Hackensack Water Company Complex

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Hackensack Water Company Complex
Weehawken Water Tower jeh.jpg
Red tower
Location map of Hudson County, New Jersey.svg
Red pog.svg
Location4100 Park Avenue, Weehawken, New Jersey
Coordinates 40°46′24″N74°1′13″W / 40.77333°N 74.02028°W / 40.77333; -74.02028 Coordinates: 40°46′24″N74°1′13″W / 40.77333°N 74.02028°W / 40.77333; -74.02028
Area7.7 acres (3.1 ha)
Built1883
ArchitectWithers, Frederick C.
NRHP reference No. 80002491 [1]
NJRHP No.1510 [2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJanuary 3, 1980
Designated NJRHPAugust 24, 1979

The Hackensack Water Company Complex is a set of historic buildings in Weehawken, New Jersey, registered in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Hackensack Water Company, a predecessor of Suez North America, developed water supply and storage in northeastern New Jersey from the 1870s to the 1970s, initially to provide service to the city of Hackensack and the towns of North Hudson. [3] Originally its headquarters and major facilities were located at Hackensack, in Bergen County. Under Robert W. de Forest, who ran the Hackensack Water Company for 46 years beginning in 1881, the company constructed new facilities and moved its headquarters to Weehawken in Hudson County, setting up offices in a brick water tower, [4] part of the present complex.

Contents

Weehawken Water Tower

The headquarters' most distinguishing feature, the red brick Weehawken Water Tower, was built in 1883 on what is now Park Avenue, on the border of Union City. Designed by Frederick Clarke Withers, it was modeled after the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. The tower stands 175 feet high, 300 feet above sea level at the Hudson River. [5] [6]

The tower was connected to Reservoir No.1 atop the Hudson Palisades to which water was pumped from the Hackensack River, [7] about 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. [8]

The tower was designed to accomplish two purposes. First, it housed the local headquarters of the Hackensack Water Company; second, it held up to 165,000 gallons of potable water in its tank, stored under pressure for use by residents, businesses, and for fighting fires. Its opening on September 29, 1883 was a major event, professional journals recognized Withers for the innovation of his design. [8] 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. [5]

The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, [9] which spared it from demolition, after which it was structurally maintained. [6] Entin Associates, a real-estate developer, purchased the complex in 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. [10]

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. [5] In October 2005, a plaza park was created at the base of the tower. [11] The interior of the tower was restored in the late 2000s. In 2010, as part of the town's 150th anniversary, interior brickwork was cleaned while maintaining its historical appearance. [12] In 2014, Mayor Richard Turner opened up the Water Tower for the annual three-week-long PlayWorks reading series, in which playwrights present readings of their unfinished plays, which celebrated the first time the restored tower had been used in over 100 years. [13]

In September 2014, Justin Casquejo, a thrill-seeking teenage free solo climber and stunt performer hung from the tower, and was charged with defiant trespassing and resisting arrest. [14] [15]

Hackensack Reservoir No. 2-Reservoir Park

Historical marker at Palisade and Highpoint Hackensack Reservoir No.2 historical marker-Weehawken Heights.jpg
Historical marker at Palisade and Highpoint
View from Palisade Avenue HackensackReservoir 2-Weehawken-PalisadeAve.jpg
View from Palisade Avenue

Hackensack Reservoir No. 2 was another component of the water company's system in the township, later owned by its successor, United Water. The site, slightly more than 14 acres and the largest piece of undeveloped property 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. [16]

The historical marker reads:

Construction of the Hackensack Water Company's Reservoir No. 2 at the southern end of the township began circa 1893 to serve the Heights section of Weehawken, surrounding Union City and West Hoboken. The reservoir, excavated on glacial trap rock, came on line in 1896 with capacity of 69 million gallons. The company also installed a covered water tank in 1893 in what is now Gregory Park.

