Eminent Domain

According to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s history of the city’s drinking water:

In the 1830s, New York City impounded water from the Croton River in what is now Westchester County and began construction of an aqueduct, which, when put into service in 1842, delivered about 90 million gallons of fresh water a day. A number of distribution reservoirs located in Manhattan helped to increase supplies, but demand continued to grow along with the City’s population. By the late 1800s, a new aqueduct was under construction to get yet more water from Croton to the City.

In the 1890s, the City used eminent domain to condemn and tear down buildings to make room for the aqueduct and also to reduce sewage from entering the water supply. In 1896, several buildings were razed in Mount Kisco on and around Moger Avenue. Prior to their demolition, a number of photos were taken documenting the buildings.