Diebold Box #33
Written in pencil on mat is "Gleason's, 1852".Note Type
General NoteNote
This is the Old Croton Dam.....Note Type
StorageNoteNote
Home Location: Historic Hudson Valley, Administrative Office, Archive Room, Shelf O3, B9Note Type
DepartmentNote
Library