United Water announced that it wanted to divest most of the property in early 2011 at an unofficial price of $11.5 million. The company will retain 4.2 acres to build an underground water storage tank to improve water pressure, estimated to cost $25 to $30 million. [17] The Trust for Public Land, which appraised the site, arranged to postpone the sale of the reservoir until the end of the year. [18]

In 2010 the township began a process to purchase the grounds. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection gave the township a $2 million grant in Green Acres funding. A $9 million low interest loan from the department's infrastructure trust program was made with the intention that in the future, as funding permits, additional grants for re-payment would be made. [19] No interest has to be paid on three-quarters of the money and minimal interest on the other one-quarter. The township introduced a bond for $9.2 million. [20] [21] [22] Weehawken and Union City are initially investing $300,000 to transform the grounds into passive recreational space. [23] They will share the annual upkeep of the property. [24] The completed sale was announced in December 2011. [25] [26] The park opened in 2015. [27]

Jersey City Reservoir No. 3

Reservoir #3 adjacent to Pershing Field Jcres.jpg
Reservoir #3 adjacent to Pershing Field

While not originally part of the Hackensack Water Company infrastructure, another reservoir atop the Hudson Palisades is Jersey City Reservoir No. 3, Also developed at the end of the 19th century in Jersey City Heights, Jersey City. it was closed to the public in the 1970s, and its usage as a municipal water source ended in 1992. Since 2007 it has preserved the open reservoir for the public use as a wild life management area adjacent to Pershing Field. Nearby Reservoir #1 was located on either side of Summit Avenue, and has since been demolished.[ dead link ] [28] [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson County, New Jersey</span> County in New Jersey, United States

Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in the New York metropolitan area, the county's county seat and largest city is Jersey City, whose population as of the 2020 U.S. Census was 292,449.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Bergen, New Jersey</span> Township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States

North Bergen is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the township had a total population of 63,361. The town was founded in 1843. It was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one of the "hilliest" municipalities in the United States. Like neighboring North Hudson communities, North Bergen is among those places in the nation with the highest population density and a majority Hispanic population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union City, New Jersey</span> City in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States

Union City is a city in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census the city had a total population of 68,589, reflecting an increase of 2,134 (+3.2%) from the 66,455 counted in the 2010 Census. In 2010, the city was ranked the 540th-most-populous in the country. As of the 2010 Census, among cities with a population of more than 50,000, it was the most densely populated city in the United States, with a density of 54,138 per square mile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weehawken, New Jersey</span> Township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States

Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weehawken Cove</span> Cove on the west bank of the Hudson River between Hoboken and Weehawken, New Jersey, USA

Weehawken Cove is a cove on the west bank of the Hudson River between the New Jersey municipalities of Hoboken to the south and Weehawken to the north. At the perimeter of the cove are completed sections the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, offering views of Manhattan and the Palisades. The name Weehawken comes from the Lenape, and can translate as "at the end of", either the Hudson Palisades or the stream which flowed from them into the cove, later the site of the nearby Lincoln Tunnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Heights, Jersey City</span> District of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States

The 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackensack Plank Road</span>

The Hackensack Plank Road, also known as Bergen Turnpike, was a major artery which connected the cities of Hoboken and Hackensack, New Jersey. Like its cousin routes, the Newark Plank Road and Paterson Plank Road, it travelled over Bergen Hill and across the Hackensack Meadows from the Hudson River waterfront to the city for which it was named. It was originally built as a colonial turnpike road as Hackensack and Hoboken Turnpike. The route mostly still exists today, though some segments are now called the Bergen Turnpike. It was during the 19th century that plank roads were developed, often by private companies which charged a toll. As the name suggests, wooden boards were laid on a roadbed in order to prevent horse-drawn carriages and wagons from sinking into softer ground on the portions of the road that passed through wetlands. The company that built the road received its charter on November 30, 1802. The road followed the route road from Hackensack to Communipaw that was described in 1679 as a "fine broad wagon-road."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bergen Hill</span> Lower part of the Hudson Palisades, New Jersey, United States

Bergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson Rivers, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson River Waterfront Walkway</span> Park in the United States of America

The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, also known as the Hudson River Walkway, is a promenade along the Hudson Waterfront in New Jersey. The ongoing and incomplete project located on Kill van Kull and the western shore of Upper New York Bay and the Hudson River was implemented as part of a New Jersey state-mandated master plan to connect the municipalities from the Bayonne Bridge to the George Washington Bridge with an urban linear park and provide contiguous unhindered access to the water's edge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Hudson, New Jersey</span>

