As the population of New York City swelled in the 19th century, the city's reservoirs were built to supply a growing population with a safe and reliable water supply.

View of Washington Bridge with High Bridge in the foreground, viewed from the Bronx side, 1913.

Opened in 1842, High Bridge is New York city's oldest surviving bridge. A preeminent example of yankee ingenuity in conquering tremendous technological obstacles, it was designed by and its construction overseen by John Bloomfield Jervis, chief engineer of the Erie Canal. Jervis, for whom Port Jervis, New York was named, created a Roman-style aqueduct to carry water from the Croton Aqueduct pipes over the Harlem River from The Bronx to Manhattan, overcoming problems of varying land levels and difficult rock formations on both sides. Its beauty and innovative technology made the bridge an instant attraction for visitors, especially engineers from the United States and abroad, and a popular subject for painters and printmakers. The Croton enterprise introduced water from an upstate source to a rapidly growing New York City. Having crossed High Bridge, the Croton pipes continued down through Manhattan the the distributing reservoir at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. In 1927, when neighbors of High Bridge on both the Bronx and the Manhattan sides protested the proposed demolition of the bridge to enable movement of large naval vessels through the Harlem River, the compromise was the removal of five arches. This modification altered the appearance of the graceful structure, but saved it as a walkway. In a sense, High Bridge is a very early example of preservation. Although the bridge was designated a landmark by the New York Landmarks Commission in 1970, today it is fenced off.

In 1977, the City created a new agency to manage its water supply and wastewater treatment and to regulate air quality, noise, and hazardous materials: the Department of Environmental Protection. DEP inherited the infrastructure, responsibilities, and documentation of many predecessor agencies dating back to the 1840s. That documentation comprises the bulk of the DEP archives and is still used in planning capital construction and rehabilitation projects, as well as watershed land management, facilities maintenance, and other operations.

High bridge, viewed from the Bronx side, 1892. Built between 1837 and 1848, the original stone arch bridge was designed to carry fresh water, via the Croton Aqueduct without impeding shipping traffic on the Harlem River below. In 1864, a pedestrian walkway was added to the bridge. In 1929, five of the masonry arches above the river were replaced with a single steel arch, simplifying navigation. The bridge continued to carry Manhattan-bound drinking water until 1949. After water supply use was discontinued, the promenade was closed due to safety and vandalism concerns in the 1970s. A refurbished walkway reopened in June 2015.

Arches are everywhere in New York. From bridges, to memorials, and many a Beaux-Arts facade, the arch is a motif that can blends seamlessly into the city’s architectural fabric or stand out — triumphally — in a place of honor. Take a look:

First navigated by the Lenape, and then owned by the Dutch, the "Harlaem" River has long been a waterway important to the history of New York. This story highlights some of the structures built over the Harlem to connect Manhattan to the broader world.