Brooklyn Water Works

Before the 1898 consolidation of New York City, Brooklyn was the third most populous city in America. Historian Robert Miller tours the crumbling infrastructure of its water supply system.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Brooklyn
• water
• works
• New
• York
• City
• reservoir
• history
• Robert
• Miller
• Long
• Island
• Queens
• conduit
• boulevard
• sunrise
• highway
• force
• tube
• avenue
• interboro
• parkway
• gravity
• flow
• aquifer
• massapequa
• pond
• baldwin
• milburn
• pumping
• station
• wasserwerk
• crunbling
• infrastructure
• Ridgewood
• Reservoir
• drinking
• fred
• hadley

[sammcelroy200]

The video is cool, but alot is wrong or left out. There is alot of other infrastructure and he doesnt mention the political battles that went on in Brooklyn, or, the strikes and the violent fights that took place between Irish factions who worked on it, or any of the world renowned engineers that helped in its design or that a baby mastadon skeleton was found when they were digging for the conduit line. there is much more to the story.

[Queensdude]

Yes, things were left out in the narrative. It is hard to do justice in a 30-minute video to ALL aspects of the Brooklyn Water Works story. We decided to focus on the infrastructure remains while they last. But we believe that the material presented is accurate despite your assertion that "alot is wrong." For example?

[dbkoob]

I got great news you know the pumping station in freeport the one shone in this video that was partly destroyed by gang members their are trailers on the lot the interior has been cleaned the exterior is still in place the building has been cleaned and some skalfolding is in place to hold up the rest of the roof that wasn't destroyed by arsonists and wood planks has been put up and a tarp over it I don't know what there doing but there obvivously doing something to restore the building

[Queensdude]

Thanks for passing on the news.

[ervevwrtbwrtvrwtbvwr]

Milburn was split.

1/2 was absorbed by Freeport, the other 1/2 made up the basis of Baldwin. The pumping station was in Freeport. Milburn Creek makes the border and you can see it runs to the west of the building, Baldwins side.

[nycboyforlife]

Great video. I lived in the area of the Ridgewood Reservoir and remember it being filled with water during the 1970's. Many kids swam there and met their demise in that reservoir. That place always creeped me out for some reason.

[mrkyorke]

Thank you genntlemen. You are national treasures!

[gtc1961]

Wow, I gre up in Massapequa and used to go to the laked all the time. I never really knew what all those little buildings were for. Rumor had it that they were for guys to stay in who's job it was to chase kids off of the railroad tracks.

[wieprz]

cool

[sammcelroy2000]

I agree. Much of the movement to save the Ridgewood Reservoir is based on its value for environmental study but there doesnt seem to be much focus on its historical importance and the BWW relation to Brooklyn's growth, consolidation with NYC and the character of development on Long Island. This excellent video brings out much of the important history of BWW and can be used to educate local youth on the growth of the Empire state and growth of the US. i plan on using it in my hist class next yr

[MR1227]

Robert Miller is an excellent narrator and the quality of the video presentation is such that this presentation should be shown in classrooms throughout LI and the five boroughs. Bravo to Producer Fred Hadley and Robert Miller for a superb presentation on a most interesting aspect of Long Island history!

[sammcelroy2000]

The mount prospect reservoir wasnt part of the original construction or the general supply system, it was built in case of accidents AND to add pressure to mains in higher parts of the city and wasnt in use until 1863. It held a small amount of water; less than Brooklyn used at breakfast by the year 1870.

[sammcelroy2000]

"the conduit is made of brick" only the arch is made of brick the base was made of timber and masonry.

"reservoir was last used in the 50's" the reservoir was used during a drought in the 1960's.

"a third basin was built in 1863" the third basin was begun in 1889 and finished in 1891.

[sammcelroy200]

"Sunrise highway is one of the oldest roads on LI; used by native Americans; it was built because they wouldnt have

to condemn alot of property." Sunrise hwy was built in the 1920's, it was not a road or path used by natives

(that was Merrick rd./montauk hwy)and it was built b/c NYC convinced the legislature to build a hwy on their right

of way to reduce the 80,000 in taxes they were paying to Nassau cnty.