The Jerome Park Reservoir is located in Jerome Park, a neighborhood in the North Bronx, New York City. It was built in 1906 to serve the Croton Aqueduct as part of the New York City water supply system.
The reservoir is surrounded by DeWitt Clinton High School, the Bronx High School of Science, Lehman College, High School of American Studies at Lehman College and numerous apartment houses, including the Amalgamated Housing Cooperative, administered by the Park Reservoir Housing Corporation.
It is named for Jerome Park Racetrack, a part of the former Old Bathgate Estate which opened in 1866 and which was the site of the inaugural Belmont Stakes in 1867. The racetrack was condemned, bought by New York City and closed in 1889 to make way for the reservoir.
In 1996, residents fought to stop the city from converting the site to a water treatment plant. It was thought that the noise, chemicals, and unsightly construction would decrease the quality of life for area residents. The treatment plant was built in another part of the Bronx, minutes away in the middle of Van Cortlandt Park. In connection with this work the Croton system was taken offline and the reservoir emptied in December, 2008. It is expected to return to service in late 2012.
The reservoir was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. The related High Pumping Station was listed in 1983.
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