The High Bridge is New York City’s oldest standing bridge which was built to carry the Old Croton Aqueduct over the Harlem River. It was once part of the first reliable and uninterrupted water supply system in New York City. As the City was devastated by fire and disease in 1830s, the inadequacy of the water system of wells-and-cisterns became apparent. Numerous corrective measures were examined. In the final analysis only the Croton River, located in northern Westchester County was found to be sufficient in quantity and quality to serve the needs of the City. The delivery system was begun in 1837, and was completed in 1848.

The Old Croton Aqueduct was the first of its kind ever constructed in the United States. The innovative system used a gravity feed, running 41 miles into New York City through an enclosed masonry structure crossing ridges, valleys, and rivers. The High Bridge soars 138 feet above the 620 foot-wide Harlem River, with a total length of 1450 feet. The bridge was designed with a pedestrian walkway atop the Aqueduct and was not used for vehicular traffic. In the 1920s the bridge's center masonry arches were declared a hazard to navigation and replaced by a single steel span.

The City of New York acquired this property in 1837 in conjunction with the construction of the Old Croton Aqueduct. In 1937, the property became parkland when it was transferred from the Department of Water Supply, Gas and Electricity. Parks was granted surface rights only. The rest of the property was transferred to Parks in 1960. The entire bridge has been closed to the public since 1970.

These photos of inside the Highbridge were taken in March 2006 during an inspection of the structural integrity.

All gallery content property of New York City Dept. of Parks and Recreation, used with permission.