North Hudson is the area in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, situated on the west bank of the Hudson River, mostly atop the Hudson Palisades. It comprises Weehawken, Union City, West New York, Guttenberg and North Bergen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson Waterfront</span> Place in Hudson and Bergen

The Hudson Waterfront is an urban area of northeastern New Jersey along the lower reaches of the Hudson River, the Upper New York Bay and the Kill van Kull. Though the term can specifically mean the shoreline, it is often used to mean the contiguous urban area between the Bayonne Bridge and the George Washington Bridge that is approximately 19 miles (31 km) long. Historically, the region has been known as Bergen Neck, the lower peninsula, and Bergen Hill, lower Hudson Palisades. It has sometimes been called the Gold Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulls Ferry</span>

Bulls Ferry is an area along the Hudson River, just north of Weehawken Port Imperial in the towns of West New York, Guttenberg and North Bergen in New Jersey. It takes its name from a pre-Revolutionary settlement belonging to the Bull family, who operated a row-and-sail ferry to the burgeoning city of New York across the river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summit Avenue (Hudson Palisades)</span>

County Route 617 is 4.55 miles (7.32 km) long and follows one street, Summit Avenue along the ridge of the Hudson Palisades in Hudson County, New Jersey. Its southern end is CR 622, or Grand Street, at Communipaw Junction in the Bergen-Lafayette Section of Jersey City. Its northern end is CR 691, 32nd Street, a section of the Bergen Turnpike, in Union City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pershing Road (Weehawken)</span>

Pershing Road is a road located entirely in Weehawken, New Jersey that travels for 0.42 miles (0.68 km) on the Hudson Palisades between Boulevard East and Weehawken Port Imperial, and carries the designation Hudson County Route 682. At County Route 505, the road meets 48th Street, one of the very few two-way streets in the urban grid of North Hudson, which travels west to Bergenline Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard. It is named for World War I hero John J. Pershing. Earlier names have included Clifton Road, named for the estate on whose land it was located, and Hillside Road, which would speak to its location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shippen Street (Weehawken)</span>

Shippen Street is an east-west street in Weehawken, New Jersey. The eastern terminal, a cobblestone double hairpin turn is listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. Shippen Street was developed at the start of the 20th century as part of the Weehawken Heights, one of the town's residential neighborhoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boulevard East</span>

Boulevard East is a two-way, mostly two lane, scenic county road in the North Hudson, New Jersey municipalities of Weehawken, West New York, Guttenberg and North Bergen. Apart from small sections at either end, the road runs along the crest of the Hudson Palisades, affording it views of the Hudson River and the New York City skyline. Developed at the turn of the 20th century, the residential road is characterized by an eclectic mix of 20th-century architecture, including private homes as well as mid and high-rise apartment buildings, mostly on its western side, with a promenade and parks along its eastern side. It is also the setting for Edward Hopper's 1934 painting East Wind Over Weehawken, which is considered one of his best works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Hudson County Railway</span>

The North Hudson Railway Company built and operated a streetcar system in Hudson County and southeast Bergen County, New Jersey before and after the start of the 20th century. It was founded by Hillric J. Bonn who became the first President in 1865 and served for 26 years until his death, and eventually taken over by the Public Service Railway. In its endeavors to overcome the formidable obstacle of ascending the lower Hudson Palisades, or Bergen Hill, it devised numerous innovative engineering solutions including funicular wagon lifts, an inclined elevated railway, an elevator and viaducts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palisade Avenue (Hudson Palisades)</span>

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 Jersey City and Fort Lee, passing through Jersey City Heights, North Hudson, and Cliffside Park, with various parts carrying Hudson and Bergen county route designations. The avenue re-aligns itself at several places along its route as it crosses traditional municipal boundaries created in the 19th century. As a primary route running along the top of the Hudson Palisades, many segments offer scenic views of the Hudson River and the New York skyline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weehawken Port Imperial</span>

Weehawken Port Imperial is an intermodal transit hub on the Weehawken, New Jersey, waterfront of the Hudson River across from Midtown Manhattan, served by New York Waterway ferries and buses, Hudson–Bergen Light Rail, and NJT buses. The district lies under and at the foot of Pershing Road, a thoroughfare traveling along the face of the Hudson Palisades, which rise to its west. The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway runs along the shoreline and is abutted by recently constructed residential neighborhoods, Lincoln Harbor to the south and Bulls Ferry to the north.

