Hackensack Water Company Complex, Stausee in den Vereinigten Staaten
The Hackensack Water Company Complex is a historic water treatment and distribution center in Weehawken with a main water tower about 175 feet tall built in 1883. The site includes numerous red brick buildings in Romanesque style and the remains of steam engines, pumps, and underground pipe networks that once moved millions of gallons of water daily from the Hackensack River to homes and businesses across the region.
The complex opened in 1883 to improve water supply in the region and support urban growth. After more than a century of successful operation, the facility was closed in the 1990s and later added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The tower was built as a functional structure but also stands as an architectural work that shows the engineering skill of the late 1800s. The red brick walls and distinctive design still shape the character of the place and remind visitors of a time when water supply was a major urban undertaking.
The site can be explored on foot with views of the Hudson River from elevated positions. Visitors should know that while some structures remain preserved, the grounds overall show signs of age and access to certain buildings may be limited.
The water tower was modeled after Florence's Palazzo Vecchio and at 175 feet tall once served as a visible landmark recognizable to ships traveling on the Hudson River. Its Italian-inspired architectural silhouette makes it a surprising design detail at this site of early American water engineering.
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