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Kensico Dam Plaza History Date Acquired: 1963 Acres: 98 Background: Kensico gets its name from the Siwanoy sachem, "Cokenseko.” The dam was built under the old dam that formed Lake Kensico, using stone taken from the adjacent Cranberry Lake Park. More electric power was applied for its creation than any other construction work for the Catskill water supply. The crushing plant at the quarry was the largest ever placed on contract work, and a railroad was built solely for the purpose of carrying debris from the construction site to landfills. At the quarry village, a school operated for the children, sewing classes for the women, and English language classes for the predominately Italian male workers. The dam was completed in 1915. It is 300 feet high and 1830 feet long, and forms the reservoir that contains 29,000 million gallons of water per day. It was acquired as parkland in 1963 from the New York City Watershed Commission and remains the property of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Bronx River Parkway Reservation.
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