References

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  2. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Hudson County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. July 7, 2009. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
  3. Leiby, Adrian C. (1969), The Hackensack Water Company, 1869-1969, In collaboration with Nancy Wichman, Bergen County Historical Society, ASIN   B0006C01Q0, OCLC   13847.
  4. "United Water Resources, Inc. History". Funding Universe. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 Anderson, Steph (September 17, 2005). "What's that building??" Archived 2006-03-07 at the Wayback Machine . The Jersey City Reporter . Accessed August 4, 2008.
  6. 1 2 Fitzgerald, Vincent J. (October 12, 2014). "Historic structure comes alive!" The Union City Reporter . pp. 1 and 7.
  7. "NEW-JERSEY'S WATERSHEDS; ATTEMPTS IN THE PAST TO PROTECT THEM FOR THE PEOPLE. Five Times Has the Subject Been Presented to Legislatores, and by Four Governors, All of Whom Were Prominent Lawyers, Able to Judge of the Constitutionality of the Proposition -- Necessity for State Ownership -- The Bradley Bill" (PDF). The New York Times . August 30, 1894.
  8. 1 2 Weehawken Water Tower Archived 2012-05-23 at the Wayback Machine , Rogersheperd.com. Accessed August 4, 2008.
  9. New Jersey - Hudson County, National Register of Historic Places. Accessed August 4, 2008.
  10. Korten, Tristram (March 3, 1996), "On the Map;Towering Over Weehawken, a Form in Search of a Function", The New York Times, retrieved 2011-11-05
  11. "Ground Broken for Water Tower Plaza Park". Township Of Weehawken. October 5, 2005. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  12. "Weehawken Water Tower Restored by Servpro" (Press release). Hudson County Chamber of Commerce. October 5, 2005. Archived from the original on November 5, 2011. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  13. Hoersch, Joanne (March 30, 2014). "'Cuckoo's Nest' in our future". The Union City Reporter . pp. 3-5.
  14. Zeitlinger, Ron (September 22, 2014). "Weehawken teen who climbed 1 WTC charged with climbing historic water tower, source says". The Jersey Journal. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  15. "World Trade Center teen busted after allegedly scaling NJ structure: report". 23 September 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  16. "New Jersey Watersheds attempts in the Past to Protect Them for the People" (PDF), The New York Times, August 30, 1894, retrieved 2011-11-05
  17. Mestanza, Jean-Pierre (October 26, 2010), "Weehawken is aiming to buy empty reservoir now that United Water is planning to sell most of it", The Jersey Journal, retrieved 2011-11-29
  18. "Land and Reservoir Acquired for New Weehawken Public Park". The Trust for Public Land. December 28, 2011
  19. Roberts, Carolina (September 18, 2011), "'Humongous' property could become park Weehawken has until end of year to save 14-acre reservoir from developers", Hudson Reporter, retrieved 2011-11-27
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  21. Thorbourne, Ken (October 24, 2011), "Weehawken mayor announces purchase of 14.4-acre site that will become a park", The Jersey Journal, retrieved 2011-11-26
  22. Mestanza, Jean-Pierre (October 26, 2010), "Weehawken aims to buy unused reservoir", The Jersey Journal, retrieved 2011-11-23
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  24. Pope, Gennarose (November 13, 2011). "Preserving open space: Union-City and Weehawken to buy reservoir". The Hudson Reporter .
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  27. Grand Opening of Union City / Weehawken Reservoir Park, City of Union City. Accessed August 14, 2016. "Please join us on Friday, September 25, 2015 for a Block Party from 6 to 9 p.m. to celebrate the grand opening of the Union City / Weehawken Reservoir Park with rides, hot dogs and music. The park is located at 20th to 22nd Palisade Avenue."
  28. Karnoutsos, Carmela (2007). . jcreservoir.org.
  29. "Jersey City Water Works (Reservoir 3)" Archived 2012-01-16 at the Wayback Machine . Jersey City Past and Present. Retrieved April 15, 2014.