Highbridge Reservoir

[1] It was located on Amsterdam Avenue between 172nd Street and 174th Street, in Upper Manhattan adjacent to the High Bridge Water Tower and the High Bridge across the Harlem River Valley.

The reservoir covered about 7 acres (28,000 m2), was 16 feet (4.9 m) deep, and had a total capacity of 10,794,000 US gallons (40,860,000 L).

[2] In 1863, the New York Legislature authorized construction of the reservoir and water tower to supply water pressure to buildings located at high elevations in the surrounding area.

The project was designed by John B. Jervis, the chief engineer of the Croton Aqueduct.

Steam engines pumped water up from the aqueduct approximately 100 feet (30 m) into the reservoir and then pumped it another 200 feet (61 m) to the top of the water tower in to a tank with a capacity of 47,000 US gallons (180,000 L).