Cobbs Hill Reservoir is a
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
located in Cobbs Hill Park in
Rochester,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
, United States. The
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
is used to supply drinking water to the city of Rochester. The source of the water is
Hemlock Lake
Hemlock Lake is one of the minor Finger Lakes. It is mostly located in Livingston County, New York, south of Rochester, New York, Rochester, with a portion overlapping into Ontario County, New York, Ontario County. Hemlock is a translation of t ...
, which lies 30 miles due south of and 400 feet higher elevation than Rochester.
[Cobbs Hill Park visitors' placard.]
Construction was completed in 1908. The smaller Lake Riley north of it was part of the old
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigability, navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, ...
system. I-490 now runs on the old canal bed here.
The land comprising modern-day Cobbs Hill Park belonged to Gideon Cobb, an earlier settler of Rochester.
The land was acquired by the city through various land purchases, and donations. The largest donation was the remaining 15 acres crowning the hilltop of Cobbs Hill.
The granite gatehouse atop the hill was designed by architect
J. Foster Warner in Greek Revival style. The structure featured a wide portico with an ornate drinking fountain.
With its surrounding iron fencing and Parisian lamp posts, the 12.8 acre
reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation.
Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
further added to the landscape of Cobbs Hill. Animated by a fountain, the reservoir reportedly has the sitting capacity to fill every bath tub in
Rochester, NY
Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...
, twice daily, for two months.
An overlook was developed in consultation with the agency of
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, Social criticism, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the U ...
— the firm responsible for creating the Rochester Parks system in the late 1880s. Olmsted executives urged the city to maintain this bluff to provide citizens with unobtrusive skyline views.
A refectory, with cafeteria and observation deck, once stood on the site now occupied by a radio tower. Funded by
The New Deal
The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression, which had started in 1929. Roosevel ...
in 1933, the refectory hosted thousands of people a year through the mid-twentieth century. A beacon mounted to the observatory helped guide planes to the
Greater Rochester International Airport
Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport is a public airport located within the City of Rochester, southwest of Downtown, in Monroe County, New York, United States. It is owned and operated by Monroe County. The airpor ...
.
Cobbs Hill Park remains a Rochester feature into the twenty-first century, and is used by joggers running the reservoir trail, sled riders gliding down the hill, sports enthusiasts playing on the athletic fields, or people partaking in the views or nature walks.
See also
*
American Water Landmark
An American Water Landmark is a landmark within the United States, Canada, or Mexico that is a historic location and is associated in some way with water. The American Water Works Association
American Water Works Association (AWWA) is an interna ...
References
External links
D&C Retrofitting RochesterCityofRochester.gov - Cobb's Hill at Find Lakes
*
Cobbs Hill Park Article, City of Rochester*
RocWiki Info
Geography of Rochester, New York
Infrastructure completed in 1908
Reservoirs in Monroe County, New York
Protected areas of Monroe County, New York
Reservoirs in New York (state)
Tourist attractions in Rochester, New York
1908 establishments in New York (state)
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