Reservoir No. 3
About this property
Jersey City Reservoir No. 3 is a decommissioned reservoir atop Bergen Hill in the Heights of Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, situated on approximately 13.8 acres (5.6 ha) just south of Pershing Field. It was built between 1871 and 1874 as part of the city's waterworks system designed to provide potable water to the city, including Ellis Island. Its perimeter wall is in the Egyptian Revival style and pump stations are in the Romanesque Revival style. The reservoir provided drinking water until the 1980s, when it was drained and abandoned for a larger reservoir at the Boonton Gorge. Since that time, a mini-ecosystem has taken root behind the thick, 20-foot tall stone walls: trees, wildflowers, swans, great blue heron, peregrine falcons, and at the center a 6 acres (2.4 ha) lake. This urban wildlife preserve hosts numerous animal and plant species not otherwise found in an urban environment. It was listed on the state and the federal registers of historic places in 2012. Nearby Reservoir No. 1 was located on either side of Summit Avenue and has been demolished. The reservoir reopened on September 17, 2024; the only entrance is on Howie Fink Wy in the middle of the block. The Jersey City Reservoir Preservation Alliance, started in 2002, runs the maintenance and supervision programs necessary to keep the park open to the public every Saturday from May–October. The Alliance also runs summertime programming in arts, music, and recreation to bring new and returning community members to the space. The reservoir is also available for educational visits. The Alliance received the Ted Conrad “Preservationist of the Year” Award in 2005.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Reservoir No. 3 listed on the National Register?
Reservoir No. 3 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 26, 2012.
What type of historic resource is Reservoir No. 3?
Reservoir No. 3 is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Reservoir No. 3?
The period of significance for Reservoir No. 3 is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near Reservoir No. 3?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Reservoir No. 3 will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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